http://www.mentaliron.com/panic-and-pandemoneum A blog for Thinkers, Readers, and Leaders Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:30:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.mentaliron.com/panic-and-pandemoneum#comment-33 Rena Marrocco Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:14:17 +0000 http://www.mentaliron.com/?p=125#comment-33 Well said Julia. But there is one thing you left out: Don't panic. Life is cyclical and in constant flux. The irony of the human condition is that we have all seem to have bought into this illusion of stability and permanence. The lengths some people will go to resist change is astounding to me. Especially in light of how liberating going with the flow can be. When I was a child I spent a week with my best friend at her beach house in Laguna Beach one summer. It happened to be a week when a huge swell was coming through and every day we would go into that freezing cold water and get tossed around in these huge waves. A couple of times I got very tossed around and disoriented. For those few seconds I was completely out of control and free. I didn't get scared until I realized that I didn't know which way was up. However, I recovered my bearings quickly and easily and surfaced. I couldn't wait to do it again. This time, however, when I got tossed around I didn't lose my bearings. All fear was gone and only the freedom remained. I had mastered the turbulent waters trimphantly and except for that split second of fear, had a blast in the process. Isn't that what life is? A series of exciting events with an occassional unpleasant moment in between? It has been my experience that nearly all change has a beneficial impact on some level. Even death. My husband and I just said good-bye to our dear friend who's been brought home to die after a 4 year battle with cancer. We spent a lovely day by his bedside laughing and remembering. We met his parents and sister-in-law who flew in from England. We saw his wife lovingly rub cream on his dry skin and kiss his forehead with a gentle affection we had never seen them display with each other in our presence before. We met an old friend of theirs who had been present when the two met each other. Most importantly we got to tell him how much we loved him and he us. These are all beautiful things that would have never happened if it wasn't for this horrific illness. Life will be different and difficult once my friend passes (if he passes- he is still holding out hope for a miracle and so am I). But the sadness too will pass and all that will be left are the pleasant memories of a great man. Again change, and it's good. So don't panic. The path you were on may be blocked to you now. You can choose to wait until the path gets unblocked or go down the other path- and there's always another path. Well said Julia. But there is one thing you left out: Don’t panic. Life is cyclical and in constant flux. The irony of the human condition is that we have all seem to have bought into this illusion of stability and permanence. The lengths some people will go to resist change is astounding to me. Especially in light of how liberating going with the flow can be.
When I was a child I spent a week with my best friend at her beach house in Laguna Beach one summer. It happened to be a week when a huge swell was coming through and every day we would go into that freezing cold water and get tossed around in these huge waves. A couple of times I got very tossed around and disoriented. For those few seconds I was completely out of control and free. I didn’t get scared until I realized that I didn’t know which way was up. However, I recovered my bearings quickly and easily and surfaced. I couldn’t wait to do it again. This time, however, when I got tossed around I didn’t lose my bearings. All fear was gone and only the freedom remained. I had mastered the turbulent waters trimphantly and except for that split second of fear, had a blast in the process. Isn’t that what life is? A series of exciting events with an occassional unpleasant moment in between?
It has been my experience that nearly all change has a beneficial impact on some level. Even death. My husband and I just said good-bye to our dear friend who’s been brought home to die after a 4 year battle with cancer. We spent a lovely day by his bedside laughing and remembering. We met his parents and sister-in-law who flew in from England. We saw his wife lovingly rub cream on his dry skin and kiss his forehead with a gentle affection we had never seen them display with each other in our presence before. We met an old friend of theirs who had been present when the two met each other. Most importantly we got to tell him how much we loved him and he us. These are all beautiful things that would have never happened if it wasn’t for this horrific illness.
Life will be different and difficult once my friend passes (if he passes- he is still holding out hope for a miracle and so am I). But the sadness too will pass and all that will be left are the pleasant memories of a great man. Again change, and it’s good.
So don’t panic. The path you were on may be blocked to you now. You can choose to wait until the path gets unblocked or go down the other path- and there’s always another path.

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