Don't Fall Off the Bicycle

We search for peace of mind. We want to know that we are all right and that the world is safe. We want to relax. We want to understand the bigger picture, but everything seems so complicated. We spend too much time running after desires and activities that never satisfy us. Too often, we feel as if we have lost control of our lives. We want reassurance.

Balancing the chaos and order around us is the answer. Like riding a bicycle, this is a dynamic process, a process that shifts as information shifts and stabilizes when necessary. Four Steps to Maintain Dynamic Balance and an Action Plan summarize the ideas.

FOUR STEPS TO MAINTAIN DYNAMIC BALANCE:
Accept Change
Ask the Right Question at the Right Scale
Know What to Do
Know How to Do It

1) Accept Change

Dealing with change and uncertainty is a necessity for life in the 21st century. We cannot expect to function in society without understanding new ideas. In Creating A New Civilization: The Politics of the Third Wave, Alvin and Heidi Toffler state that the responsibility for change lies within each of us and that we must not close our minds prematurely to the new, seemingly radical.

They suggest that tolerance for ambiguity,
error and diversity,
as well as a sense of humor
are crucial survival skills.

A sense of humor reminds us that we should never get too serious about any new or old idea. Being entertained, rather than overwhelmed, keeps us sane. Things change when we are least ready.

A fast-paced life forces us to be continual explorers. No longer can we study data and expect it to provide all that we need. Too often, facts change.

Life is a flow, a continual process of chaos and order.

Science is a part of our lives. It defines the changes, from the technology of computers to the cloning of humans. We understand that new theories in science are simply the best information available at the time. The chaos theory is a recent one, revealing new information about our world. There will be further developments and more revelations. Accepting that our lives are about change will prepare us for the next developments, whatever they may be.

Chaos will reign at times. Our world is disruptive with an eventual order settling in. Accepting chaos is accepting change. Accepting chaos means understanding that order will follow, even if it is a different kind. Accepting chaos means that we help create the organization that follows. We have a personal responsibility to recognize that the flow from chaos to order is natural, and one in which we participate.

We must be sure that we are asking the right question that relates to the right scale before attempting to solve any challenge. We must know what it is we are really trying to do. We cannot focus on the details without pulling back and seeing the bigger picture. We cannot postulate about solutions on a large scale without understanding their implications on the smaller, individual level.