How to Find An Edge In Chaos
It has been said that the only true constant in life is that everything changes. I would even say that in our modern society that it can be more accurately phrased that everything changes abruptly and in unplanned ways. We have all faced the struggles of slogging through rush hour traffic and then rushing to our desk to find that several new tasks require our immediate attention or to find a mountain of unanswered emails/voice mails waiting in our inbox or to find that the project we have been working for the past several months has taken a dramatic turn in the wrong direction or…well I think you get the point. The truth is that life can be chaotic and unforgiving at times. In the face of such a constant onslaught of misfortune day in and day out; it is easy to become beaten down by all the mud that can be flung our way.
Albert Einstein once said that, “adversity introduces a man to himself.” Ok, so does that mean that in times of adversity we can all take a hard look in the mirror and discover ourselves and move on to live more loving and fulfilling lives? No, of course not, but there are things we can discover about ourselves beyond our desire to lose some weight or to get rid of some gray hair. The truth is we are all imperfect and there is a beauty to be found in that imperfection. Life and work is the same way, it is imperfect, but there is beauty that can be brought forth out of that imperfection.
In Japan they make these beautiful swords called Katanas that can easily cost thousands of dollars for an authentic sword. Katanas are known worldwide for their unusually strong and sharp blades and natural beauty. These swords were often molded from an impure iron that is super-heated in Tatara furnace to form Tamagahane or “Jewel Steel”. The specially trained sword smiths will fold and beat out the steel 15-17 times to remove impurities in the sword. This results in close to 32,000 miniature layers of steel in the sword. They then mix the steel with other types of steel, some of the steel is strong while some of the other steel is soft yet still tough and flexible, and this process is called lamination. It ensures the blades strength and flexibility. The sword then goes through the claying/differential hardening process where it is covered in fine clay, super-heated again, and then thrust into water. The sword is then polished and ornamented until finally the finished product is produced.
Why am I telling you this? You may ask yourself this as you stare at your screen contemplating whether to stop reading this article. I am telling you this because each of us, like the Katana, may have our own impurities or imperfections that we need to remove or improve upon. Adversity acts as that refiner’s fire that helps us to grow stronger and to expand ourselves beyond what we once were. In the chaos of our everyday modern lives we begin to learn a multitude of lessons.
Each adversity molds us through fire into a better person. Our daily push through rush hour traffic teaches us patience. The stack of new tasks teaches us how to better manage and prioritize our time. The emails and voice mails help us learn more efficient communication skills. The wayward project develops our adaptability and streamlines our ability to focus on what is important. Our need to be healthier or to lose weight administers the proper doses of humility and persistence, while our graying hair reminds us to be creative and young at heart but not to forget the experiences that have made us who we are today.
Adversity introduces us to ourselves, so that through the refiner’s fire we can become better than we were before. There are other benefits to adversity that we may not realize. It can draw us closer to friends and family, and if we allow it to, it can offer us the most profound spiritual experience as well. So while I know this daily grind may be difficult at times. While all this chaos may seem never ending, or that it serves no other purpose other than financial survival, it has many tools hidden in it that will help us get an edge on life.
Albert Einstein once said that, “adversity introduces a man to himself.” Ok, so does that mean that in times of adversity we can all take a hard look in the mirror and discover ourselves and move on to live more loving and fulfilling lives? No, of course not, but there are things we can discover about ourselves beyond our desire to lose some weight or to get rid of some gray hair. The truth is we are all imperfect and there is a beauty to be found in that imperfection. Life and work is the same way, it is imperfect, but there is beauty that can be brought forth out of that imperfection.
In Japan they make these beautiful swords called Katanas that can easily cost thousands of dollars for an authentic sword. Katanas are known worldwide for their unusually strong and sharp blades and natural beauty. These swords were often molded from an impure iron that is super-heated in Tatara furnace to form Tamagahane or “Jewel Steel”. The specially trained sword smiths will fold and beat out the steel 15-17 times to remove impurities in the sword. This results in close to 32,000 miniature layers of steel in the sword. They then mix the steel with other types of steel, some of the steel is strong while some of the other steel is soft yet still tough and flexible, and this process is called lamination. It ensures the blades strength and flexibility. The sword then goes through the claying/differential hardening process where it is covered in fine clay, super-heated again, and then thrust into water. The sword is then polished and ornamented until finally the finished product is produced.
Why am I telling you this? You may ask yourself this as you stare at your screen contemplating whether to stop reading this article. I am telling you this because each of us, like the Katana, may have our own impurities or imperfections that we need to remove or improve upon. Adversity acts as that refiner’s fire that helps us to grow stronger and to expand ourselves beyond what we once were. In the chaos of our everyday modern lives we begin to learn a multitude of lessons.
Each adversity molds us through fire into a better person. Our daily push through rush hour traffic teaches us patience. The stack of new tasks teaches us how to better manage and prioritize our time. The emails and voice mails help us learn more efficient communication skills. The wayward project develops our adaptability and streamlines our ability to focus on what is important. Our need to be healthier or to lose weight administers the proper doses of humility and persistence, while our graying hair reminds us to be creative and young at heart but not to forget the experiences that have made us who we are today.
Adversity introduces us to ourselves, so that through the refiner’s fire we can become better than we were before. There are other benefits to adversity that we may not realize. It can draw us closer to friends and family, and if we allow it to, it can offer us the most profound spiritual experience as well. So while I know this daily grind may be difficult at times. While all this chaos may seem never ending, or that it serves no other purpose other than financial survival, it has many tools hidden in it that will help us get an edge on life.
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