Check Your Swirl
How to Transform Your Chaos into Peace
Are you so overwhelmed with life that you can’t imagine how you could transform your chaos into peace? With all the “to do’s” swirling around you, there is no possible way you could have a peaceful moment. Well, take a breath. I know exactly how you feel.
“Lisa, every time I see you lately, you look like a deer caught in headlights.”
This was said by a friend as I entered the threshold of our third social event of the weekend. I was not at all offended. She is a trusted friend and I actually really appreciated her statement. So much so that I am going to write about it today. Why do I appreciate it? Because she’s right.
For the last several weeks, I have been crazy busy. Even beyond the busy, I have been preoccupied.
So, we can be busy and still give full attention to each task we need to accomplish. OR we can be busy and so overcome by it that we cannot even fully focus on each individual task. The latter is my world right now. Sigh.
I have so much swirling around in my head, I cannot stop the swirl long enough to focus or enjoy quality moments.
Not good. This is not a healthy way to live. It happens on occasion for me, partially because I have an ADD brain. Moreso, because I put a lot on my plate.
Add a four-year-old (can I get an AMEN!) and a husband that would love to eat a meal, a house that desperately wants to be cleaned and a ministry that is going through a big transition….and we have…..a deer in headlights. Me.
What do I do now?
Well, for me, the answer is to stop. Just stop. Or be still.
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
God is in control. Furthermore, He isn’t a God of chaos or negligence or fear. He is a God of peace, love and joy.
So, I picture God holding my cheeks with both of his hands. You know how parents do that to get the attention of their child…”look at me! Look. At. Me.”
God is saying to me….Look. At. ME.
Let all that craziness swirl around….but keep your eyes on me.
Gradually, when the focus is on Him….the swirling slows down and pieces begin to fall where they may. Sometimes they fall where I had originally planned them to go. Most of the time, they end up in a better place. Some will end up in the trash. It’s ok, they were distracting me from the pieces that matter. That is made clear through focusing on God’s plan versus my own.
Right now, I am going to be still. Maybe even take a step back to assess the swirl, so to speak. And I am letting God hold my cheeks and keep my eyes on Him.
Oh, the peace!
Now, let me tell you….the swirl isn’t “bad.” There can be awesome things happening in the swirl! Really awesome things! But they simply can’t all happen at once, or none of them get the attention they deserve.
In my effort to “prioritize the pieces of the swirl,” I am making making some changes in life. One of my biggest changes is to set limits. I am setting limits and boundaries on social events, to do lists, deadlines, projects. There are only so many hours in the day. I do not want to spend them doing things I feel obligated to do rather than what I genuinely desire to do. A helpful tool for me has been my Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt. (He didn’t pay me to say that, I just really like how the system helps to keep me focused on the important things.)
Are you a deer caught in headlights? Check your swirl.
Are you running a mad race through your days? Be Still.
Well done my sweet daughter🤗