The Order of Things

What happens when we sit still while chaos crashes around us?

At first, the mind is agitated.
Notice the rush of thoughts,
the pressure making itself known.

Do not react.
Sit still.

Discomfort appears
in the body, in the heart.

Name it:
Sadness,
Anger,
Irritation,
Helplessness.

Do not react.
Sit still.

Thoughts pass.
Emotions pass.

Do not react.
Sit still.

Soft voice appears:
“In the midst of winter,
I found there was, within me,
an invincible summer.”
Albert Camus

Pause.
Feel it in the body.
Savor it.
Let this new sensation nourish you.

Then stand up.
Name what matters.
Go and act.

That is the order of things.