A Writers 8 Rules for Staying Sane in A Crazy World

I've spent more time away from home over the last two years than I have in the previous 20 years of marriage.

To say that this pandemic has created chaos out of normalcy is, well…

Wrong.

You see, the thing is, life is chaos. We tend to force ourselves to believe that we have some control over it, but we actually don't. Then many of us allow chaos to pin us down…freeze us…stifle us…and cower us in fear.

We blame any forward progress on chaos.

We call a pandemic chaos.

We call loss chaos.

We blame it all on, yes, chaos.

And while we could probably toss this hot potato back and forth, I want to share this impactful and provocative quote from Game of Thrones.

"Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder" Littlefinger.

Chaos isn't merely a ladder…it's THE ladder, I would contend.

Still ain't buying it?

Don't sweat it. I'm not going to try to talk you into anything. I really want to give you some hard and fast rules that have helped me deal with what I call life.

And what others call chaos.

Rule #1: Stop stressing over shit you can't change

I remember the recent elections. Folks were animated, to say the least. Sides were chosen, mayhem ensued, and people unfriended people simply because of a little wooden sign in their front yard.

All I could do was laugh.

Not so much at the chaos, instead, at how fired up folks got.

The same goes for the pandemic, the last world series, or who your son chose to marry.

Stop stressing over the shit you can't change.

The critical thing to remember is that what you do with that frustration will determine how the next hour, day, or life turns out.

Rule #2: Stop arguing with idiots

Refer to #1 above and all those "chaotic" events we cannot control.

You see, it's those events that are basically logs to the idiot's bonfire. And if you choose to take up an argument with said idiots, then all you become is the homie carrying the logs.

These types thrive on inflammatory Facebook comments. They live to stand in line next to the person wearing a red MAGA ball cap. They relish the day when the neighbor makes a comment that doesn't jibe with their worldview.

Stop. Arguing. With. Idiots.

And if this makes absolutely no sense to you, go peep the mirror.

You just might be said idiot.

Rule #3: Stop overthinking everything

If you were to die today, the world would keep on spinning.

It would, and you know it would.

Sure, friends and fam would hoist a shot of tequila in your honor, but then they'd wake up Monday morning and hit the hamster wheel…again.

So stop fuggin overthinking shit.

If you've found the woman of your dreams and she the man of hers and folks say you're too young or too old, so damn what. Marry her.

If you walk by a Dunkin' and you taste the jelly-filled donut with your nose, but you're on that diet where you can't eat sweets for 19 days.

Well…

That brings me to the next point.

Rule #4: Eat the damn donut

Seriously.

Eat that son of a bitch.

You know, this wasn't gonna be on my list until someone literally brought two dozen donuts in. They set 'em down on the breakroom table and said these are for us all to eat. Then I walked by them and remembered that silly diet, and of course, my rules for staying sane.

Screw the diet.

I ate the donut.

Might go have another one too.

Try it sometime and eat the damn donut.

Rule #5: Life isn't fair

It's not fair at all.

Deal with it.

Or better yet. Learn what the rules are and then be better. Be better at playing the game of life. Be better at recognizing opportunities. Be better at all the things you think are unfair about life, or you'll die always believing that…

…life was unfair.

Rule #6: Laugh at silly shit

There was this one time in Bootcamp when we were in ranks, being inspected by our drill sergeant. We were all young privates and scared to death of him. As he neared me, in fact, came up to me, I felt a small bead of sweat roll down my back. And then, out of nowhere from somewhere just behind me…

One of my friends farted loud. Wicked loud.

And I couldn't help but laugh.

So, whatever the drill sergeants and farts are of your life, for Pete's sake, laugh.

Rule #7: Stop avoiding the stuff you need to confront

You know exactly what I mean.

It might be a person, or a thing, or an event. But you gotta stop avoiding it. You don't need to be bull in a china shop either. But you have to at least get into that china shop, so to speak.

And for the record, the stuff you need to confront can be as deep or as shallow as you choose.

The point is to not let that fester in your mind, heart, or soul any longer.

Rule #8: Belief in something greater than you

When all else fails, it's my belief in God that pulls me through.

Maybe you don't believe in God, and that's ok. You do you. Or perhaps you're a druid. Whatever floats your boat. No judgment from me, just know that rule #8 can be, and for me is, the most powerful of all the rules on my shortlist.

The final word

You've heard the cliche; life's too short.

Right?

Yeah…that.