The Chaos Inside

It is comical the amount of activity that goes on in my mind in any given day, much less a whole week.  Especially when it comes to my business.

As a small business coach and mental health counselor, I see some chaos on the outside.  It is quite sobering knowing how much turbulence I have on the inside that may never see the light of day.   I can only imagine what goes on in some small business owner’s minds…

…their chaos inside.

As I sit on my sun-laden porch on a lazy weekend day pondering the deeper meaning of life, I look out into nature and thank God for allowing me the honor of doing the work I do.  I close my eyes breathing in the fresh air and thinking about the rosy blog posts I can write about the joys of business ownership.

I may even nod off for a bit, thankful to not work weekends.

The Chaos Cycle

Monday morning rolls around and my pulse picks up a few beats.  I wish I had written one of those blog posts I thought about…it’s due today.

I need to write down the other three or four tasks floating through my head before I forget them.  It’s only Monday, I can’t be behind.

Mondays aren’t too bad.  After all, I get to make my own schedule.  I can ease into it.  When I look at the calendar though I am frightened by the next couple of days.

I go back and forth throughout the week calling out to God…some moments I am praying for others, moments later, I pray for peace…

…peace from the chaos inside.

There are bills to pay, clients to see, resources to manage, teams to support, and opportunities to jump on.

It is exciting and terrifying, and rewarding and costly, and again a rapid wheel of ever-changing adjectives.

But rest assured, I leave work having done the work that I love, and once again I am on cloud nine that I get to do this for a living.

I don’t want anyone to really know the jumping around my mind does from thought to task to mood to event to thought and then around again.  Outside I keep a straight face and all of the logic, encouragement, and grace that God provides for me on good days and bad days, protects the whirling inner workings of this human being.

We All Have Chaos

Then I remember that you are human, too.  You are entrepreneurs and small business owners.  You have your own set of chaos inside.

And the confusion lifts from me.  It is clear again.  I have to experience my own little slice of inner chaos in order to have true empathy.

To accept advice or encouragement from someone, I want to know that someone truly understands where I am and what I am going through.  It is helpful to know that they have been there before and they have survived and even thrived in their own business.

God knows what is truly going on–the chaos inside.

And isn’t it completely in his nature to give me purpose and meaning in my business, in just such a role, that I can help others…

…with their chaos inside?

So, if you are a small business owner, please know that you are never alone. Alongside all of the other entrepreneurs in some phase of the rapid cycling week, and in addition to the wonderful coaches out their encouraging you and themselves at the same time, we all have a Savior…

…who has been there before.
…who has dealt with all of the personalities we deal with.
…who has kept moving forward.
…who has given His life.

For what?

…for us.
…to calm our chaos inside.

Remember, as I do frequently each day, we are never alone.