The Illusion of Normality

You have an incredible facility for continuing with your life as 'normal' during 'abnormal' times – for recalibrating quickly and hence normalizing in the face of stressful or unprecedented conditions, especially when the only constant factor is intense change. But normal and abnormal are only relative and subjective terms based on comparing what you're perceiving and describing to yourself as going on now, to what you perceived and described as what was going on before. In reality, there are no normal times.

Normality is just an illusion you cling to to help you try and make sense of it all and keep things as neat, tidy and manageable as you can in the midst of apparent chaos.

This illusion of normality is merely a theatrical or dramaturgic device – a construct in other words, and a damn fine one it is too. But what if you abandon it momentarily and accept instead that nothing is normal and anything could happen – and probably will? Then, rather than lament that and fight against that, what happens if you accept and even welcome it?

Ah, then, the zen – that's what.

In this milieu of the unexpected, relax your body, breathe purposefully, occupy your back, soften your chest and go forth as a warrior this very minute with a cheerful heart and an optimized frame of mind.