I don't know if you have noticed, but personal confusion can be very frustrating in our lives. Sometimes we simply feel confused, others times we feel very intimidated with the confusion that surrounds us, and more often than not we can be completely overcome by confusion.
When this happens in your life, how can you get a grip, where do you start to gain control, what do you do to regain a semblance of order? Let's talk about the steps to handle feeling confused, being intimidated by confusion or feeling completely overcome by confusion.
I would like to suggest when you feel confused, instead of continuing on with whatever you're doing, that you stop and ponder. Sometimes by just stopping and figuring out what's going on, you can get a grip. You may be a little bit confused because the laundry is overly large today and you've got stains on three of your boys' shirts that look difficult to get out, or maybe you are confused because you haven't decided what you want to serve for dinner tonight, or maybe you are feeling confused because three different friends have said three different things about what they want to do at the next scrapbooking project you are doing together. So when you feel confused, stop, think and ponder to start figuring out what you need to do from this point forward.
If you are feeling intimidated by confusion, you have moved from just feeling confused to being just a little bit overwhelmed by the confusion that surrounds you. When you do feel intimidated by confusion, you have got to stop, think and ponder as before, but you also go one more step in that you create a plan of action. "OK, I'm in a confused state. Exactly what will I do to get back to a place that's more peaceful, where I feel more in control?"
Lastly, there are times in our life when we are completely overcome by confusion. It might be because you've been very morning sick for three weeks or it might be because you have had unexpected visitors or it might be because you woke up this morning with a cold and haven't done much more but eat and sleep all day long. When you do feel overcome by confusion, it is probably because it's going to be a few days or maybe even a week or so before you will be back in control.
In this case, you not only need to think, ponder and create a plan of action, but you need an additional list of written steps of what you will do to come back to order when your energy returns, when the morning sickness abates, when your cold goes away or when your unexpected company disappears.
May I encourage you this next week, as you face confusion, to follow these steps to stop feeling confused, being intimidated by confusion or being completely overcome by this dreaded sensation. Simply stop, think and ponder. Detail a plan of action as you make a written list of steps to bring things back to order. Good luck, and may you have a wonderful less-confusing week!
Marie C. Ricks is a motivational speaker and the author of a new book, "Project Organization, Quick and Easy Ways to Organize Your Life." To order her products, offer comments or suggestions, go to www.houseoforder.com. © Marie Calder Ricks/House of Order