Sirithar

In the potion of Maturity and Great Life Decisions, calmness is an underrated ingredient. We often cite knowledge and research, discussion and introspection as traits of value. But for all of those elements to exist, we first need to be calm.

In survival mode, humans are constantly in states of fight or flight. There’s anxiety that courses through us, an adrenaline rush to make sure we have enough to eat, clean water to drink, and a safe place to sleep. It was only when those things were a certainty, consistent with stability, did we begin to relax. To settle in one place. To build cities and civilizations, to become friends with our neighbors, to create language and art.

These days, for most of us, we still have those certainties, but our minds can sometimes still feel like they’re stuck in survival mode. So we’re anxious — about our relationships, our careers, our meaning in life. There’s a pit of worry in our stomachs, that no amount of money or food or power can satiate. We revert to our primal instincts and thrash the environment around us with claws. You cannot grow in survival mode — you can only survive.

However, when we are able to shift our perspective to find peace and stability within ourselves, we can begin to grow. Most people have grown up in some form of survival mode, with its side effects and trauma lingering to modern day. But the only step forward is to stop thrashing in the water. Asking yourself, whether your actions are rooted in fear or growth.

As we build calmness within ourselves, we are more aware of those who are still scared, who approach the world with claws outward. We must walk to them slowly. We must be patient. We must reassure them. Like those who did for us, or like how we did for ourselves. When you’re calm, you can trust others, you can keep your fear from escalating into anger or close-mindedness. You’re the stability that can walk into chaos, bringing peace to others. Calamity becomes calmness.