Fire by Travis Wiens
Have you ever faced a confusing situation where you did not know what to do or how to manage? Have you ever focused on a goal to the point that it compromised your judgement? Have your fears and doubts prevented you from taking decisive action when you should have?
You need inner clarity to manage any challenge you face. Without this inner brightness, it is akin to groping about in the dark, hoping to stumble upon an exit. At key points when you cannot afford to make mistakes, you are likelier to make many that will cost you dearly. How then can you maintain your clarity even in the most trying of times?
How to Maintain Clarity in Adversitystyle>
1. Seek a Worthy Source of Spiritual Wisdomstyle>
There are many different sources of spiritual wisdom in the world today. This is the result of Man’s reflection, throughout the ages, on how to manage life.
Certain beliefs and views may appeal to you while others may not. Follow your heart and mind. Go with the appealing belief or view that makes the most sense to you. In choosing a belief or a view, it is best to choose one that is good, right and just. If possible, choose a view that unites instead of divides, encompassing all instead of a select few. Only through love can we hope to have the clarity and brightness that we need to shine in life.
Most importantly, this belief or view has to be able to withstand and provide guidance even in times of trouble. This is when beliefs and views are truly tested.
2. Seek Many Worthy Sources of Wisdomstyle>
One source of wisdom may not be enough. Many issues in life are vast and complex. A source of wisdom may be applicable in some cases, but it may not have answers for others.
Do you remember how you read some books or watched some show as a child? You had certain views and impressions of what you read and watched then. Years later when you revisited these books and shows again, you viewed them differently. The content itself did not change, but you did. Thanks to your increased wisdom and experience, your understanding became much deeper than before.
The key here is to read widely and to select those ideas and beliefs that appeal to you most. It is easier to hold onto views and ideas that agree with you. When you nourish yourself with many sources of wisdom, you reap more benefits from each. You are also likelier to unlock deeper insights into each source than if you had merely relied on one source alone.
3. Goals and Purposestyle>
Being in the midst of a complex situation can be rough and chaotic. It is like the storm tossing a boat back and forth. To worsen matters, it is hard to know what to do when confusion reigns.
But if you had an anchor during such times to give you a measure of stability, it would be easier to get your bearings in the midst of chaos. If you had an anchor that puts things in perspective, it becomes easier to know what to do. Thankfully, we all have our own unique anchors. This anchor is your greater goal or purpose.
Remembering your goal or purpose helps you to see things in perspective. You know at once, what is important and what is not. You know at once, what you should do and what you should not. With a goal in mind, your course of action in the midst of chaos will become clearer to you. Then, it is all a matter of doing what you can to follow your chosen path.
4. Master Your Feelingsstyle>
There are many points in our lives when we become our worst enemy. This is certainly the case when our feelings obscure our clarity.
A lack of control over your feelings can rob you of your clarity. For example, fears and doubts can prevent you from taking decisive action. Anger can impair your judgement and cause you to act recklessly. Impatience can cause you to act at inopportune moments. Attachment to someone or something can make you less objective in your choices and actions and so on.
But negative feelings are not solely responsible for a lack of clarity. Even positive feelings when taken to excess can dim your clarity. Confidence can lead to arrogance. Contentment can lead to complacency. Joy can distract you at key moments when you should focus and so on.
When your feelings control or distract you, what you should or should not do becomes muddled. In such cases, you will lack the clarity you need to choose and act wisely. Whether your feelings are positive or negative, it is vital to ensure they do not go to extremes. To this end, you must maintain your balance and awareness of how you feel. Only when you are able to manage your feelings in all situations will you have the clarity to know how to act properly.
5. Patiencestyle>
If you have the luxury of time, then let the dust of chaos and confusion settle. When the chaos has died down clarity comes a little more naturally to you. The key here is patience.
There have been times when I have been uncertain about how to proceed next. During such moments, I like to mull over the situation. If the answer is not instantly clear, I switch my focus to other matters. This allows me to step back and detach myself from the situation. Given enough time to think things through, the next step presents itself eventually.
But here it is vital not to act prematurely until you are certain of how to proceed. That is if you have the luxury of time. Otherwise, you have to define your goals and act as best as you can.
6. Constant Effortstyle>
To have clarity in life requires constant effort. Many things in this world can obscure the clarity we have. Endless choices, daily struggles, obsessions and temptations all have the power to distract us.
The only way to deal with the natural order of things is to nourish your mind and soul daily. Set aside time each day to cultivate your wisdom and brightness. Above all, always examine what you choose to depend on and cultivate. This will ensure that we do not stray too far from the right path and continue to have success and good fortune even in times of trouble.
Taking Actionstyle>
Grave adversity can happen to anyone of us at anytime. In the midst of these difficulties, we must have the clarity to endure and to survive. We must not let hardships dim our brightness. The only way to do so is to cultivate our brightness daily by drawing on sources that sustain and nourish us. Only then will we know how to act in our best interests even when there is chaos around us.
How do you cultivate your clarity? What are your favourite sources of spiritual wisdom? How do you maintain your brightness in times of trouble? Do you have a mantra or a calming word or phrase? How do you share your clarity during good times? Do share your thoughts and comments below! 
