CHAOS.

Note: This piece was originally written in 2021, in the middle of global uncertainty. Some of these reflections still feel just as true today, while others have evolved since then. --> to the original article (in German)

Today I want to talk with you about something we all know but rarely welcome with open arms: chaos. Especially right now, in a time that often feels like a yawning void, chaos can be overwhelming. I’ve experienced myself what it feels like to stand in the middle of it—vulnerable, uncertain, and sometimes with the sense of having lost all control. And yet, right there, in the midst of uncertainty, lies a force we often overlook: the creative, ordering potential of chaos.

In Greek mythology, Chaos is the counterpart to Cosmos, the order of the universe. Etymologically, it can be translated as “gaping void” or “chasm.” Chaos was considered the primordial state of the world, from which everything else eventually emerged. We find the same image in Norse mythology: the yawning emptiness at the beginning of all things, called Ginnungagap—“the yawning abyss.”

So why talk about chaos now? Because the current moment feels eerily similar to that gaping void. This sense of disorder touches all of us, consciously or unconsciously. And yes, it’s frightening: the uncertainty, the loss of control, the fear of the unknown. For so long, we believed we had everything under control—the weather, disease (well, sort of), even death. But reality has shown us otherwise: we actually know no more than a speck of dust in the universe—excuse the expression. 😅

Chaos acts like a mirror for our deepest shadows and neglected parts. Everything we’ve hidden or ignored comes to the surface. No neat drawers. No more hiding. Just raw, unfiltered life.

This sense of uncertainty isn’t new. It returns again and again—sometimes sparked by external events, sometimes by inner upheaval. We feel that old structures and securities no longer hold, that we must let go without knowing where the current will take us. And that’s exactly where the opportunity lies: in chaos, everything that was once hidden becomes visible, and we are invited to choose again, to grow in ways we may never have imagined.

Taking a step back from the center of it all can be transformative. Why does chaos exist in the first place? It’s the place where everything gathers—seemingly unordered. And that’s its gift: chaos creates space for the new. It allows the world, and us, to reorganize, reorient, and evolve. Comfortable? Not always. Necessary? Absolutely. Our brains love control and tend to label anything ungraspable as “bad.” But what if something better is waiting for us—something we hadn’t even dared to dream of?

Just yesterday, in a deep conversation, I was reminded of the primal forces chaos awakens in us—for better or worse. Admitting that we can’t control everything is hard. But what if we stop fighting against chaos and instead accept what is? What if, by doing so, we open doors—doors to possibilities we hadn’t seen before?

✨ My invitation for you: lean in, observe, dive deep—and see which paths reveal themselves within the chaos. Because chaos isn’t just confusion. It’s an invitation to grow, to reorganize, and to discover the way that has been waiting beneath the surface all along.

Wishing you a grounded start into the week. 🌿