The Next Chapter

Weekly Tips for Writing & Publishing Your Bestselling Book

Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos

May 04, 2025

How do you cope with the spiraling madness of today’s world, with its monthly climate catastrophes, insane news headlines, and the emergence of an AI reality we don’t even know how to comprehend?

A friend recently shared author Anne Lamott's brilliantly simple philosophy: 

In the morning I wake up and say, “Whatever.” Then I go about my day, helping my neighbor buy his groceries, taking a friend to her doctor's appointment. At the end of the day I say, “Oh well." 

This gentle dance between engagement and retreat isn't about indifference. It’s a profound recognition that there are aspects of life we can control, and many we cannot

When the world feels overwhelming, small, tangible actions can create surprising ripples of peace, as Anne points out: Helping an elderly neighbor, spending time with children, planting something green, or making a meal for a friend in need. We can focus on healing our immediate world, one small step at a time.

Aloha,

MeiMei


Tip of the Week: Record Your Thoughts

It can also help to record your thoughts. Pick up a pen and journal, talk into a transcription app like Google Docs or Otter, or make time to have coffee with a friend. Share your experiences. 

Your story—with all its messy contradictions and hard-won wisdom—is medicine for this fractured world. 

You don't need special qualifications to begin. Just show up with honesty and heart. In doing so, you not only make meaning of your own journey but create a bridge of understanding to others walking similar paths. 

What story are you carrying that wants to be told?


Quote of the Week

Make sure your psychological centre of gravity is in your real and immediate world – the world of your family and friends and neighborhood, your work and your creative projects, as opposed to the world of presidencies and governments, social forces and global emergencies.

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