Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. Nei Jing

So, how does one do this?  What does this look like in action? Here is an exercise to test drive this wisdom.  (I believe Nei Jing is a Chinese text written in  2nd century BC)1. Bring to mind a situation that is disturbing you for any reason.  Then, pause, take 3 deep breaths and ask yourself, what most deeply matters to me here, or how can I use this situation as leverage to create what I most love in my life and work?Immediately you are in a different place.  You are not in "problem focus" or "disorder focus" but you are in possibility focus or emergent order focus,  or as The Power of TED would say "Creator mode".  This shift in your thinking and feeling creates the space for you to go onto the 2nd step.2. Next, ask yourself, "what can you be deeply grateful for right now, in this situation that is troubling you?"  I know!  Crazy!  But do it.  And then ask yourself "What is working?  Where is there harmony already present?  How might this thing you don't want...actually be carrying within it the seeds for the order, harmony and well-being you do want?"  This of course is a challenging step, but stay with it, you will surprise yourself.3. Now from this place, from this deep well of gratitude and wisdom, choose your actions.  Your choices are much more likely to be proactive instead of reactive.   You are more likely to experience a sense of peace and well-being as compared with the feeling you get when you get to take something off the list!  Problem solving/correcting disorder mode is taking stuff off the list.  It may feel good in the moment, but often it comes from a place that is surface or reactive it will be back on the list in no time at all.  When that happens it is easy to end up feeling defeated and even victimized by the situation and that tempts you to correct disorder (problem focus) which leads to the same failed results.  But only over and over again! Einstein once said:  "You can't solve a problem at the same level of thinking that created it."  The choice to maintain order, or said another way, to focus on emergent order or what you are trying to create, is the new level of thinking Einstein was talking aboutTry it and see what happens!