Navigating Chaos

Tay-tay and I are fans of Friday the 13ths… (if you know, you know).

We probably like Friday the 13th’s for similar reasons. One strange one—just because it goes against the prevailing myth that Friday the 13th can be seen as unlucky. Well, we choose to make it lucky for us!

What if believing in luck improved how you see the world? I heard about a study—I didn’t catch the citation (here’s a related one)... that people who believe in luck are more likely to notice helpful hints that give them an advantage. There’s also evidence that confidence connects to better outcomes.

Observing common threads in conversations and assessments about the coming year, I keep hearing how people feel uncertain, disturbed, distracted, sad, frustrated, or angry. It’s rare to hear hopeful optimism. I’m lucky to have joined a group of facilitators who, despite predicting increased chaos in the near future, decided to lean into hope.

Why hope, when there is evidence things might be getting worse?

The days are still getting darker for another week. There are multiple conflicts around the globe, and several disruptive elections hint at more changes. The massive investment in AI will make our digital windows “louder” and most likely more chaotic.

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."
— Desmond Tutu

The irrational reason to hope? It creates a better-performing brain. A hopeful state lets you lean into creativity. It can buffer you from stress. It can make you more attractive to talk to because you bring up positively focused topics.

But hope isn’t passive. It’s not a matter of sitting back and waiting for something good to happen. It’s a dynamic choice—a commitment to action and focus that says, “I believe there’s a way forward, and I’m willing to move toward it.”

This reminds me of a truth we often overlook in chaotic times: the human mind is astonishingly adaptive. Chaos may be unsettling, but it also breaks rigid patterns, opening new opportunities and pathways that weren’t visible before. Choosing hope amid the noise can help you find those pathways. It’s like tuning your mind to the frequency of possibility.

Instead of fearing the chaos, what if we saw it as a catalyst? Chaos pushes us to reevaluate, innovate, and connect. I’m not implying that it’s safe, anything but - it will take courage and brave souls to face the challenges ahead. It forces us to think differently and find solutions we didn’t realize we needed. And in those moments, hope—that irrational, audacious belief that something good is still possible—becomes our compass.

Consider this: What if your luck isn’t something external? What if it’s the mindset you bring to every situation? When you believe in luck, you’re more likely to spot opportunities that others might miss. When you cultivate hope, you become someone others want to collaborate with because you’re focused on solutions, not problems.

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
— Albert Einstein

This doesn’t mean ignoring the world’s challenges. It means acknowledging them without letting them define you. Hope isn’t about denial; it’s about resilience. It’s about recognizing that while you can’t control everything, you can control how you respond.

On this Friday the 13th, I challenge you to defy the myth of bad luck. Choose to feel lucky. Choose to hope. Look at the chaos around you and ask, “Where is the opportunity here?”

Take one step today—just one—that reflects your belief in a better outcome. Maybe it’s starting a conversation about an idea you’ve been mulling over. Maybe it’s reaching out to someone who inspires you. Maybe it’s deciding to treat yourself with the same kindness and encouragement you’d offer a friend.

Whatever it is, do it with the confidence that your action matters. Because it does. And who knows? You just might find that luck was on your side all along—you just needed to believe in it.

Here’s to navigating chaos with hope, creativity, and the courage to feel lucky.