Feeling good about myself after investing in a side hustle training for just $7, I stepped out to visit my friend, Ariel. I had no idea a casual visit to my friend Ariel, would lead to a conversation that changed how I saw the world.

Ariel was standing in front of her house, looking ‘not there’. Some people find Ariel weird, but I admire her depth. She loves figuring things out. If she encounters a problem, she sits with it until she solves it.

As I approached, she stood frozen, head slightly tilted, her gaze distant. She wasn’t just thinking—she was listening, as if straining to catch whispers from an unseen world.

Not sure what was going on with her, I asked, “What is going on?”

Silence… She kept quiet for a bit.

I didn’t need to repeat myself. She heard me.

“Sounds…Sounds from all sides.”

For me, it was just the usual—the hum of traffic, the rustling wind, birds chirping, and passing conversations.

Our eyes locked as I waited for her to explain.

She sighed and headed back into the house. We went straight to the kitchen, where she prepared coffee for us.

You don’t press Ariel to speak! You just have to be patient.

Finally!

“It’s not the sounds of joy… it’s the sounds of chaos”

‘Where?” I asked.

At first, I thought she was talking about the noise in our neighborhood. But then, she sighed and said, “It’s not just here. The whole world sounds chaotic.”

“Everywhere! Actually, not just sounds but sights as well.”

She could tell I looked lost, waiting for her to explain.

“This morning, as I stepped outside, I saw a man fighting a vendor over a small change. He was so angry, as if his life depended on it. And then I thought—this isn’t just about the change. People are carrying so much inside them.”

“Yes, people are… The economic situation is taking its toll.” I responded.

“I think it’s more than just the economic situation.”

“That scene made me wonder—if small frustrations can trigger such anger, what happens when entire societies are filled with buried pains?”

“Are you aware that just last year, over 50 countries experienced protests? She asked.
“Russia/Ukraine, Isreal/Gaza/Iran et cetera et cetera,” she added.

As serious as the discussion was, I smiled when I heard ‘et cetera’. I love it when she says that.

She continued, “There seems to be chaos everywhere. I wonder if there is any country at peace within and without. There are protests, people protesting social injustice, bad governance, inflation… Trust me, the list is endless”

“A few weeks ago, I read a headline, ‘EU silent as protests in Serbia gain momentum’. It made me wonder—how many of us silence our own inner cries for help?”

“What if the real crisis isn’t in our governments, but in our own hearts? Have we ever stopped to ask if we contribute to the chaos?” She asked.

Trying to be the ‘good friend’ I said, “You shouldn’t let the world’s problems weigh you down”

“Well, I was not, until something hit me today. I want the world to be a better place and as I pondered on how that can be attained, it hit me. What if the world’s greatest crisis isn’t in the streets, but in our own hearts? The conflicts and wars we see out there are just reflections of the battles within. The external is a reflection of internal.”

‘Yea, the world is full of broken people’ I chipped in.

“Exactly! The leaders are broken, the followers are broken! Meanwhile, the leaders are from the people. A broken, greedy and selfish leader can’t offer much to the citizens. A broken, greedy and selfish citizen can’t be of help to his neighbour.”

“A society filled with broken people is like a building with cracked foundations. No matter how beautifully you paint the walls, it’s only a matter of time before everything collapses.”

“Maybe the best way to fix the world isn’t by pointing fingers but by starting with ourselves. What if each of us took just one step today toward healing—whether through reflection, forgiveness, or helping someone in need?”

It was now my turn to sigh, and then I said, “But you know, some people don’t know they are broken.”

“Yes, but when you do wrong, you know you have done wrong. When you start asking questions, probing to find out why you are the way you are, you will realize you are broken and perhaps identify what caused the brokenness. Then you can subject yourself through a journey of healing”

Her words locked in my heart.

Then she sealed it with, “True order in the world can only exist when there is order in the lives of individuals. The world won’t heal itself. We must begin within. Because real change doesn’t start in the streets—it starts in the heart.”

And you, reading this—what’s one step you can take today to bring order to your own world?