"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony." - Thomas Merton

What is an Act of Order?

Acts of order are those acts that organize, clarify, or provide structure in places or situations that are dysfunctional or chaotic. This can include disorder in one’s personal or family life as well as disorder in the physical world.

Examples of acts of order might involve cleaning up a cluttered room, forming a litter patrol for local streets or devising an efficient system to effectively handle complaints at work. These actions are focused upon the world around us and serve to increase feelings of security and peace by producing predictable systems or by promoting visual or auditory calm. Acts of this type frequently tend to increase health and safety in the home, work site or community.

Another example might focus upon our internal environment, to include areas in need of self-control or self-discipline such as money or time management, health habits or addiction recovery. These challenging areas often have deep seated causes and involve a great deal of personal struggle. For some who first approach Opposite Action, addiction recovery may be the first and most critical step.