A YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhMiu...) has been making the rounds on Facebook, and when I first saw it I thought it was very cool demonstration of physics in action.

But as I watched it, I realized it illustrates very beautifully, the way major changes impact our lives — those that we welcome as well as those we fear.

A line of pendulums, 15 in all and each at a different length, is set in motion at the same time, in the same direction. At first the pendulums swing in unison. Very quickly, though, they begin to move at different frequencies, creating a picture of increasing chaos.

After a time, however, the pendulums come together again in a recognizable pattern until finally they move once more in unison, at the same frequency. Equilibrium is regained.

Life is a lot like that. When we face major challenges — the death of a loved one, a job loss, a boyfriend or girlfriend choosing to move on to someone else — our internal pendulums suddenly move from harmony to utter chaos.

And everything feels wrong and off-kilter and very uncomfortable. Scary, even. And we want those feelings to go away, whatever it takes.

But we must be willing to sit inside the chaos and know that it is temporary and trust that after a time it will subside and the pendulums will move in unison again.