You can’t change what people are without destroying who they were.
The butterfly effect theory states that when a butterfly moves its wings somewhere in the world it can cause a cyclone in another part of the world. And it has become, in modern times a metaphor for the existence of seemingly insignificant moments that alter history and shape destiny.
Let’s consider an example: Imagine you are in a work environment where you are ‘bullied’ and not understood, so you decide to take action and resign from your position. In doing so you share with your team that you are leaving and why… your team being loyal to you, decide to resign also, because they don’t tolerate that kind of behaviour.
Upon finding themselves without work, each person in the team embraces the idea that they should all start a business – as a team. They invest time and energy, and over time become extremely successful to the extent that they started competing with the company they used to work for. Under the strain of the relentless competition the old company announced insolvency!
That’s an example of the butterfly effect theory – a small hidden change can result to a massive outcome. The maltreated individual resulted in the liquidation of the company years later.
These are the kinds of story lines that novelists thrive on … !
Your actions have value far greater than gold
But despite the fact that the butterfly effect might seem a bit far-fetched, it can actually be applied to our everyday lives. Think of it this way: Small things turn into big things…. It’s the little things that make up the big things, by focusing on doing small daily efforts in time they will mount up to big changes.
Don’t ever underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.
How the ‘butterfly effect’ can work for you
Ways to harness the butterfly effect is to do a little progress each day that adds up to big results.
Something that I’m working on right now, is being better at remembering people’s names. The reason that we often forget people’s names literally 10 seconds after they’ve introduced themselves to us is because we are distracted – we are not being present and conscious in the right here and now.
But remembering someone’s name is not only polite, it shows respect, and genuine interest. A small change like vowing to become better at this, and then working very hard to achieve it, can make a big impact on your social life and your career.
You’ll soon notice that the more you acknowledge others by remembering their name, they will do the same for you.
Confidence is contagious and sexy
Confidence is key. If you don’t believe in yourself, then nobody will. People aren’t born confidant they have had to work at it. A little step at a time and it starts with you being aware of your thoughts. This is the first rule. The second rule is ‘talk to you’ … coach yourself; talk yourself out of the unhelpful thoughts and into the good ones. It may sound crazy, but talking to yourself influences your neurobiological responses. When you consider opportunities instead of problems … then right then and there, you’ve changed your mindset.
As you start to transform your thinking your inner critic might pay you a visit, after all its been running the show for quite some time and will not like to see you embracing change. Ignore it! The more time and energy you give it, the more power it will have over you. Challenge your inner critic with comments like ‘So what! Who cares?’ … and ‘Why not? Who are you to tell me what to do now?’
Keep reminding yourself that you are harnessing ‘the butterfly effect’ by creating small changes. And … that you are AWESOME!!!
Let’s get physical
The concept that the most subtle change affects other things, which build upon each other, and may eventually result in a massive change, which for some, if it came all at once would be unexpected, and hard to deal with.
Imagine a drop of water falling from the tap into a sink. If the plug is in, eventually the sink will fill up and make ripples that expand outward. All that from one little drop of water.
As human beings we are like little drops of water – we are made up of 98% of water. The fact that our actions ripple across water and the impact that it has as it expands outward is more fitting than it may initially seem.
There is a cause and effect to every situation. You can’t escape the butterfly effect … no matter how hard you try. But you can learn how to harness the butterfly effect to benefit you in your life.
If your mission is to make BIG changes in the universe, the more people you can gather around you to hear your calling and receive your influence, the faster and easier it will be to manifest these changes in the practical universe.
Keep in mind that you can’t opt out of your reality. No matter what you choose, a choice will be made and you will have profoundly affected the universe.
The butterfly effect is one of the most important reasons to believe that a single life can have a profound impact on the world.
