The Butterfly Effect

I didn't realize that when I woke up this morning, I would be writing a blog post on this. In fact, I didn't even know what "The Butterfly Effect" was until last night (besides an Ashton Kutcher movie that looked too freaky for me to watch). But last night I was listening to a talk by Rachel Hollis in which she mentioned it. I have had this connection with butterflies for many different reasons, but when I heard this phenomena explained- I had to learn more.

If you don't know, I will do my best to explain it, how I interpreted it. The Butterfly Effect is part of Chaos Theory (this seems like a theory I could really get into). In short : something that seems so minute, like the flutter of a butterfly's wings, will change the trajectory of events that follow.

And my mind just went on overdrive! I have often said that it is the small moments that equal big gains. In these cases, I was talking about sharing positivity with others, to in turn, help others to be positive

​A personal example: Last week, I received a letter in district mail from one of our High Schools. There was a note in the envelope that explained the premise. The students were given time in class to write a letter to a teacher or staff member that had poisitivley effected them. Well, to my surprise, my letter was from one of the teachers. And reading it made my heart swell and my eyes water. What it also did was give me a much needed boost and skip in my step. This letter may have taken this person five minutes to write, but the effect on me is still happening.

Later that week, I read my students a story about kindness and asked them to draw a picture to go with a quote that was repeated throughout the story. Upon first glance, this students' picture seemed rushed, so I asked him to explain it. Wow. He didn't rush through it, he actually put some deep thought into it. Chain Reaction. That's it! Butterfly Effect. That's It! One small thing will set off a whole course of events.

But here is something I hadn't thought of, until I learned about the Butterfly Effect- there is a flip side to that coin. One negative will also be a catalyst for many moments that come after. But how, is up to us.

On Friday, I read "Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."- little did I know that I would be connecting that to this. It is a great story that shows how small things can snowball and change us and our day. Often, we let that one negative open up the flood gates for more of the same. A chain reaction. The Butterfly Effect. Or at least I know that's my MO.

Text I sent a friend as I was rolling this idea around in my head.

Last night, as I was pondering this whole concept, I came to a conclusion - based on nothing but my own ideas- no research, no science. ​

Yes, there is a chain reaction. BUT, I also believe in Newton's third law: "For every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction.".  

To me, this means that it is OUR choice on how we are going to react. What are we going to do with the information that we receive? Are we going to continue that equal action and propel it or are we going to flip the switch and use it to do the opposite? I believe this part, is on us. And believe me- I am the first one to dig a deep rabbit hole as soon as something negative happens. But now I am more conscious of how I react. And whether we realize it or not, how we react is off put onto others. Our actions and interactions towards others is based on how we are feeling at the time. Chain Reaction. Butterfly Effect.

So what do we do with this? Well- I know what I am going to do. I am going to be more focused on what I put out to others. I want my wing flutter to be a positive one. I want to lighten a student's day. I want to brighten a colleague's perspective. I know that one negative from me, could change that person's day. I know that one negative action could be the negative icing on top of someone's already tough day. And I don't want that. 

That seemingly flippant comment or sarcastic remark, may be perceived differently by the receiver. That look of frustration or a deep breath, may signal much more negative emotions to a child. That bright smile and eyes of hope may be what a teenager needed to turn his mind around. That authentic compliment may just be what that colleague needed to hear, to get through a tough day.  

My call to action: Be conscious of what you say and do. It matters. What may seem tiny in your eyes, may just mean the whole world to another. So what do you want your mark to be? What do you want your flutter to create?