The Butterfly Effect
TENACIOUS TUESDAY ~ This past week a friend of mine retired from the military after an incredible 25-year career. I was honored to be in attendance for her retirement ceremony, during which she gave an inspiring speech about the impact that so many people from past and present had on her life evolving as it did. She eloquently relayed the story of chaos theory, which is the idea that the smallest of changes can lead to the biggest impacts. Also known as the Butterfly Effect, the theory was that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil could cause a hurricane in Texas. And in so many ways, this proves to be true.
We are often unaware of the impact that the smallest moments may have over our lifetime. It is easy to reflect on poor decisions or unfortunate events and see how they have negatively impacted us, but we spend less time recognizing the power of seemingly random occurrences or slight shifts in our patterns and how they change an entire trajectory. Stop for a moment, think back and reflect on something positive that has happened in your life as a result of just one small shift. Maybe it was the decision to turn left instead of right, maybe it was the thought to say yes instead of no, maybe it was the instinct to pause for a moment, to look and to listen.
In yoga, the smallest shift in our position, our attention or our mindset can make the biggest difference in how we feel in a pose. Shifting our awareness into our big toe suddenly brings us into a balance that seemed unachievable. Shifting our thoughts from ‘can’t’ to ‘can’ opens the body to go deeper than we believed we could.
If you find yourself feeling stuck, lacking the spark in your step or uncertain of how to reach that goal that seems so far away, remember that all it takes is the smallest of shifts. As my friend so beautifully shared, it just takes the flap of a single butterfly’s wings to put into motion the most momentous of changes on your path. Don’t be afraid to start small and know that a single decision or the simplest action has the power to bring everything you are seeking that much closer. #betenacious #cancerwarrior #native_or_not #butterflyeffect