Butterfly Effect n. the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere

What If...
How a simple 'what if' affects the ripples in the pool of the Butterfly Effect.

Just like the ripples of a pebble tossed into a pond, the energy emanating from each individual resonates throughout the Universe. If you were to toss ten pebbles into a pond, the ripples emanating from each pebble intersect and affect the flow of each wave. Emotions are like the converging ripples shared amongst fellow men.

Contemplating the waves of emotions within myself, I began with the question of 'what if'' .. What if I were as thin as I really want to be? Would my life be better?... I lost myself in resentment and shame until I brought the runaway train of self abusive assaults to a screaming halt. At this moment, it occurred to me that I could redirect the 'what if' questions... What if I loved who I am? What if I loved my body just the way it is? What if I was happy in my own skin this moment?

By asking different 'what if' questions, my feelings changed for the better. How do all these feelings resonate into the Universe? Does the simple act of loving myself affect others everywhere as implied by the phenomenom known as the Butterfly Effect?

Perhaps the term 'self centered', which is usually equated with narcissism, really means to be 'centered within oneself'. This would imply that there is a responsibility of the individual to attend to his/her own happiness and well being, ultimately benefitting the whole.

By asking myself the right 'what if' questions, I begin to feel good. This feeling good extends beyond myself into the rippling pool of Butterfly Effect fostering more feeling good by others who's waves of feeling good continually converge.

What we feel is what we give, what we get back depends on that gift. What if we just feel good?

A Collaboration between Dawn, Wellness Educator and Crystal Achey

A Pebble

Drop a pebble in the water: just a splash, and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Spreading, spreading from the center, flowing on out to the sea.
And there is no way of telling where the end is going to be.

Drop a pebble in the water: in a minute you forget,
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And those little waves a-flowing to a great big wave have grown;
You've disturbed a mighty river just by dropping in a stone.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on.
They keep spreading, spreading, spreading from the center as they go,
And there is no way to stop them, once you've started them to flow.

Drop an unkind word, or careless: in a minute you forget;
But there's little waves a-flowing, and there's ripples circling yet,
And perhaps in some sad heart a mighty wave of tears you've stirred,
And disturbed a life was happy ere you dropped that unkind word.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: just a flash and it is gone;
But there's half-a-hundred ripples circling on and on and on,
Bearing hope and joy and comfort on each splashing, dashing wave
Till you wouldn't believe the volume of the one kind word you gave.

Drop a word of cheer and kindness: in a minute you forget;
But there's gladness still a-swelling, and there's joy circling yet,
And you've rolled a wave of comfort whose sweet music can be heard
Over miles and miles of water just by dropping one kind word.

By James W. Foley

Collective Habits

The power of thoughts to change reality is backed up by the science of physics. Do we say, “Ok, great, very interesting but who cares?” or do we scrutinize our thoughts to create a kinder more abundant existence? What if we made a collective effort to send more loving, kind and compassionate thoughts out into the ether? What if instead of gawking at some tragedy on the news we spent time sending out thoughts of love and compassion? At first it might be something we have to discipline our self to do, but if we stay with it, the habit will become second nature.

Pete Latona The National Ledger

Learnin' Vocabulary...

determinism n. the philosophical proposition that every event, including human cognition and behavior, decision and action, is causally determined by an unbroken chain of prior occurrences

Both the Butterfly Connection and the determinism definitions, rippled their way to the PBMS webzine via the Philosophy Forum.

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