the universe, man
Hi!
I am entirely overwhelmed by the butterfly effect. What small, insignificant decision could end up changing the course of my entire life? How can a single text message alter an entire relationship? How can getting up later than usual save a life? The buses missed, the emails never sent, the chance encounters at a party. We will likely never know the gravity of these moments.
The Butterfly Effect (defined by Merriam Webster): a property of chaotic systems (such as the atmosphere) by which small changes in initial conditions can lead to large-scale and unpredictable variation in the future state of the system.
A personal example of the butterfly effect is when my mom applied for a job at Babson College over 25 years ago. She applied to several administrative jobs around the Boston area, and when Babson mailed her offer letter, she accepted the position thinking that she may be at the college for only a couple of years. Turns out, 18 years later she was helping me move my XL twin mattress pad into the freshman dorms, and she is still a Babson employee to this day.
Attending Babson was made financially feasible due to my mom’s employee status, which I recognize as an incredible privilege. My time at school shaped me significantly, and has given me the confidence to go after my passions.
Reconciling with how little moments like that inadvertently shape our lives reminds me of the importance of habits. These small, mundane activities have a bigger impact on us than we may think. Reframing habits in this way transforms habits as chores to potential catalysts for something greater. And if that's not inspiring you to send a freaking email or apply for a job then I don't know what will be (yes I'm talking to myself right now).
As overwhelming as the butterfly effect may be, it's also beautiful, as cheesy as that may sound. Infinite possibilities and paths exist. The prospect of beginnings invigorates me, whether it’s a new calendar year or simply the start of a new journal.
I’m curious if you can think back to any specific time that has drastically changed the course of your life. The obvious one is the pandemic – so much of life has changed because of it. But even before 2020, what are some moments that led to greater change?
We’ll likely never know all of the small things that lead us to where we are now, but that’s okay. Maybe we’re not supposed to know. Understanding that there are things affecting us that are outside of our control is comforting. We can choose to control our habits and daily routines, but we also relinquish our hold on how the future needs to be.
Xo,
Emily