The little things

Given the opportunity to say or give a little gesture that might make a difference, do you?

Edward Lorenz’s, an MIT meteorologist, research spurred the phrase: the “butterfly effect,” the concept that small events can have large, widespread consequences. The name stems from Lorenz’s suggestion that a massive storm might have its roots in the faraway flapping of a tiny butterfly’s wings.

From Wikipedia:

“The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly’s wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that may ultimately alter the path of a tornado or delay, accelerate or even prevent the occurrence of a tornado in a certain location. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale alterations of events. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. While the butterfly does not cause the tornado, the flap of its wings is an essential part of the initial conditions resulting in a tornado.”

The butterfly effect has become a metaphor for the existence of seemingly insignificant moments that alter history and shape destinies. These simple events create threads of cause and effect with the possibility of changing the course of a human life or rippling through to create global consequences.

Adding in a more spiritual twist, is the basis for “The Ripple Effect”  from the Humanity Healing Foundation:

“The Ripple Effect is based on the understanding that we are all connected. These connections stretch like an incredibly interwoven and complicated tapestry. Each of us exists within this tapestry. Thoughts and actions are like stones dropped in a pond and they create ripples that travel outward.

“Everything we do and think affects the people in our lives and their reactions in turn affect others. The choices you make have far-reaching consequences. Each of us carries within us the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse. We can use the Principles of the Ripple Effect to magnify our actions and their effects.”

We really have no idea what just one little gesture may accomplish. What if enough people practiced mindfulness and kindness so that we reached a “tipping point” (any process in which, beyond a certain point, the rate at which the process proceeds increases dramatically) and the world as we know it changed?