While walking around White Rock Lake ingesting the natural beauty,
it’s easy to become both intellectually stimulated and introspective at the
same time. This time of year, the lake is flooded with magnificent butterflies
going about their business, making a huge contribution to the well-being of
mankind.
Variegated Fritillary Butterfly visiting a Firewheel
Winfrey Point, White Rock Lake, Dallas
Winfrey Point, White Rock Lake, Dallas
While bending down to examine some wildflowers, a butterfly
flew by, its wing touching my cheek as it did so. This got me thinking about “The
Butterfly Effect,” and how we are all affected by this theory.
In 1961 a meteorologist, Edward Lorenz, was entering data
into his computer so that he could rerun a weather prediction. He needed to
enter wind speed, air pressure and temperature into three separate equations. Since
he was in a hurry, he decided to take a shortcut on a number in the sequence so
he entered the decimal .506 instead of entering the full .506127.
Lorenz was a scientist and he knew this would change the
result of the weather prediction, but he expected only a very minor change. He was
astounded to discover that this seemingly insignificant change had made a huge difference
in the final result of the predicted weather pattern.
An American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) butterfly on a Firewheel
Winfrey Point, White Rock Lake
Winfrey Point, White Rock Lake
In the process, Lorenz had stumbled upon a theory that has subsequently
become known as “The Butterfly Effect.”
Lorenz and his cohorts started considering the question: “Does
the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” This
theory has been applied to many areas of science ever since.
So how does The Butterfly Effect apply to YOU?
Every decision you make, no matter how tiny and
insignificant it may seem at the time, has consequences. Every choice you make
in life has the potential to change the direction in which your life is
heading. Wherever you are right now in life is the consequence of all those
decisions, both big and small, that you have made throughout your life.
If you want to change your life, change the way you think.
