Making Changes that Heal

Resolution of Change

After careful consideration of my New Year’s resolutions and feeling the impact from recent national tragedy, I‘ve decided to make genuine changes in myself and in my life. Devastating events and grief have a way of putting our lives into perspective and pressing us to reevaluate our priorities. We all need to take the time to access the true nature of who we are and see if we’re exemplifying that in our daily lives. In these days of high technology, social media, Internet and texting, we may have slipped in the art of personal communication and face-to-face contact. The irony is that with all of our mass social involvement, most of us are left feeling a bit detached. However, in the face of grief, we still come together as a compassionate nation. Together we mourn so many senseless deaths that now seem to occur on a regular basis. Perhaps in some way, we could honor each life lost or altered, by looking to better our own selves and our own lives. Maybe, just maybe, if we each made serious evaluations and positive changes in our selves and our lives, we could honor those victims, making their deaths or suffering not as “senseless.” We obviously can’t change the past, but our decisions now could prevent future grief and tragedies. What we tolerate today and refuse to act upon will remain as obstacles for our children to overcome. Change is in our hands and it’s our responsibility.

 

Butterfly Effect

You may think that any differences you could possibly make would only affect you and maybe those closest around you. However, any positive change you create will not only spread out to those closest to you, but they will also ripple out into the world in a “Butterfly Effect.” The Butterfly Effect was named from a theoretical example that the flaps of a distant butterfly could cause a hurricane’s formation weeks later. It’s a chaos theory, which demonstrates how small initial differences, can lead to great and sometimes unexpected, consequences over time. I’ve seen this in action, where insignificant and minute changes ultimately had large affects elsewhere. You can do that! You alone can create positive effects that touch family, friends, coworkers, fellow classmates, and even strangers. Those effects could exponentially grow beyond your imagination. Any one of those you touch could take your lead and continue to make a difference, reaching and changing even more lives; and so on. You can create a movement that positively affects the world even long after you’re gone. Think about that. We should all strive to leave a legacy of positive change…a legacy of love and compassion.

 

Moving Forward into Change

The first change I want to make this year is to open my eyes to the people around me and really see them. I want to engage with them on a deeper, more personal level when necessary and offer hope whenever I can. Too many times I play it safe and stay on a surface level; now I want to dare to be involved and understand what their needs and hurts are. I believe the majority of “mean” people are hurting people so if we tended to those wounded in a more caring and effective way, I also believe we could cut down the world’s level of “meanness.” Lofty dreams, but obtainable. Moving forward from devastation and pain into compassion and involvement could begin the healing process and create a stronger community as a result. Our nation cries out for healing and if you listen closely, you’ll hear the individual cry. I urge you to respond and make a resolution of change that will heal your own troubled heart, the grieving hearts of others and those precious hearts of future generations.