Planting the Seeds of Change (4/11/2013)

On Easter, I watched “The Butterfly Effect” for the third time.  At first, I wasn’t clear on why I chose that particular movie to watch on Easter.  After speaking with a friend of mine about it, I realized that two of the movie themes were consistent with an Easter or Spring theme.

In the movie, the main character has the ability to time travel and so he goes back in time again and again to key moments in his life and changes what happened.  What he doesn’t realize at first is that each change dramatically alters his not only his life but also at least four other people’s lives as well.  While the outcome is more positive for some of the people, it is more negative for others.  Once he starts changing things, he goes back repeatedly, each time dramatically affecting the lives of family members and friends.

The lesson for me is that everything that happened in my past has led me to this point today.  If anything had been different, everything would be different.  The second lesson for me is that changes, however small they seem, can have dramatic outcomes.  Each small change that the main character made in the movie dramatically altered the course of events, and so it can be for us as well.

Change can be overwhelming, especially if we are far away from where we want to be now or where we want to end up.  If we want to make dramatic changes, making a minor adjustment may seem like a drop of water in the ocean.  What we need to remember is that even small adjustments to behavior or thinking can lead to a different outcome.  Spring is a time for planting seeds, for renewal, for resurrection.  Making even a small change today can lead to a remarkable improvement in your life over time.

Think about where you are today, the events that have shaped your life and led you to this place.  Be grateful even for negative events that have shaped you.  Know that in dealing with the challenges of life we learn about ourselves.  It allows us to practice courage, perseverance, faith, hope, and develops our inner strength.

In turn, consider one small positive change that you can make today that will improve your life.  Do it.  It may be that this one small change will allow you to fulfill your dreams and change your life.

http://www.gayrva.com/news-views/planting-the-seeds-of-change/