The Butterfly Effect

We’ve all had something really sh*tty happen and the first thing we hear from our friends and family is that “everything happens for a reason”. After this we usually get really annoyed, right?

What if I told you that those 5 words are life changing.

This week I decided to write about something that has been on my mind, not related to business or networking, just related to ME. I guess that's the fun in having a public blog as my creative outlet, you really get to know what's going on in my head.

Reflection Time

I recently had some time away from work and reflected on my last year. Within this time, I didn’t open an email or make a single phone call. Right before my break, I had a troubling life event occur and through words of comfort from a family member was told that, “everything happens for a reason”. As I had a hard time believing anything good could have come from this situation I brushed those 5 words off as I usually do. During my time away, I began thinking about every time I had heard those 5 words and what the outcomes were. In discussions with a very dear and wise friend of mine we dissected unfortunate life events that have happened to us and the chain of events that followed.

What appeared to us is that every time something difficult has happened that didn’t seem to make sense at the time, led to something else that has ultimately changed life for the better.

From hearing ‘no’ from job applications (too many to count), and the opportunities that have come from the one ‘yes’ to canceled plans turned into the greatest travel adventure of my life- everything really does happen for a reason. The key is you must lean into it.

The Cheesy But True Stuff

To experience the WHY from a negative event, you cannot shut out getting back up and trying again. The butterfly effect will show itself for you through hardship and difficult times, if you do not stay in your metaphorical cocoon. By trying to spread your wings again, the hidden lessons and experiences that would have not shown themselves before begin to appear.

Whether it is faith, or a strong trust in the universe, however you want to show your belief that everything will happen as it should and with a purpose, is a way of thought that is extremely life changing.

Moving Forward

Life will not be easy for any of us, but the struggles, challenges, and experiences we all go through build us to be the strong and unique individuals we are. These ‘everything happens for a reason’ moments are the sole reason we show up every day. They are the reasons we show up to our jobs, the gym, spending time with friends, you name it! If we were held down by difficult times or our failures, we would never be able to experience the goodness that comes from making it through storms.

Trust in the butterfly effect, things will happen as they should and with reason… lean in.