The Butterfly Effect

This is a story of a young man who worked as a therapist at amental health hospital. The young man in this story enjoyed his jobbecause he helped sick people. Some of his clients were convictedcriminals that came from prison. Others were violent people thatcame from the streets. Yet others were middle class average peoplewho just happened to be down on their luck.

All these clients had one thing in common. They were allhuman beings and they were all sick people living with a diseasecalled mental illness. The young therapist viewed these people in akind and understanding way. He realized that everyone has a story,everyone wants it to be heard, yet not everyone has the ability tolisten to other people. The young therapist in this story had thatcapability. He knew how to listen and he knew how to listen well.Because of the nature of their illness, his clients were often ignoredand dehumanized by our society.

What people don't understand, is that not everybody is able totell their story and express themselves in appropriate ways. Noteveryone can control their behavior and communicate with others.Some people feel justified to express themselves with violence,because they think it is the only way they can be heard. It's not theviolence that defines us, it is the intent behind those actions.

During some of his sessions, this young therapist would beverbally threatened. Some of his clients would try and harm him.During one session, a client threw a sofa chair at the nurse stationof the unit because he was upset. This particular client only didthat because he felt he was being ignored. By acting out, he wouldget the attention that he so much desired. This young man onlywanted somebody to pay attention to him.

The young therapist in this story understood this concept.It helped him view his clients in a different way. He was able tounderstand his clients simply because he listened to them. Years ofcollege did not help this therapist develop the art of listening. Manypeople unintentionally while trying to help are too busy givingadvice and are not listening to what is being said to them. Manypeople shut others down in this way and don't even realize it.

The big secret of this therapist's success, was his ability tolisten and understand what was being said. The therapist wouldlisten to every single word that the clients were saying. Not onlydid he listen, he also was interested in everything that was beingsaid. He was interested in the story behind the words that werebeing expressed to him. The young therapist was able to providea safe warm environment for his clients without saying a singleword.

The second secret to this therapist's success, was the positiveenergy that he gave his clients. As humans, we are all sensitiveto the energy that is put out by others. For example, if you are ina bad mood, you put out negative vibrations. This energy is thanpicked up by other people. The negative energy than spreads likea rapid virus infecting anyone it comes in contact with. This youngtherapist would always be energetic and happy around his patients.

The butterfly effect concept basically implies that a tinyvariation can have a huge effect on a bigger and more complexsystem. In other words, in order to describe the effect of a biggersystem, smaller elements within that system must be taken intoaccount. It is the little pieces put together that make up the whole.Every single phenomenon has a starting point. Smaller thingsgradually accumulate, when all are added together they form alarger system.

The young therapist actually believed in this concept. Hebelieved that just one person could make a difference. Thetherapist held the notion that his actions could cause a ripple effectthat could shake the foundation of psychology, and help sickpeople get better care. The young therapist started seeing thingsdifferently and developed a new perspective on life. He was able tosee from a higher perspective, through the eyes of God not throughthe eyes of man.

The therapist worked in a poverty stricken part of town.He didn't earn much money, so he would eat lunch at a nearbyrestaurant that served cheap affordable food. He especially lovedthe ice cream this establishment served. He began eating there ona daily basis. His worked required that he dress nicely. He savedmoney and bought very expensive clothes to wear to work.

One day during lunch, the young therapist caught the eyeof a young boy sitting across from him. This young boy was allalone, sitting there with no food. The boy was dressed in reallyold clothes and appeared to be from a poor family. The little boystared at the young therapist eating lunch. Eventually, the therapistnoticed the boy and just kept eating.

The therapist did not feel threatened in anyway, he just couldn'tfigure out why this young boy was all alone in a bad part of townsitting at an empty table with no food. The therapist was aboutto eat his last burger when he looked up and saw the young boystaring at him. The young boy looked away. Thinking the youngboy was hungry and couldn't afford to eat; the therapist gavehim his last burger and left. The therapist felt compassion for theyoung boy who just happened to be in a bad situation. The boyhad no control over the circumstances of his life. He was born intopoverty.

Here was a boy who had nothing and through no fault of hisown, couldn't afford to eat. The therapist realized this and wasintrigued by the fact that maybe one simple act of kindness, couldmake a difference in this young kid's life. He thought that perhapsa little simple act of kindness could cause a butterfly effect andturn this boy's life in a positive direction. The young therapistdidn't expect anything in return, he just wanted to show the boythat someone does care about him. The identity of the youngtherapist is not important, what is important is the motive behindhis actions.

Imagine for one second, if all the people in this world thoughtlike our therapist. This one simple action cannot change theworld, but it's a start. What would this world be like if everyonelived based on the same concepts as the young therapist and gaveto others in need? That may be a stretch, imagine if only half thepeople in this world thought like this, what would the world belike? Okay, then imagine what would this world be like if half ofthe people thought like our therapist?

I'm not saying that we can change the world, because wehave no control over the actions or thoughts of others, but we dohave control over our thoughts and our actions. This world couldbe a better place, but like the butterfly effect, it needs to startsomewhere. We need to start small and work our way up fromthere. Have you ever wondered to yourself how you could makethis world a better place? Maybe it needs to start with you.

Success is not defined by what we do for ourselves; it isdefined by what we do for others. Sometimes it's the small thingsthat make a big difference in the life of someone else. Sometimesall you need to do is open your ears and just listen. Look around,if somebody needs help, then help if you can. As human beings,we have failed each other. It's not just about us; it's about so muchmore.

It's about preserving mankind and helping each other. Itdoesn't matter what God we believe in, or how we worship Him.All of these religious wars don't make any sense. We are allfighting over the same God. Some people just choose to worshipdifferently. How about looking at what we all have in common asmen of faith, rather than what God we worship?

Rather than bringing us together, religion seems to be tearingus apart. No matter what God we worship, he certainly doesn'twant us fighting over Him. We have taken this concept of God andmanaged to mess it up. Everyone wants to be right at the expenseof others. What we have to remember is, that we all inhabit theearth, and we all must coexist whether we like it or not.

Will our planet ever be at peace? My answer is no. Can oneperson really make a difference? Maybe not, but it's a start. Maybeby changing your thoughts and actions for the better, you canbecome like a butterfly flapping its wings. Many more butterfliesstart flapping their wings and the wind starts picking up. Maybeyou can be that butterfly that creates that cool breeze on a hotsummer day.

Spiritually Reincarnated

Life is a mystery not meaning to be solved, because when youfigure it out, maybe it's not worth living. Life is a learning processthat never ends. It is full of surprises and new discoveries. Whatbounds us together, also tears us apart. For example, the belief inGod unites us, but how we go about worshipping him divides us.Differences lead to misunderstanding which leads to prejudicethat ends in hate. The path to success and self-fulfillment is a longone. The journey is far greater than the destination. In order to beloved, we must love. In order to be forgiving, we must forgive. Inorder to be successful, we must fail. The key to success is rightunder our nose, we must not be blinded by fear in order to see it.All of us have potential, and that is all we need in order to achieveself-fulfillment. Learning to tap into that potential is the key tosuccess. Every material success is an illusion. The real success isthe happiness that we find within ourselves. We must spread ourwings before we learn how to fly. I have been searching for God allmy life, but do I really know what I am searching for? The answeris no, I do not, but I will know when I find it.

A Shadow in the Dark

A shadow in the dark, a figure in the mist, sometimes I feellike I just don't exist. A smaller sum of a larger whole, at timesmy life is just out of control. I have been misunderstood for fartoo long and nobody will miss me when I am gone. Like an insectstuck inside a spider's web, at times I feel like I'm already dead. IfI were to scream out, but there is nobody around, it's like I nevereven made a sound. Where is God? Nowhere to be found, will hebe there for me when I lay in the ground? There are so many thingsthat I want to share but I'm a shadow in the dark but why shouldyou care? I'm constantly searching for a far better place sometimesI feel stuck in a dark empty space. Filled with hurt and sprinkledwith pride my innocence is gone it already died. There is just somuch that I want to say, I carry so much pain every single day. I'ma shadow in the dark just wasting away, yet there are still thingsthat I need to say. So lonely inside desolate and afraid, there is acloud hovering over where I once laid. I can hear the ocean as thetide washes up my pain the sky is dark as it starts to rain. I'm araindrop in the storm blowing down in the wind, blocking out thelight and pain from within. Sometimes I feel like I'm time passingthrough, you can't judge me for what I went through. Everyone'spain is different deep down inside, I feel like a passenger justtaking a ride. Love thy friend and enemies too cause in the end wewill all be through. I'm a shadow in the dark don't judge me myfriend and I won't judge you in the end.

Resurrection

As I walk through the shadow of my death, I will keep fightingSatan until my last breath. My physical body is finally gone,but after life your soul lives on. The pain in my life is so hard tocomprehend, everyone I love goes away in the end. Like a raindropbeing blown in a storm for a while, my thoughts and body arefutile. That big bright light burning inside of me, will light up thesky for eternity. The love of God is so bright and warm, like anangel in heaven flying through a storm. I ask God will I find peace.The answer is yes once I am deceased. My eyes are shut closed,the life leaves my chest. I have paid for my sins, now I can rest.

Serenity Lake Preamble

The human body and mind has limited potential. The humanspirit has limitless potential capable of miraculous thingsbeyond our comprehension. Only by tapping into our spiritualconsciousness can we take advantage of these natural resources,experience true freedom from ourselves, and release our emotionalbaggage. Every one of us has a limited dark side. We also have alimitless good side that goes beyond those boundaries. This is mydark side that has never been seen before. After years of strugglingwith it, I finally have it under control. When I was younger, therewas this place that I used to visit alone when times got tough. I callit Serenity Lake and it has left an imprint in my memory. Lots ofstruggles within me have occurred there and this poem is a glimpseof my suffering. This is the most personal poem that I have everwritten. I call it Serenity Lake.

Serenity Lake

There was this lake I used to know, when times were toughI used to go. As I looked in the lake my reflection would glow, Iwas falling apart and didn't want it to show. I remember that time Iwanted to fly, seventeen years old and wanting to die. I rememberthose times alone in the dark, covered in tears and pain in myheart. I remember that time tainted with pride my only way outwas suicide. I remember those times I should have died, strongon the surface but weak inside. Painful memories as they start todecay submerged in my mind they won't go away. Serenity Lake,a painful place located down south on an old Air Force base. Prettyon the outside so calm and serene, but listen closely you couldhear me scream. Serenity Lake two worlds I cannot control, wheredemons lurk to snatch your soul. Life is nothing to me but a bigtest waiting to see if I manifest. Alone in my journey yet torturedby time, a miraculous life so dark but divine. Hold me in your armsand don't ever let me go, be there for me when I am out of control.

My Final Farewell

I'm so sorry to everyone for what I'm about to do I justwant my life to be finally through. Tainted by a mirror that ishanging deep in the fog, I just want to go and finally meet God.If he truly does exist, the only thing He is to me is just a figurein the mist. Yet I insist to latch on to that last wish, that whenI'm gone I probably won't be missed. I just can't look at myreflection in a mirror as I shed a tear and my heart full of fear.The only problem is that I cannot cry the only thing left for meis to die. I don't have much to leave behind; I'm going down lostsomewhere in my mind. I fall down to my knees and beg you forforgiveness, I'm so sorry that you had to be a witness. I am losingit all please understand that I'm going to fall and in the end I willonly disappoint you all. Time to go now as I take my last breath,I will grasp for air until there's none left. The pain and agony istearing apart my soul, I finally realize that I never had control. Icannot stop apologizing for tomorrow, you just don't understandall my pain, suffering and sorrow. I will always miss watching thesun rising, my pain so deep that it's paralyzing. Until I don't heara sound anymore except for my cold body hitting the floor. I'm sosick and tired of living in this hell that is why I bid you my finalfarewell. Go ahead and judge me if you dare, they say life is notfair, stop acting like you care. I am truly sorry but you just don'tunderstand this is way too much pain for one man. I love you allbut please don't cry just let me stand here and say goodbye, I'mfree at last and now I can fly.

PreambleWhat is Love?

There are so many different definitions of love, but whichones are correct? I believe that they all are accurate in some sensebecause there are many different types of love. I came to theconclusion that love is way too complicated to be described byone simple definition. Our brain is only wired to comprehend andunderstand a limited amount of information. As human beings, wetend to rearrange information into familiar categories in our mindsin order for us to understand them. The more information we learn,only leads to more questions as we come to realize just how littlewe actually know. To me love is a special emotional, mental, andspiritual bond that connects two souls. This is a broad definition,but do we really know the true meaning of love, or is it just anillusion? I call this one what is Love?

What is Love?

What is love? I haven't a clue, but I feel it every time I lookat you. Love without trust is nothing but lust, burned by the fireand turned into dust. I love God and you as a friend, the typeof love that will never end. Love is a connection of souls on adifferent plane and searching for it can make you insane. Love isan emotion, feeling, and bond that will still be around even whenwe are gone. Does it come from the heart? Does it come from thesoul? Or is it something much deeper we cannot control? Beensearching for so long and treated like dirt, every time I think Ifound it, I only get hurt. Through the aches, pain, and time I spend,so hard to find? Some keep on searching till the end of time. Lovemay be in front of our eyes, blinded by passion, lust, and lies. I willgive you everything including my pride, the day you left my life, isthe day I died. The love of my God always lives on, even at timeswhen I think it's gone. Something you should know, I swear it'strue; my heart cannot help falling in love with you