“The Butterfly Effect” as described by the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries: “The idea that a very small change in one part of a system can have large effects in other parts.”
- “If something that will bring you independence scares you, that’s all the more reason to do it.”
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My grandma says that one of her biggest regrets in life is never learning to drive. When she came to America with my father, uncle, and grandpa in the 1980s, she was completely new to American infrastructure. She was always too scared of the roads and the potential disaster of crashing, so much so that she never got her license. She would rely on her husband or sons to take her places when she needed to, so she never felt motivated to take her driver’s test.
When my grandpa passed away in the early 2000s, my grandmother’s sons had their own families to tend to, and she began to feel she was constrained to her home. Though she could get rides from family members, she couldn’t rely on that as often and claimed it felt like a burden to ask.
This is why she always told my sisters and me to never shy away from things that scare us, especially if it will provide us with greater self-reliance.
- “Make your bed first thing in the morning, and get rid of dust in your space weekly.”
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Feeling clean, refreshed, and accomplished at the start of the day can make a huge difference in your satisfaction with task completion. My grandma always says that your living space reflects your state of mind and actively has the power to change it.
When your room is messy and cluttered, your thoughts will be too — affecting your actions. This is why my grandma is a big proponent of having a personal cleaning regimen to follow every morning.
- “Don’t end long-term friendships over short-term disagreements.”
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According to my grandma, it’s very special to have someone in your life who you’ve grown and changed with. If someone’s seen countless versions of you go through all of your phases, they understand you on a higher level.
Even if you grow apart, there will always be mutual respect and friendship for each other — it’s not a tie worth breaking over something that you’ll forget in a few months. And when you’re older, these are some of the people that will mean the most to you.
- “Always eat until you’re full.”
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Every time I talk to my grandma on the phone, she asks me what I ate that day, and her follow-up question is always whether or not I felt satisfied. She’ll always remind me that I won’t have the energy and motivation to get through the day if I operate on an empty stomach.
Furthermore, she believes if you ever feel on edge or if you’re overthinking, you should drink something hydrating or eat a meal. This always brings me back into a positive headspace where I feel like I can process my emotions more slowly and effectively.
- “Go on a walk when you feel like you need clarity.”
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There’s something about walking along the BU Beach or on the Esplanade — hearing the cars and feeling the wind on my face — that always clears my head and puts things into perspective. My grandma tells me to do this when I’m procrastinating, stressed about exams, contemplating decisions, or if I ever feel foggy.
I walk until I feel satisfied with the view of the Charles River, and try to remind myself of my goals and why I wanted to come to BU in the first place. It may not fix the immediate problem, but my walks always remind me that everything is temporary and change is inevitable. This brings me some peace of mind, and I hope it may do the same for you.
All these pieces of advice may seem very simple, but I’ve noticed that they can create valuable butterfly effects throughout my day when I put them to use. Maybe they can help you out too!
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