1. Burnt Toast Theory
A friend of mine used to talk a lot about the burnt toast theory when she was having a bad day, and I adopted the idea from her sometime last year. For those of you who don’t know, the burnt toast theory is the idea that minor inconveniences or setbacks, like burning your toast in the morning, are saving you from something else. Maybe you burn your toast, which causes you to miss the bus which ends up crashing. Or, maybe you sleep through your alarm, so you get to class late and have to sit next to a stranger who ends up being your new best friend. This is the ultimate embodiment of everything that happens for a reason.
2. The Butterfly Effect Theory
This is the idea that the smallest things can have the biggest impacts on your life, suggesting that everything is connected at some deeper level. My favourite personal butterfly effect experience would probably be hating my grade 12 Kinesiology class. If I didn’t hate the class, I would have likely gone to a different university and I would be living in a different city, with different people, and with a completely different life. You never know where certain decisions will lead you, so isn’t it best to just go with it and see?
3. Floating Rock Mentality
The earth is quite literally a floating rock. Not everything makes sense, and nothing is really that deep. There is only so much time in a day, and you only have so much effort to put towards worrying. My friend Abby would say that there are only so many chances to do something or feel something, so do it! Skip the class, say yes to the date, eat the greasy meal. Have the memories and the knowledge that you did and tried everything rather than having regrets for not doing something. It doesn’t have to make sense at the moment or fit into some plan.
4. Game Theory
This is the idea that one person’s decisions can affect everyone. You could see this as a positive or a negative thing, depending on who you are. Here at Her Campus, we always encourage you to lean towards the glass half full philosophy! You can’t control how others behave, but if you have the awareness that what you’re doing has the potential to affect others along with the compassion to want the best for others, I think you have the ability to put a little more kindness out into the world. Obviously, not everyone does this all the time, but I think this extra level of consideration and awareness could go a long way for you and the people you interact with.
5. Serendipity
Not everything is planned and not everything is planned for. Sometimes you need to recognize that not everything can be handled. Something not working out is not necessarily an issue. Sometimes, random positives can come from mistakes or any other unexpected places. You need to take advantage of these little wins, even if you don’t fully understand them all the time. Experience the little wins as much as possible!