step 6 - chain reactions

A chain reaction is a series of events, each one causing the next.  And for every chain reaction, there is a catalyst; a person or thing that causes a change.  I am discovering that blogging is a bit of a catalyst for me.  For through all of my research, I collect more and more information, which inherently propels me to change the way I live my life.  The blog itself is the documentation of these changes.  

Inspiration is another catalyst for me, which fuels my desire to continuing writing and to be the best human being possible. The essay below is one such example:

Ethics vary with environment, circumstances, and culture. In my own life, ethics play a major role. Whether it was the way I was raised, the experiences I’ve had, or just my outlook on the world and the way things should be. My biggest aspects of ethics include being honest, compassionate, and looking for the best and beauty in everyone...

Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer. According to Webster’s Dictionary, compassion means a feeling of sympathy for another’s misfortune. My definition of compassion is forgiving, loving, helping, leading, and showing mercy for others. I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go...

I know that my codes of life may be different from yours, but how do you know that trust, compassion, and beauty will not make this world a better place to be in and this life a better one to live? My codes may seem like a fantasy that can never be reached, but test them for yourself, and see the kind of effect they have in the lives of people around you. You just may start a chain reaction.

- an excerpt from Rachel Scott's essay

While I was pondering the idea of cause and effect, I somehow stumbled upon this essay:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

by Dr. Bob Moorehead

It's not easy admitting that we might see a part of ourselves in the reality painted above, but once we do, we can decide what aspects we would like to change.  Find your inspiration, your catalyst, and define your 'code of life.'

"A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results."

~Wade Boggs