The preschool teacher shares a hatching chrysalis with half a dozen four-year-olds. A janitor sings hymns as he mops the hospital floor. The waitress takes the age-spotted hand of her regular customer and thanks her for leaving a smile with her tip. The world gleams with the beauty offered by ordinary folks, yet most doubt their life bears any significance.
I’ve heard outreach workers, parents, war veterans echo the same sense of insignificance. Even mega church pastors and government leaders wonder if their lives matter. An individual’s rank or position doesn’t validate their existence. A woman with a history of addiction or an ex-convict carries the importance of a diplomat to the world. Scientific and historical evidence demonstrate a person’s impact ripples from their life’s details.
The Butterfly Effect clarifies this amazing principle. “Everything you do matters. Every move you make, every action you take matters. Not just to you, or your family . . . to all of us.”
Author Andy Andrews represents the power of a single interaction through the story of his own life. Conversations with a stranger led him from homelessness to a new path. His shift led him to his current profession as a best-selling author and world-renowned speaker. The New York Times once referred to him as “one of the most influential people in America.” Although his biography illustrates the impact of an unassuming fellow on one who rose to motivate millions, he chose to give only a few lines of space to his personal story in The Butterfly Effect’s foreword.
Instead, Andrews cites science and history to provide ample evidence for the importance of each life upon the experience of all others. This theme resonates in the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life. Every December, I celebrate with George Bailey as he realizes the value of his life lies in the small acts of kindness he offered to neighbors. The Butterfly Effect delivers even more inspiration than my favorite Christmas film. Fact relates the principle with far greater power than fiction.
The book’s design reflects its purpose. Few words grace each artistic photo. At a little over a hundred pages, a reader can sip its delights in less than an hour. The Butterfly Effect spins magnificent tales with artful and simple style. Andrews leads readers through a remarkable series of interlinked stories. Truth gleams brighter with each morsel of evidence. Inspiration mounts to a resounding conclusion, “The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose . . . Your life and what you do with it today matters forever.”
I’d love to share the magnificent stories Andrews cites to prove the butterfly effect. But, I refuse to spoil the book for you. It’s a delightful read, well worth the time to drink its lovely pages. I encourage you to discover your wondrous value in The Butterfly Effect. Find it on Amazon or among Andrews’ other best sellers at andyandrews.com. Let me know what you think.
Be Encouraged,
Tina
