Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? For those who haven't heard of it, you can think of the butterfly effect as a natural phenomenon where a localized change could greatly influence the events somewhere else. In other words, a simple flap of a butterfly's wings could potentially stir up a natural disaster thousand of miles away. In a way, the butterfly effect is almost just like the domino effect in the sense that both of these effects focus on the central theme of a tiny, insignificant detail affecting the bigger picture.
Recently, one of my friends was going through a particularly rough patch, and despite being one of her friends, I didn't even notice the signs of genuine unhappiness and discontentment that she desperately tried to conceal from the world. To an outsider or even to one of her supposedly "close" friends, she was always radiating happiness and spreading her infectious joy to everyone who surrounded her. She never let her smile falter in front of us, and even though we were supposed to be her close friends, she rarely let us share the unfathomable burdens that weighed her down. Yet whenever the people around her were going through something tough, she was always here for them, showering them with genuine advice and love. I don't want to keep babbling on and on about her life story, but there is a critical point as to why I'm desperately trying to weave this in: if someone had been a little kinder than they had to, maybe things wouldn't have spiraled down towards the darker path.
You never know what exactly is happening in someone's life. Even when someone is constantly smiling and laughing, you still don't know for sure that they're 100% okay. For all you could know, they might be thinking about how much they want to scream at the world, but they can't, so instead, they paste on yet another smile and nod vigorously when someone asks if they're okay. I have to concede that it honestly took me a while to realize the amount of crap in this world that has trickled down into everyone's personal lives. And by everyone, I really do think that this applies to everyone. Truth be told, there are just so many possible, horrendous atrocities that could occur in someone's life, and yet, the large majority of us turn a blind eye and refuse to acknowledge it. Just because someone is smiling constantly and says little regarding their personal lives doesn't mean that they don't face difficult to hardships as well. A simple compliment or a hug could change someone's outlook on whatever struggle they may be trying to overcome at the time. A few genuine and supportive words can go a long way.
The reality we live in is fast paced and hectic. Everyone has their own set of goals and dreams that they desperately want to accomplish, and it's often difficult to find time to slow down and notice the signs of someone needing emotional support. I'm not going to lie; it genuinely really is hard sometimes. When you have your own life to figure out and a heavy workload, it's undeniably difficult to make time to look out for others. I often catch myself feeling like I can't keep up with the relentless demands the world makes of us, but I'm infinitely lucky to have people around me that look out for me and catch me when I fall. To them, calling to check up on me may have just been a wasted five minutes of their life, but nonetheless, those five minutes were enough to push me back up on my own two feet.
We are not entitled to anything in this harsh, cold world. The world does not owe us anything. But how much does it cost to be a little kinder? How much does it cost to be a little more empathetic, a little more considerate, and a little more caring? Being kind to others doesn't rob you of anything; if anything, it'll make you feel a little better about yourself knowing that you at least tried to improve someone's life, even when it may have just been a small compliment or a few kind words. In this bitter world, even the smallest pieces of kindness can make someone else's life out there a little brighter. Let's leave the world a little kinder today than it was yesterday.
