Sometimes we listen with awe to stories of people out there - brave, courageous and daring people - making a difference in the world. And then we look towards our own vision, and shrink a little, wondering how we could possibly make a difference ourselves.

The truth is, we all, each of us, can make a difference. It is our individual uniqueness that holds the key for each of us.

As Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dveirin put it, in Saying Yes to Change:

When you do what only you can do - instead of trying to do what other people can do - strange and wonderful things often magnify your vision. It’s as if the road rises up to meet you and circumstances flow together in a mysterious and elegant way, beyond the scope of your own, individual efforts.

There’s a scientific reason why this may be true. In the 1960s, U.S. meteorologist Edward Lorenz was modeling global weather patterns using the largest computers then available for his purpose. He found that the weather sytem was so permanently in a state of chaos, so inherently unpredictable, that if a monarch butterfly in Mexico were to suddenly flap its wings this way or that, the amplifying turbulence could destabilize weather in far-away places like Outer Mongolia. Chaos theorists have come to call this “The Butterfly Effect.”

The fact is, when conditions are right and your guidance is clear, only a slight modification in your attitude or intent can change the world around you.

We can apply the Butterfly Effect to whatever our vision is. Whether our strongest desire is to make a difference, achieve success, become spiritually in tune, or all three, or any other thing that holds our vision, remembering that “when conditions are right and your guidance is clear, only a slight modification in your attitude or intent can change the world around you” can give you the added push onward, help you hold steadfast to your vision, and guide you gently to whereever you’re intending to go.

Every day, go out into your world and do the things that you do best, accepting your own unique gifts, holding fast to your vision and visualizing the ripples of the Butterfly Effect.

There is a quiet rhythm to most everyday routines. Do you ever feel like tapping into the strength of the regular, mundane tasks that you do regularly?

When performing household chores, try focusing all of your attention on your hands. While pulling laundry from the washing machine, feel the tension in your fingers as you tug sweatpants, shirts, and shorts free from one another. Feel the cold weight of the sheets as you lift them into the dryer. Notice the sensation of the cool metal dial under your fingertips. If any other thought comes into your mind, such as plans for the day or worries about money or your children, let it go and refocus your attention on your hands.

I came across this passage today, from Mindful Moments for Stressful Days, and found this idea of “moving meditation” through the flow of my hands to be so appealing.

As I am typing this post, I am concentrating on the movement of my fingers, how easily and effortlessly they translate the thoughts in my mind into words on my screen.

Follow your hands.

Whenever I start feeling like I “don’t have the time to meditate”, I will remember this. Follow your hands.

I’ve been dipping into Robin Sharma’s book, The Greatness Guide. It’s an interesting book, made up of 101 “chapters” that read an awful lot like very inspirational blog posts.

The book covers the a ton of things - everything from success and leadership to happiness.

Today, Chapter 16 caught my eye: “Know Your Genius”:

Genius is not the sole domain of a rare breed of person. Both you and I are entitled to that label and to play in that space - if we so choose. Here’s the big idea: Focus on any area or skill with a relentless devotion to daily improvement and a passion for excellence and within three to five years, you will be operating at a level of competence (and insight) such that people call you a genius. Focus plus daily improvement plus time equals genius. Understand that formula deeply and your life will never be the same.

That’s quite a succinct formula, and as I type this, I’m thinking about where I would like to achieve genius. Or maybe the better question is, what area or skill am I interested in to the extent that I could devote three to five years of my focus?

The key here, I think, is passion. Sharma talks about a passion for excellence, but I really think that you need a passion for the subject itself. Without that passion, it would be so difficult to achieve the formula of “focus plus daily improvement plus time”.

Focus is hard work … unless you’re focusing on something about which you’re passionate, something that excites you, something that doesn’t feel very much like hard work all the time.

So, while I like his formula, I’d throw passion in there, too.