My daughter’s. Look at those curls!
April 26, 2007
Amplify Love, Part II
Here’s the actual picture of the sticker.
Trust me, it says “Amplify” and “Dissipate.”
By the way, today and yesterday were not Amplify Love days.
A Life Lesson by Lefty
Today’s lesson: actions have consequences.
Everything we do has consequences. The cycle of action–reaction is immutable. Every action has a consequence. What today’s lesson is about is the types of consequences.
Consequences fall into three categories: those you’re aware of, those you aren’t aware of, and those you can’t be aware of.
Let’s start in on these types of consequences. Just to provide a framework, let’s consider one action: moving a glass of water from the table to the sink.
If I move the glass, there are consequences I’m aware of: the glass will no longer be on the table. The air flow will not be obstructed on the table. Those are the physical consequences I’m aware of. There are non-physical consequences, though. My wife will be momentarily pleased by my cleanliness, is one example. I’m aware of that, too.
There are consequences I’m unaware of. Someone was relying on the glass being there, for some reason. My wife had set the glass there so my daughter didn’t have to climb up on the shelf to get it. I’m unaware of that.
Then there are consequences I couldn’t be aware of. Such as, I move the glass to the sink, my wife comes and reaches her hand into the sink, and hits the glass, breaking it and cutting herself. That’s a consequence of my moving the glass, but it’s one step further removed from my action…there’s no way I can—or should—be able to plan for it.
In life, you should weigh the first, try to plan for the second, and keep the third in mind. But don’t let things you can’t be aware of frighten you into inaction.
Just a thought.
