From my experience it seems that as soon as you feel satisfied with the status quo, that things seem to be “running on all cylinders,” suddenly and unexpectedly weird things begin to happen. It seems at times that these random events derive from forces that are conspiring against you. Investing in the stock market is a good example. Sometimes it seems that a stock goes down in price simply because I chose to buy it! In science and mathematics, “chaos theory” states that “small differences in initial conditions (such as those due to rounding errors in numerical computation) yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general.” This is known as the “butterfly effect.” An example would be rolling a ball down a steep hill. Where it ends up depends on very minute differences in its initial positioning. Lately at work things have gotten a little chaotic. Although I am not sure if my business meets the literal definition of a “chaotic system,” it certainly seems apt to widely divergent outcomes that defy the ability for accurate prediction. That can be very frustrating. What is the answer? Well according to the theory one has to look closely at the “initial conditions.” How things are initially set up seems to go a long way towards establishing and maintaining order in the system. I, being a “loosey goosey” or “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” sort of bloke, often experience chaos in things I initiate. Therefore, I believe the answer lies in initiating them more wisely by establishing systems of order that work to combat against the inevitable chaos. A very simple example is a checklist that is consistently followed. Ensuring that things are done the same way every time, much like a Tiger Woods golf-swing, helps keep the ball on an even and straight trajectory. Problem is that no one likes a checklist…they are boring. But the results of allowing chaos to reign on your parade can be far more painful than enduring a little bit of boredom. What does all this have to do with Costa Rica? Well Costa Rica is a place where chaotic forces work overtime. In a place so overwhelmingly “natural” that should not come as a surprise. The natural world has always mystified us and usually does defy accurate prediction. But if you look closely there is amazing order and purpose in the behaviour of ecosystems, much more so than in us humans who often do things for wacky or utterly senseless reasons. An it is in our erratic doing that we often become undone. Intermittent bouts of order and chaos are contrary forces that we are destined to experience and I believe it is a great lesson of life to learn to manage them wisely. To go through life suffering the illusion that “it is all under control” is the height of arrogance and delusion…it isn’t (at least not under YOUR control) and admitting as much can serve you well.
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