Creating order in chaos may be as simple as choosing the right thing to say
The news came as a shock, like being pulled out of a 180-degree sauna and plunged into a glacier-fed river. Yet it is ultimately the most settling news that I could ever imagine. My guide on this journey is Molly Miketo, a kind and gentle woman whose voice somehow penetrates the chaos that is temporarily in my mind. “Breathe,” she says, “They want you to breathe.” I hadn’t even realized that I wasn’t. Like an animal in the forest, I had frozen entirely, thinking that if I didn’t even breathe, I would be invisible. But like a duck on a pond, the fact that I seemed calm on the surface didn’t altogether hide that underneath I was paddling like hell trying to comprehend what I had just learned.
Sometimes it takes profound contrast to shake things up enough to make real and lasting change. On the contrary, at other times, the smallest occurrence can set phenomenal events in motion. The latter is sometimes referred to as the butterfly effect. If one wanted to be scientific, it might be defined as a nonlinear system where the output is not proportional to the input. Call it what you will, the fact remains that sometimes little events turn into big things.
I often find myself comparing life to a free-flowing river. The calm pools separated by intense whitewater rapids, the river, like life, becoming calmer as it approaches the end of its journey. This is true if we pay attention to what we are supposed to be learning. The real question is: how do we interpret these gifts of knowledge that our trip offers? That has often been the description of my experience in this lifetime, and unfortunately I have not always listened.
The things that I thought would make a significant change did little, and the seemingly inconsequential often brought forth a cascade of events. Thus is the nature of chaos theory and the profound effect that the smallest change can have on the future. It seemed that I have a knack for offering these little tidbits. Some might call the ability to create change with small actions a gift, and had I found someone to help me hone this talent earlier, a gift it may have been. Still, all too often for me, this unpolished skill has been a challenge where many people have misunderstood my intentions completely.
But as I sat with Molly, listening to her repeat the words she was hearing, there was no misunderstanding this time. You see, Molly is an Akashic Records consultant. Through divine prayer, she can connect to a source of energy and knowledge about life and ask any question you wish about the past, present, or future. Many people are skeptical about such things, but after my experiences with Bobby Drinnon, who was a fantastic psychic and dear friend, I know it is best to be fully open and seek knowledge rather than prejudge. So I sit and listen to what she’s saying as the information is shared through her to me.
“They say your gift lies in juxtaposition, the ability to see things not as they are but as they should be, and to help create the contrast necessary for change.” I quietly ponder this message as I try to deconstruct the myriad of thoughts—both past and present—that are flashing through my mind. I recall Bobby Drinnon telling me that he thought he knew who I was in a past life. At the time I had no idea why he would choose to share that, and honestly, I didn’t take what he told me all that seriously, but over the years, the things done by who he said I had been were weighing on me.
I ask about this in such a manner as to not give away the answer, inquiring without naming the person who Bobby thought I was during that time. Molly’s soft voice brings their reply, “You were a warrior, sent to help create contrast between two factions, to ensure the creation of the Christ consciousness for this planet. You volunteered for the job because you were well suited to the task.” It’s a bit much to take in, and I wonder if it’s true, but regardless, the effect for me was the same. I was relieved.
Bobby’s gift for me was to share who he believed I was in a prior life. True or not, the comment made a lasting impression and helped me in many circumstances to be a better person because I sure as hell didn’t want to be like the man he referenced. Finding out that Bobby may have been wrong adjusted my perspective. This new information helped renew my self-regard and clarify my life’s mission.
I was starting to see a pattern. What then, I asked, is my purpose during this lifetime? Molly quietly replies, “They are telling you that you are already doing what you have come to do.” She adds that, “They want you to have patience; there is more to come. They say that while you wait you might cleave away some unnecessary parts of your life, make some different choices.” A vision of a perfectly neat garage comes into my mind; mine indeed is not and I belly-laugh out loud. And although the idea of being neater and not hoarding so much junk is always a good idea, I knew they meant I should make some different life choices. The deeper this session went, the more intense and meaningful, and the more intrigued I became with the concept.
As a child and a young man, I was very hardheaded and stubborn. I am sure there are those that would laugh and say that I still am. It makes me chuckle, as well. I personally never had that view of myself; instead, I expressed my philosophy as “tenaciously determined”.
When I was told that I couldn’t do something that seemed easy to me, it made me angry. Who were they to say what I could or couldn’t accomplish? Sadly though, sometimes, I believed the lies, and their negativity became part of my reality. But occasionally, someone would touch me, as gently as the swoosh of a butterfly’s wings, and set in motion a completely unexpected outcome. And as I drifted off for a moment as Molly spoke, it seemed like the memories of those moments were rushing towards me, the events where a single kind gesture or simple statement had altered my life. I was beginning to understand why they had been part of my experience.
Case in point. I can’t recall what day of the week it was other than it was a hot summer day, and we had no rafting trips booked. I was part owner of a company called Mountain Quest on the Nolichucky River in Erwin, Tennessee. Looking up at the car coming down the gravel lane, I was surprised to see four middle-aged ladies stepping out and walking up to the headquarters building. “Can we go down the river?” one cheerfully asked. My partner Jerry Cooke set about explaining that the river’s flow was very low and that we didn’t have any guides on duty during the week. I have no clear recollection of why—save possibly to escape the chores of the day—but I piped up and said I’d do it: “We can take a small raft, and I will take them down the river.”
The trip, to be exact, was the Nolichucky gorge, roughly 8 miles of class III-IV whitewater, and Jerry was right, it was going to be a brutal rock-scraping kind of day. It turned out instead to be magical. Unlike a weekend day, the river was not filled with people, rafts, and other boats, but rather, the quiet of the forest and the whispering of the water over the rocks. It was nothing short of enchanting. I enjoyed listening to my lady passengers’ conversations and answering the occasional question. It was a delightful trip.
We came to a place we called “the jacuzzi,” where it was safe to sit below a 2-foot drop with the warm river water bubbling soothingly. Three of the ladies were quick into the water; the fourth sat stoically in the front of the raft. Moving alongside, I asked why she didn’t join her friends, and with pain that I could feel without words, she said she could not swim and that she was afraid. After a few moments, I convinced her that I would stay right with her while moving to her friends and ensuring her safety. Moments later, happily reunited and laughing again, the woman took my hand and looked closely at my palm. Then she looked at me and said, “You will be a writer one day.” I laughed and said I seriously doubted that. Why, she asked. “Because I flunked English; they told me I couldn’t write,” I said. But she told me she was positive that I would one day be a notable writer. And from that moment on, every time there was a need to write something, I would think of what she said and give it a try. Over time, I overcame my self-limiting belief that I could not write. That lesson taught me that we get what we need when we need it; the question is are we smart enough to listen and respond.
That small act had a profound and lasting impact on my entire life. With a simple suggestion born of her intuition, she had planted a seed that would ultimately take root, such a small act with such a lovely outcome. And at that moment, the gravity of this knowledge flashed into my mind.
A rock in the river parts the water to either side and the water has no choice which way it will go; unlike the water, we get to choose which path we take—positive or negative—and whether we create butterflies or demons. It is obvious that contributing to the positive helps our global society improve and that even the smallest adverse action contributes to its decline, but to think that even the smallest comments we make can have great impact gives hope to our current plight.
So big or small, there is absolutely no doubt that every action has the potential to create an unequal and not always opposite reaction. That’s certainly a twist on the old saying, but it seems to be often true for me. So, if the simple statement that I would be a writer had influenced my life, I began to ask myself what I can do consistently to help create positive change in myself, other people and current events. I believe there is a little God in all of us and that, deep down, we all know the right ethical and moral course of action in every situation. We need to act with the belief that what we do today will impact everyone’s tomorrow.
We, as human beings, as a society, have to reclaim our right to simply be free to share our truth in an effort to help one another. There is no doubt our deep sense of apathy has come from decades of being misled about the truth. Not only do we no longer trust the system, but our apathy also lies in our belief that there is nothing we can do to change it. Or worse, we fear what may happen if we try. That very belief fosters the continuation of corruption at every level. What is going on around us, the rioting, the unrest, and the looting might, unfortunately, be necessary to create change but make no mistake; there is a better way. The turmoil certainly has our attention as a society, and those on the positive side of change need to take action. Perhaps all of this social and political unrest is simply the universe creating enough contrast between good and evil to help us realize that we must overcome our apathetic state of mind and do something to make change. If the single flap of a butterfly’s wings can create a tsunami on the other side of the world, imagine what we can accomplish if we bond together. Perhaps we all need to take a minute, whether with our politicians or neighbors, friends, family, strangers, and be the butterfly in their lives.
This was all rushing through my mind as I sat with Molly, wading through a river of experiences as I learned a little more about myself. And all thanks to her gift. But just as quickly as I wandered down the rabbit hole, I was back. Molly’s kind voice was echoing the message she had heard, “They say there is much left for you to do. Have faith and be patient.” I felt an internal peace with what the Records were conveying to me through Molly. I felt more in tune with my purpose than ever before.
We are all growing as we pass through this life, both on a human level and a soul level. Give it your best, and you will never know regret. It is different for every one of us, so what works for you might not work for me and vice-versa. What does seem to work for everyone, though, is constant encouragement towards the person they can be rather than the persistent pointing out of their failings. Be love and light to everyone you meet; be an example of the person you know you are.
I am thankful that I have been allowed the opportunity to understand and share so much with so many.
Something was still nagging at me as my time with Molly was ending. What was the big thing I was supposed to accomplish this lifetime? And like a lightning bolt shatters the night sky, I knew exactly what it was. The little things are the seeds of the big things. Taking time every day, at every opportunity to plant those seeds and set in motion future events was the proper use of my ability to juxtapose. I recalled asking Bobby why he didn’t tell people about catastrophic events headed their way, like severe addictions that would wreck their lives. He replied, “It is not my place nor God’s will, but I can and often make small suggestions that I hope will trigger their own free will and if they choose to, they can decide to overcome the challenge.” Knowing that merely caring, being honest and present, has the potential to affect a positive change in someone else’s life is a purpose in itself.
When you choose to share, your butterflies will take flight and do exactly what they are supposed to do, floating about waiting to fulfill their purpose.
My opportunity to be one of the architects of societal change lies in my own daily choices to be a good member of that society—and so does yours.