Lessons for Chaos. What is it?

Chaos. When I read this word a picture of a big mess comes to my mind, where nothing is in order and everything is lost. However, it is quite different when you see it from Dynamical System view. This kind of system -a field of study of Mathematic, Physics, Economy and Philosophy-, it is extremely sensitive to initial conditions, this sensitivity is also known as the Butterfly Effect where small differences in initial conditions yield widely diverging outcomes for chaotic systems, rendering long-term prediction impossible in general.

An example of chaos in nature is weather. Hurricanes, storms and tornados show this theory since it starts with a trigger. For instance, a hurricane starts with a change of the ocean’s temperature and finishes with a complex and destructive natural phenomenon. In other words, a tiny change of regular condition provokes a huge outcome capable of devastate a whole state or even a country (Hurricane Mitch in Central America or Katrina in U.S.A).

Since this theory is presented in daily life, seven rules to deal with this have been developed by John Briggs and F. David Peat in their book. Text in italics is my personal opinion of each lesson.
1. Be Creative: how to engage with chaos to find imaginative new solutions and live more dynamically. When people are having problems usually put all their efforts to solve it, but it is stressing and worrying for them. So, the first rule says people should occupy their time in solving the problem instead of being worried about it.

2. Use Butterfly Power: how to let chaos grow local efforts into global results. As the hurricane example we can use this lesson to create excellent things. Doing something good, a little tiny thing can provoke a great change in the future. Remember; the little details are the most important ones.

3. Go with the Flow: how to use chaos to work collectively with others. We have to remember that always after the storm comes a time of relax. A time where people can think about they have done wrong and what they could do to solve and redirection their fate.

4. Explore what’s between: how to discover life's rich subtleties and avoid the traps of stereotypes. Life teaches that even during difficult time we can find peace and the time to reflect very well about what the next step will be.

5. See the Art of the World: how to appreciate the beauty of life's chaos. This world, this planet is beautiful during the time of chaos let’s take a look at what is surround us, see the beauty we have around, this will help us to find the best way out.

6. Live Within Time: how to utilize time's hidden depths. Sometimes (or all the time) time is our enemy, but we have to learn that time is only time, we have life and while there is life there is hope. Let’s use time as a tool not as a death-line.

7. Rejoin the Whole: how to realize our fractal connectedness to each other and the world. Remember, even when we feel alone, we are not. We have family and friends, and if we do not have those, we still have, in this time of social networks, the “cyber-family”. Anytime we can talk with them. Let’s be connected, physically or on line, but be always in touch with someone.

If you have ever felt your life was out of control and headed towards chaos, science has an important message: Life is chaos, and that's a very exciting thing. Also, remember DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY IS EASIER IN THAT WAY.