Electrons and Personal Change
Can world of atoms teach us an important lesson on personal growth? A lesson that eludes most of us. Let’s see:
Here's the science... stick with me on this. One of the defining characteristics of an atom is how many electrons it has around the nucleus. Different atoms have different numbers of electrons. Early physicists, including a guy named Al Einstein, found that if you throw energy at atoms, it causes the electrons to jump to new energy levels around the nucleus. When they go back down to their original state, they release that energy. This is why metal glows when you heat it up, for example.
Here's the kicker. These scientists also found that you had to use a certain amount of energy to get an electron to jump to a higher level. If you used anything less than that amount (called a quanta - where the name quantum physics comes from) then nothing would happen. The electrons would only react when sufficient energy was present to bump them up.
OK, enough science, how does this apply on a macroscopic level, i.e. our lives. In our attempts to change our behavior and habits, we have to introduce enough "energy" into the system to create that change. If you apply only a little energy or effort, nothing happens. Only when you put enough energy in will the change stick. It's like pushing a cart up a hill. Even if you push it to just within inches of the summit, if you stop, it will roll all the way back down.
As you create new habits in your life, make sure you put sufficient energy into it to make it last. If you try a new exercise program for a week or two, for example, and don't see results immediately, don't give up, you just haven't gotten to that critical input level. Real change takes time. If you were looking to change your relationships, would you expect them to be different after only one conversation?
Too often people get frustrated and give up just before they could have realized their objective. Don't let that happen to you. Decide what you want and be willing to work on it until it happens.
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