Phillips 1

Cassandra Phillips

Professor Beckett

English 101

27 April 2020

Actions and Their Consequences

One small decision can lead to a butterfly effect of consequences. When you look

at life and all of its workings, you can find cause and effect everywhere. It’s raining outside, so

you wear a rain jacket. Your car breaks down so you take the bus to work instead. These effects

can also lead to bigger effects. Because you took the bus to work, you met a new friend; or you

were late to work and got into trouble. Very often, we don’t fully think about the effects of our

actions and where they may lead us. However, sometimes, they can change our lives in big ways

and cause us to reflect on our choices and maybe make different ones in the future.

I had always been a troublemaker child, the wild one compared to my siblings. I didn’t

do my homework so I constantly failed classes. I was sassy and I talked back frequently. If

money went missing, it was most likely me. This got me into a lot of trouble when I was younger

but nothing I couldn’t handle. Then, I turned eighteen and everything changed. I took a gift card

that was originally meant for me but due to my attitude, my parents decided I didn’t deserve it.

Several months later, my parents realised I took it and my life turned upside down. That very

night, my parents put me on a bus to Las Vegas to live with my uncle who lived out there. That

was the biggest consequence to my actions. I was forced to leave most of my posessions, my

friends, my family, and my pets behind to go live in a city where I knew no one. I was scared but

it was a deserved effect to my actions. This also greatly affected my relationship with my family.
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Everyone knew if money went missing, I probably took it. My parents couldn’t trust me anymore

and they actually didn’t speak to me for a couple months.

Cause and effect can be big or it can be small. It can be falling and bumping your

knee which causes pain. It can be winning the lottery and never having to worry about money

again. Everything done in life has an effect or a consequence. Some are good consequences, like

the previous example of winning the lottery or falling in love with someone. Some have more

negative connotations, like breaking your foot or going to jail for a crime you’ve committed. It

can have short term or immediate effects, like a broken foot or a broken down car. There can also

be more long term effects, such as working harder leading to a promotion with a raise.

Moving to Las Vegas ended up being a cause as well as an effect. After moving to

Las Vegas, I lived there for around six months and attempted to look for a job. This was very

difficult as I lived on the outskirts of the city and I couldn’t drive. I had to take a bus to get

around but the closest bus was over a mile away and I struggled in the summer heat with my

asthma. This also caused me to take a bigger look at my mental health. I always struggled with

anxiety and depression as a result of a tumultuous upbringing with divorced parents. However,

being removed from my home and my family caused my mental health problems to skyrocket. I

was having anxiety attacks and couldn’t even get out of bed some days. This eventually led to

me moving back to California and in with my grandparents under the conditions I went to school

for at least one class and that I started therapy. That was the beginning of learning more and

more about my panic and depressive disorders.

Sometimes, effects can be traced back to causes one didn’t realized were related.

This can be somewhat of a butterfly effect from each decision that was made. Not long after

starting therapy, I was chatting with some of my online friends. One of my friends mentioned
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they were doing an online video group chat and invited me. At the time, I only knew two of the

people in this chat and was very anxious about being on video chat with strangers. But I made

the concious decision to push the fear away and I’m glad I did. I ended up meeting my husband

in that group chat and we started something I had never dreamed of, a long distance relationship

that lasted three and a half years before he moved out to California to live with me.

At this point in my life, I look back at all of my past decisions that have led me to

where I am. I no longer steal money and my relationship with my parents has improved

drastically. I know when to pick and choose my arguments with my father, who is just as

stubborn and opinionated as me. I value my mental health greatly and I take medication for it

consistently. My life is by no means perfect, but I definitely use my past mistakes to my

advantage in how I go through my life.

Often times when making decisions, we look back on our past choices and their

consequences. These can be insignificant, such as knowing what kind of food you like or dislike

at a restaurant. It can be a bigger decisions, like deciding if the partner you’re with is one you

want to spend the rest of your life with. The consequences to our past actions can make a big

impact on how we shape our lives and go forward. It can also have a great effect on people

around us. Through reflecting on past cause and effect of your life, you can decide how you want

to live your life.