Life Is Like A Boomerang

Can you throw a boomerang? I don’t think I’ve ever tried, but it looks like fun. More difficult, that is, if you want it to come back to you.

Throw a boomerang correctly, and it will fly in a wide arc and slowly return to you. This cooler-than-a-Frisbee device achieves its return-to-owner feat because of its aerodynamic design—similar to an airplane wing—and its banana-like shape. The unique boomerang curve enables it to exhibit a remarkable phenomenon known as “gyroscopic precession.” As the device spins, one end rises higher than the other, tilting it and causing it to turn in the direction of the tilt. Ultimately, the funny-shaped projectile circles back to its owner. 

I think it’s a really cool device. You toss something out, and it doesn’t need to be retrieved. It comes back by itself. 

Many activities in life exhibit the “boomerang” effect.

For instance, if you mistreat someone, there’s a good chance they will return the favor. On the other hand, if you treat a person with kindness, there’s a good chance they will reciprocate with the same. That’s the principle of reciprocity – the boomerang effect

“What goes around comes around.” “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” “If you want a friend, be a friend.” “Give, and it will be given to you.” “You reap what you sow.”

Sometimes the boomerang process is very subtle, almost indistinguishable. Small actions that seemingly produce no results accumulate over time and ultimately lead to significant changes.

For instance, if you want to shed a few pounds, a few small lifestyle changes will ultimately reduce your waistline. Start walking for half an hour several days a week, and you will burn pounds of calories over time. Bypass your favorite fast-food joint twice a week and you might end up with a size smaller pair of pants.

Radical dietary modifications rarely produce lasting results, but making one healthy food choice consistently is something we can easily adopt. Make one small change, then another, and another, and you will see the progress in the mirror one day.

Six months ago, I hired a trainer to help me improve my physical condition. I had exercised before, but not consistently enough to see much change. Now, I go twice a week for a half-hour intense workout without fail. That one-hour change to my week has helped me build muscle, boost my mood, and become more conscious of what I eat. I can run up a set of stairs like a gazelle. Well, not exactly, but better than I could six months ago. That’s the boomerang effect.

Would you like to change your outlook on life? One small addition to your day will make all the difference. Either the first thing in the morning, or the last thing before you drift off to sleep, recite a gratitude list to yourself, and thank God for your blessings. This exercise might take five minutes, but it will improve all twenty-four hours of your day. Better yet, do both morning and evening.

Would you like to deepen your relationship with God and become more aware of His presence in your life? Communicate with Him a little more. We build healthy relationships through communication. Talk briefly with your Heavenly Father a few times a day. Ask Him to show you what He is doing around you. These conversations will only take about five minutes. If you chat with the Lord for five minutes twice a day, in a week, you will have spent over an hour in prayer and communication with God. 

What if you started reading the Bible, asking God to speak to you through it, every other day for ten minutes? By the end of the year, you would have communicated with God for nearly forty hours. That is a typical work week.

Jesus explained that planting just a small seed of faith, like a mustard seed, and trusting in God even a little more, can produce great spiritual results. That’s because choosing to hope in God, just a tiny bit more, can change your life. 

The boomerang effect – it’s very powerful.

What do you want to improve in your life? What's the smallest step you can take today to get closer to that goal? Do it. Complete that step for a few days, then add another tiny step, then another, and another. Eventually, that boomerang will return to you.

Live Inspired!

Don Mark