Quantum Leaps

 It seems I hear "quantum" a lot. It's kind of a buzz-word for self-improvement, to make a "quantum leap.

While my mind can be very figurative, it's also extremely literal when it comes to interpreting meaning of words.

A quantum is a measurement. It's actually very, very small. Webster's defines it as "any of the very small increments or parcels into which many forms of energy are subdivided" and "any of the small subdivisions of a quantized physical magnitude (such as magnetic moment)".

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantum)

A quantum is the smallest amount of any physical property involved in an interaction. A photon is a single quantum of light.

So, if a quantum is such a small thing, why is it used as if it's some hyperspace jump that can take you far beyond where you currently are? Why is it used synonymously with terms like "going to the next level" or "skipping levels"?

First it's a "cool sounding" scientific term. It's a mysterious, yet science-based word, which makes it great for marketing.

But the real reason is quantum physics is the science behind enormous breakthroughs in lasers, computing, communication, nuclear energy, and other scientific fields. Even scientists don't understand quantum physics completely, it's still very much based in theories. At this tiny scale, particles don't even follow normal Newtonian laws of physics.

Quantum physics challenges "normal" thinking. It requires new thinking of concepts such as space and time. It even applies to our own consciousness.

Particles that make quantum jumps seem to make these chances without apparent effort and without going from point A to Z. They appear to go from their starting point to ending point without necessarily going through all the in-between points that one would think (or believe) to be needed.

And there's the really crazy quantum entanglement where two or more particles or physical systems are in quantum states with each other and can communicate state changes instantly, no matter the physical distance that separates them.

In Taking the Quantum Leap, Fred Alan Wolf describes a quantum leap as an "explosive jump", a figurative "taking a risk, going off into uncharted territory with no guide to follow."

Here's the reality behind making a quantum leap: small changes can make big differences. 

Basically it's that you don't have to make huge, drastic changes in your life to completely change the state of your life. And that's good because when most of us try to make big changes--think of those ambitious New Year's resolutions that last for a week...maybe two or three--they don't last and we're back to where we were.

Next time you see "quantum leap", think of a change (or changes) that appears to be very small, but has state (life) changing potential.