An interesting theory put forth by
Bill Watterson through the mouth of
Calvin. It states that everything that has ever occurred in the entire history of
humanity is somehow linked to the fact that you exist. How would you be different if
Charlemagne had not done what he did? If the
Nazis somehow found out about the
Normandy invasion? And it's much smaller than that. It's little insignificant things.
Similar ideas are found in
Run Lola Run, and that
Ray Bradbury book about the
time machine where they go back to a pre-historic dinosaur era and accidentally step on a butterfly, and when they get back the entire history of the world is different than when they left. See also the
Simpsons halloween episode called
Time and Punishment, where Homer builds a time travelling toaster and ends up in a world where everyone has frog tongues. (This by the way is one of the more brilliant halloween episodes...Homer:"Step-sisters dead...wealthy family...I hit the jackpot! Marge, would you pass me a donut?" Marge: "What's a donut?"
Homer yelps and runs out of the room and time travels again, not seeing that it begins to rain donuts as he leaves Now that I think about it this episode must be based on that book.
Or in Run Lola Run, where the smallest misstep at the very beginning of the story has life-altering consequences for Lola.
I find that to avoid being paralyzed by the feeling that your every move could change the course of history, you just have to forget about that fact and go about your bidness and take what comes at you.