Give yourself two feet to stand on

A force multiplier is a tool that helps us amplify our effort.

In the department of defense’s official dictionary of military terms, it’s defined as a capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the potential of that force, and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment.

In civilian terms, then, the force multiplier is what moves you forward and makes all the other things you have to deal with either unimportant, irrelevant or easier. It’s what gives you two feet to stand on. Best part is, it doesn’t have to be complicated weaponry.

Sleep, exercise, good nutrition, optimism, all of these things are force multipliers. And so, here’s a thought experiment.

If the law of polarity holds up, and if it’s true that everything in this world has its own opposite, then there must also be something called a force divider.

Something that makes all of the other things more difficult than they would otherwise be.

In my own experience, the most insidious force divider has been loneliness. Disconnection. Lack of belonging.

When we choose to isolate and disconnect and be antisocial, it’s a force divider. That loneliness makes everything else in our life harder.

Ask anyone who’s ever been unemployed. The only thing lonelier than pounding the pavement all day, hopping from interview to interview, getting rejection after rejection; is having to come home to an empty apartment with nobody to hug you and tell you that you’re doing the best you can and everything is going to be okay.

If you want to give yourself two feet to stand on, start by giving up your choice for loneliness and making contact with those around you.

Seek out deep and meaningful connections with people whom you can weave your story of life with. Tap into the great force multiplier that the universe has to offer.

What is the spine, pillar, buttress and architecture that supports the rest of your life?