Lotteries are a great example of the power of combinations. Have all of the right numbers on the same line and you win. Have only one number on each line and you don’t win. It is as simple as that.
Sequence (think dj and music) and proportion (think exercising for 30 minutes vs 6 hours depending on the outcome we want and the time we have to spend on something) are levers that add value to combinations.
We generally view combinations as something that happens “outside” of us. They are much easier to see “after the fact” or outside of us. What we fail to realize is how important they are in our daily lives.
As an adult, I can think of no greater combination that will affect your life than that of choosing a spouse. Pick a partner that has your same “world view” and appreciates and supports who you (and they) are and the combination of the two of you becomes quite energizing and resilient as you grow your life and live your years.
Food choices and their combination with your lifestyle (what you eat, when you eat, how often you eat, how they fit into an exercise routine) all play a large role with how much you will ultimately weigh, how good you will feel, and over time how healthy you will be.
Friendships, who you connect with, who you trust, who you spend time with will all have an incredible (more so than we ever think) effect on many of the outcomes of your life. They help shape how you think, what you value and dream, and many times what we choose (after consulting them). We look to others for our examples and at times (wrongly) our justification for our poor choices.
Business relationships and mentors are important combinations too that either can add or destroy your effectiveness as a business person.
Information, what we read, what we watch on TV, what we listen to has a profound affect on who we become. Our interests combined with how intense our reading or continued learning is in our lives will influence our life’s journey immensely.
Who or what we choose to follow or be more like, is just as powerful in shaping our life’s journey. The danger here is to blindly try to conform to a person, a philosophy, or a business model that doesn’t fit our situation.
The list is endless. Identifying different combinations in our life can be fun. Give it a try? What is a combination that has become an important part of your life?
Our ego, daily, has us believe that it is all about ourselves. I would argue it is all about the combinations we choose that is most important in leading a responsible, productive, passionate and compassionate life.
The leverage comes when we empower our connection to others through the combinations we have chosen to include in our lives.
Living with intention is demanded of us once we clearly understand how powerful (and at times destructive) combinations can be in our lives. It’s not about lotteries and winning numbers. It’s about all of the little things we choose to interact with daily that defines who we are and who we become.
You see, we sometimes think we are alone but never are. Combinations always keep us attached to something or someone.
We sometimes think we succeed because of us. That is never true. It always takes combinations to empower us in positive ways to help us nurture and build our future. We never can do anything by ourselves.
Never lose sight of this. It’s that important. And can be that powerful.