Upon some early morning discernment, I would have to amend this proposition slightly. Bet you never would have guessed that. Uncharted territory for this stoic. You can insert the “but I digress” comment throughout this share as you wish. You’re gonna need it.

In actuality, the one positive outcome in my life has been the sum of the intention to make several changes. I am no math whiz, but an aggregate of this scope doesn’t just appear of its own volition. The equation is far more complicated than that.

Outward appreances may suggest some well defined substractions in thought, word and deed would produce the desired result. But if something is excised and removed, what is intended to be added to fill that vacuum? If that space is allowed to remain empty, just about anything can come along and fill it up. Or worse yet, start to crowd, overtake and suffocate those that bring with them a positive, affirming and fulfilling presence and power.

What then may occur is that “anything” can begin to multiply. Serving to divide one not just from others, but ultimately, from oneself. Faster than you can say “Bob’s your uncle”, it can appear from all angles, consuming more area, turning what was once a positive, into an all encompassing negative. The arithmetic of despair, failure and isolation.

That being said, I needed to go about this with a mindset of arraying a singular, solid and linearly compatible path forward. Simple geometry. As much as possible, going from point A to point B. Rest areas may be encountered. But I choose to remain on this tangent, having been beaten by my prior paths.

First and foremost, by adding faith back into the equation of my life, I no longer feel the urgency to control and command. At one point, I literally felt chased away from it, But now, t listen and heed the call to reengage and return to the fold. No longer do I carry a sense of abandonment and isolation. They were subtracted from my life.

This awakening led to recognizing and confronting my compulsion to overfunction, its origins still not fully known or understood. But now, I can now let go, bringing with it a sense of peace and serenity. Just being fully present creates an atmosphere for the amazing to be recognized and take place. Acceptance of the prior and its brutal lessons provided, enjoined with that of what will be, lets me feel free to be. No more acting like the divine. Just allowing and embracing it.

Subtracted my tendency to engage with others – personnally and professionally – that felt it their place to determine my value and worth. But more importantly, recognized the frequency and dependency of allowing that trait to rule my world. I determine that product, and have come to realize that multiplying my esteem in a healthy fashion keeps the sum a positive.

Lastly, being controlled by the urge to speak your mind at all times, as diseased and dysfunctional as it was, only serves to divide, and never ever conquer. Listening is all inclusive and powerful for all parties. Joining one to all, in all and for all. A lost art that I now treasure like no other.

Faith, letting it be, genuine self-affirmation and using both ears to become connected to all hearts and souls, turned out to be the precious integers I needed to create one positive change.

To live.

It took several classes.

But the lessons stuck.

And just did the math,