The Power of Particularity

Recently a friend shared with me that getting married was incredibly helpful to her psychological well-being because the commitment to one particular path led to greater direction, purpose, and energy. She used the following image to give an account of what had happened: 

A building has a stream of water flowing throughout its hallways. When all the doors are open, the water and its power diffuses throughout. There are many places for the water to go. If you close all the doors but one, however, the water gathers force as it rushes through the open door.

When you’re simultaneously weighing many different options, it’s like having many open doors. Your attention has many places to go. Choosing one option enables you to funnel all your attention toward it. 

Another way to look at this is by imagining a pipe with multiple holes in it. As the holes are closed, the pressure builds. 

This week I invite you to ask: 

What are the open doors in my life? That is, where is my attention going? What doors do I need to close in order to create greater direction, purpose, and energy? 

God bless,
Dan