In 1686 Sir Isaac Newton presented his groundbreaking three laws of motion in the “Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis” and changed science forever. Recently, while walking down the main shopping and dining street in our hometown Boulder, Colorado, I was reminded of Newton’s third law of motion:
“Whenever one object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first.”
Action and reaction — a principle which not only holds true for the physical world but also our relationships: Be grumpy, unhappy, annoyed and the world will react in the exact same way. Be friendly, nice, happy and chances are you will elicit the same from your fellow humans in response. Someone once gave the example of stepping into an elevator: Shout at the people in the elevator to make room for you when you step in, and you will likely find yourself in a rather hostile environment. Smile and greet people while doing the same, and the worst that can happen to you is that folks will act indifferent (and chances are high that you will receive a much more positive response than that).
It baffles me how some people don’t seem to grasp this most fundamental of principles when interacting with others, especially in long(er) term relationships. I share a fundamental belief with many folks who are much more successful than I am, in that life is a long-game which runs on karma. Put good energy out there, be genuinely helpful and supportive, and it will come back to you — action and reaction. Focus on the short-term, maximize every transaction, and try to be ahead all the time and long-term you will reap what you sowed — action and reaction.