The number zero is quite a strange but interesting number; it’s neither negative nor positive. It seems useless and useful depending on the situation. You can’t count 1 without counting zero – it’s assumed that you were at zero before you started counting. It is the ground level; it is the beginning, the start, the zero hour.

But in all these, the number zero isn’t neutral, as it influences any number that is placed beside it. If it comes before any number, it lowers the value of it, if it comes after a number it either increases its value or makes no effect (example, 10 and 0.10) You can’t say, “I’ll just add as many zeros as I want before or after another number and nothing would happen.” No. Zero is powerful; it definitely has enormous effects wherever it appears.

So, today, we shall consider a few scenarios where the negative effects of zero should be eliminated and one case where you should pile up as many zeros as possible behind a number. I know you’re thinking what I’m thinking. So, let’s dive in. 

Additions

When zero is added to another number, that number remains the same ( for instance, 1+0=1).

If you’re in any association (addition) with a zero, you’re just OYO (On your own). You’ll be the one to do everything – come up with all the ideas, plan in the strategies, execute all the ideas; you’ll make all the mistakes, identify them and correct them by yourself. No sound input, no additions, no disagreements to challenge your hypotheses even comes from a figure zero. You’re just a one-man squad. 

So, choose your associations well. Stay with people who add something to your life with their counsel, motivation, challenges and questions, not people whose presence or absence make no difference whatsoever.

Subtractions

When zero is subtracted from another number, that number remains the same. For instance, 1 -0=1.

So, if a zero leaves you, you’re still you. This is important because sometimes, we hold so close things we shouldn’t have allowed into our space in the first place. When they’re about to be taken from us, or when they want to leave on their own, we feel sad because they were occupying some space in our lives although they weren’t adding any value to us.

Imagine a piece of clothing that you haven’t worn in the past seven years, yet you don’t want to discard it or gift it to someone because “who knows if I’ll need it for a special occasion.” This is the same with all areas of your life. You need to declutter your closet (life) so you can breathe and have some space for valuable items.

So, before you get sad that you’re asked to eliminate those ugly habits and weed off some friends, please check if there have been any positive impact on you since you began staying together. It’s better to be alone and know that you are alone than to be in the company of people who make no difference in your life.

Sometimes, fresh and valuable things don’t come to us because their spaces are occupied by old and invaluable items. You must remove the valueless old if you want the valuable new.

Laziness, procrastination and excuse-making subtract from your efforts, making you return to the basal state. So, these habits basically erode your efforts with time.

Divisions

When a number gets divided by zero, the operation is invalid. That is, 1/0=invalid. And if zero gets divided by any number, it is undefined.

That right there is a definition of a parasitic relationship. The zeros don’t only share from you, they also nullify your efforts.

Well, you actually gain nothing staying with a zero. There is an Igbo saying that goes this way: a dog was once asked why he is always in the company of a man with stomach issues. The dog responded that why he constantly follows a person with a stomach issue (diarrhoea) is because the diarrhoeic person will either stool or vomit. So, the dog will always have food to eat in any case while the man gets dehydrated, suffers discomfort and shrinks.

Now, that’s an ugly picture to paint. And many dogs are now well domesticated not to eat human excreta. However, let that picture make you stay far away from any parasite.

Multiplications

Worse cases are where zero multiplies a number or a number gets multiplied by zero. In these cases, the answer to those operations is zero. That is 1*0=0. In this case, an association with a zero makes you become zero automatically.

Let’s consider a few scenarios:

a. Marriage is the multiplication of two persons coming together as one; it is not an addition but a multiplicative mathematical and spiritual operation. In fact, when God created man and woman, he asked them to “increase and multiply. ” So, it is 1*1=1, and not 1+1=2.

Since marriage is a multiplicative operation, it then means that getting married to a zero equals zero for the entire marital relationship. That is 1*0 =0.

b. Also, evil communication corrupts good manners. (1 Cor. 15:33). So, associations with evil people actually eliminate the good values you have, making you a zero.

c. Without love, you are nothing (1 Cor. 13:2). Irrespective of your spiritual and intellectual abilities, including philanthropic gestures, if you don’t have love for God and for your fellow men just as Jesus taught, you are a zero.

d. The 32,700 soldiers that were initially part of Gideon’s army were zeros that could have nullified the efforts of the 300 men that were battle-ready. Imagine defending yourself from the enemies’ swords and spears, and also defending yourself from the spears and swords of your own colleagues. Zeros are liabilities, they zero your efforts.  Rightly, God weeded these 32,700 men out before the fight even began.

e. Any form of sin cancels your efforts. So, eliminate sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

Identify the things – associations, habits, lifestyles – that don’t add any value to your life and weed them out.

Pile up the Zeros here 

So, weed out all the zeros in your life, except when they stand behind a number in your bank account. For example, 10, 100, 1000… In these cases, you can add as many zeros as you want. Just make sure that figure zero isn’t the first number.

Actually, you aren’t adding zeros, you’re adding natural numbers (from 1 upwards) but for some reason, they transform to multiple zeros. In this case, just make sure that this smallest non-integer (that is, zero) isn’t the first number, else you’ll simply have 00000000001, which is basically NOTHING. 

Thanks for reading. Please make sure to check out all the articles on this blog. I’ve arranged all the articles in their various categories for you. Just select any category of interest and peruse the articles there. Don’t forget to share any that you find helpful. Share with friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances.

God willing, I shall see you tomorrow with another dose of inspiration. I’m here because you’re there. God bless you.