2019 was a Flux-y year for YHC.  Getting in the groove of a new job, 3 of 5 2.0’s leaving the house, mom deciding to move into assisted living, brother going through a second divorce, etc.  Needless to say it could have been a lonely year.  Could have been.  If not for my Shieldlock, along with a lot of other F3 brothers, it would have been.  My Shieldlock was made earlier in 2019 and has been solidifying and accelerating ever since.  The 3 HIM’s that I was so blessed to get in this Team have made more of an impact in my life than ever expected.

The Weasel Shaker is letting go of the “2019: Year of the BackBlast” and picking up a new and I think more impactful 2020 Mantra.  “2020: Year of the Shieldlock”

You may ask: Funhouse, what is a Shieldlock?  Let me explain.  It’s awesome.  Here are the details.

Shieldlock is found in the first quadrant of the Q source, Get Right.  More specifically Q1.7, if you are following along with the idiotic numbering system.  It is the Horizontal Relationship between Men.

The WHY:  We cannot do this thing called life alone.  Man the hunter is born hard-wired to protect himself and his loved ones from other hunters. Recognizing strength in numbers, we combine into Communities for our mutual protection from aggression. When threatened, we lock our individual shields together into a defensive wall to repel the invader. While both threat and defensive means have evolved throughout history, this elemental fact of who we are has never changed. The HIM locks his shield with other HIM’s to protect the people behind the wall.

The WHAT:  The Shieldlock is NOT a Club, it is a Team.  Made up of 3-5 HIM, 4 is a great number, who form the horizontal relationships that protect and enrich us all. The HIM recognizes his Shield Lock as an essential relationship within his Concentrica (ask me if you need to about this one too) and one of his most important Teams. He takes great care in nourishing it as he knows he can neither hunt nor defend alone.

The HOW: Team (Shieldlock) is governed by the rule of 3P, meaning that its Members must be in Proximity, have Purpose and meet Periodically. Proximity requires physical nearness. Purpose is the fighting of the Flux, which is the emotional reaction to the peaks and valleys that appear throughout a man’s life. Periodic is the final element of the 3P. The Shield Lock must come together periodically to be Effective.

So?  I want to help the Pax of The Fort to see the impact that a Shieldlock can make in your life.  I am making myself available to anyone who is looking to form a Shieldlock, any current Shieldlock that may need some direction or a struggling Shieldlock that needs help in accelerating.  My vision is that we get 4 guys that live near each other, that may know each other at some level (even if it is just posting at the same AO week after week) and have a schedule and lifestyle that suits to meeting regularly.

Pro Tips in starting a Shieldlock: 1) Find 2-3 guys that you already have some level of relationship and that you trust. These guys should be around the same age, have about the same family lifestyle, and live near each other (like in the same town to make it easy to meet).  2) Make sure that all the guys understand the Why behind the Shieldlock.  This is not primarily a Bible Study, happy hour buddies, or just to talk about your day.  The Why is fighting the Flux. To get transparent  and vulnerable so that your Shieldlock can effectively lock shields and lift you up out of the Flux and you can do the same for them.  3) Set a reoccurring time and place to meet.  The good thing about a 4 man Shieldlock is if someone misses, there is still 3, or at least 2.  If you have a 3 man Shieldlock you will be meeting 1 on 1 and missing out on the purpose of having multiple men locking shields.  Power in numbers right?  4)  Get started.  There is no better time to meet than this week!  Remember that it takes time to build relationships and trust, don’t force it.  However, if you don’t start nothing will happen.

Please reach out to me at 803-833-2398, joshuacsale@hotmail.com OR Slack if you have questions about a Shieldlock, how to start one or how to restart one that may be fading.

FunHouse