Semper Gumby

Always flexible. Things will not always go our way, in fact, it is almost guaranteed that at some point during our day, something will not go the way we intended. A problem gets thrown at us out of no where that takes precedent over everything else. How do we adjust? People don’t show up on time or or unprepared for the task at hand. What do we do? Traffic slows to a crawl when we have an appointment we need to be at. It rains when it wasn’t supposed to. The technology craps out and we are left stranded with a presentation to give without the benefit of any notes or digital supplements. How do we handle these situations? There are a lot of people out there who get flustered and frustrated, derailed and angry. They simply can’t handle when things don’t go smoothly or their day is full of bumps and misdirects. I’m not gonna lie, there are many times when I feel those emotions welling beneath the surface when I run into issues or problems. Yet, over time, I’ve worked hard on stepping back, re-assessing the situation, and moving forward again. Its not easy, especially when we are confident, well prepared, and expect things to go a certain way. The problem with this is, if we get stuck in a groove so resolutely that we leave no option or backup plan for derailment, then we are inevitably setting ourselves up for disaster. Its not a question of if something will happen, its a matter of when, and its up to us to figure out how we handle it.

Its much easier to get pissed of and frustrated, to walk away or blame someone else for the issues at hand. We can always point the finger at someone or something else, cast blame for why things didn’t go the way we intended or the way they were scheduled to. It takes an inner strength cultivated over time to hold our emotions in check, look at the situation with an open mind, and figure out the best and most productive way to move forward. This holds true for both work and family life. Little snafus pop all the time in my life. I am about to get involved in a home project when my son or daughter needs me. Semper gumby; I try to be “always flexible” and shift my energy where it is needed at the time. Its not only those situations, I run into them at work, like today when I showed up to an exterior I’m painting and after a heavy rain yesterday, found some of the shingles I’m painting with water bubbles. I could get pissed, but that won’t solve the problem. So what I had planned on finish coating today, got scraped instead so it can dry and I moved to a different part of the house. Always flexible. I’m not always successful, but the more I step back and have the mindset of being flexible, the easier it gets over time. How do you handle the hiccups and traffic jams of life, the detours and bumps that come out of nowhere?

I feel that to truly master the art of being “always flexible”, one must exhibit a decent amount of humility, of acknowledgement that they are not fully in control at all times, that no matter how well planned something is, there is a distinct possibility that it will go awry. If we practice humility, of thinking of ourselves less, of taking a more global view and how we fit into the overall scheme of things, being flexible becomes much easier. We come to realize that despite our best efforts, things can falter and go sideways. If we take ourselves out of the picture, it becomes easier to shift course. When we take our ego out of the picture, life becomes a little freer, opening us up to new possibilities and options. Imagine if we all were capable of taking a step back when things don’t go our way. Imagine how much more smoothly everything would run and how more agreeable people would be. It may be a pipe dream, but its worth dreaming, worth striving for. For me, I’ll keep dreaming.

(Semper Gumby was phrased by a Scouter I know who goes by the name of Ed Gratrix. It was during a training that I was on staff for that he shared that motto with us and I took it to heart, trying to make that part of who I am and how I approach every day. Its powerful when you take the time to practice it.)