Fifteen-plus years ago, I first started working professionally as a Forrest Gump impersonator/look-alike/tribute artist. I’ve used the expression ‘gump-like’ thousands of times to describe a person, one of their attributes, or to define an interaction that occurred between myself and another. People instinctively got what I meant whenever I used that phrase.
Now let’s start a conversation on what it means to be ‘gump-like’. Let’s give gump-like a definition. Let’s put what we instinctively get into plain gump-like language.
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. That, along with his stunning good looks and unique haircut, made him memorable.
Being gump-like is being memorable.
First and foremost, gump-like character means character.
Character as in integrity.
Integrity as in a promise is a promise.
Forrest explained that he was going buy a shrimp boat because he made a promise to Bubba. Forrest said, “I always try to keep my promises.”
So the first thing to do when you’ve made the choice to be gump-like is to always try to keep your promises.
Are you person of your word?
Do you try to keep your promises?
Do you live by the motto ‘a promise is a promise’?
If someone said, “You are gump-like!” … would you take it as a compliment? I do.
Are you choosing to live a gump-like life?
Next Blog Title: Being Gump-like (Part 2)
Next Blog Date: December 15, 2011