Fifteen-plus years ago I 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.
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. One of those traits was the balance Forrest maintained throughout his life. Being gump-like is maintaining mental steadiness, having emotional stability, and developing the habit of calm behavior.
Gump-like is maintaining balance.
Balance as in even-handedness.
Balance as in healthy tension.
Balance as in maintaining proportion.
Balance as in life harmony.
Forrest was balanced when he ran from the rock throwers instead of fighting.
Forrest was balanced when he continued to work hard at shrimpin’ despite the disappointment of empty nets.
Forrest was balanced when he jumped off the boat to return home to his dying mother.
Forrest was balanced when he succeed professionally and with family, friendships, and love.
Being balanced means not flying off the handle.
Being balanced means advancing in several directions simultaneously.
Being balanced means knowing what’s important.
Being balanced means maintaining family and career harmony.
Being balanced is being gump-like.
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 9)
Next Blog Date: January 9, 2012