Living Life Well: How Flexible Are You?
Gems for living a life of wellness. Lessons I have learned, or am learning, during this crazy journey through life.
I have learned in recovery that I was very stubborn and opinionated. Well, I am learning on a daily basis to BE FLEXIBLE IN MY THINKING. Once your thinking gets crystallized, rigid, formed, you’ve lost the battle. I have learned that once you think you have all the answers, you might as well call it quits.
The more flexible I make my thinking, the more I keep my options open, the more I have found life opens up to be much more easily. I used to see life as the enemy, now I see it (for the most part) as a friendly sparring partner. Flexible thinking is a bit like mental martial arts–being ready to duck and weave, dodge and flow. Like Bruce Lee–a great mind AND Martial Artist said–“Be water, my friend.”
To be sure, we all have set patterns in life. We like to read the same kinds of books, watch the same sorts of TV programs or movies, go to the same sort of stores every time, eat the sort of food that suits us. And all this is fine. But if we cut ourselves off from all other possibilities, we become boring, rigid, hardened–and thus likely to get knocked around a bit.
This is where an A.A. concept comes in–not sure if it was created there, but anyway–“Living life on life’s terms.” I can’t tell you how many times I was knocked on my ass because I insisted on my way, and life had other plans. I am learning that the really flexible thinkers know when to say “no” as well as when to say “yes.”
If you’d like to see how flexible your thinking is, here are a couple of tests:
- Do you read only certain types of books?
- Have you found yourself saying anything like “I don’t know any people like that”?
- Do you find yourself saying “I don’t go to those kind of places”?
- Do you panic if you are thrown off your schedule?
These aren’t the best questions to ask you, but you get the idea. You know whether you are flexible or inflexible. If you are, perhaps it’s time to broaden your mind and clear out the cobwebs in your thinking. And just as more food for thought, it’s not a surprise that inflexible thinking and behaving seems to have a strong correlation to CONTROL. I’ll let you chew on that all by yourselves, lol.
Great wisdom well illustrated with practical questions. I think to be flexible is also close to the concept of growth mindset. All the best on the journey of life:-)
Thank you Mathias, you as well my friend
Hmmm, food for thought. I’ve realized that there are areas of my life wherein I’m very flexible, while in other areas I am rigid and sometimes stubborn.
Now youre thinkin’
One last secret; when I read the title “Living Life Well: How Flexible Are You?” I immediately thought of something else…. I really have to get my head out of the gutter.
But then I read your post so I am back on track 🙂 I am flexible towards life, not towards other people.
Tell me more about your flexibility
Hmmm 😇
Oh but you can hint and get an angel moji? Haha!
Yepp.I am an angel so sweet.
Uh huh. I emailed you back btw
And I e-mailed you back.
Ah, missed it sorry
Thank you for trusting me with your e-mail 🙂 Just replied btw. Goodnight Rob.
Sweet dreams Canadian Queen👸
Only half Canadian though. And thank you.
That’s ok, me too. French and part Greek
Sweet dreams. Beware of Robmoji.
He’s out in the wild trying to get some chains off
Good luck to Robmoji then 🙂
You might see him up your way…one day
One day. Some day.
Great Quotes!!!
Be water my friend. He wasn’t just a badass, he was quite the philosopher. Good article brother. I’ve found that the more flexible you become, the less stress you have
Bruce Lee was an incredible human being. I read his book, incredible
Yessir it’s a fantastic read
There are some great quotes by Lee.
Huh?