Professional keynote & seminar speaker using the wisdom & persona of Forrest Gump to inspire individuals and companies to self motivate and control own destiny.
Are you persevering in finding the balance between patience and persistence? While not being excessive? Photo Credit: Zazzle.com
My last post correlated how patience and persistence, while seemingly opposites, are linked together by your goals.
Being both patient and persistent is required to achieve your dreams, goals, and/or objectives.
That said … is it possible to be too patient? Too persistent?
Absolutely.
What is the one thing that connects being patient and being persistent?
Goals. And specifically … your goals.
A patient person focused on a goal doesn’t let setbacks, unforeseen challenges, or missed deadlines derail them from pursuing and achieving their dream. They may get frustrated, but they don’t give up. Patience is a friend and ally in overcoming life’s letdowns.
They are persistently patient.
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 and Bubba formed a friendship based on color blindness.
* Note: Inspiration for today’s post came directly from MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech“.
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. One of those traits was Forrest’s color blindness. By color blind, I’m not talking about his physical ability to distinguish colors or a color vision deficiency. Rather, I’m referring to his inability to see other human beings as members of a certain race, creed, or sex. Forrest seemed to see others only in terms of their humanness.
Gump-like behavior is being color blind to your fellow human beings’ race, age, sex, creed, or sexual orientation. Gump-like color blindness makes it possible to judge others solely on the content of their character.
Check out being gump-like Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 here.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream … and he changed the world. Photo credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It’s a U.S. federal holiday that marks the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed the third Monday of each January and was first observed in 1986.
Here is an eight-minute video created by Lisa Nedberg that honors Rev. King and tells his life story. The video is composed of mostly black-and-white still images with embedded descriptive sentences. The first five-plus minutes are set to the Forrest Gump theme music – composed by Alan Silvestri. It’s worth watching and remembering what Rev. King accomplished in his too-short life.
There was a scene filmed for the movie Forrest Gump in which Forrest met Rev. King. It ended up on the cutting room floor and didn’t make final movie version. Here are the details.
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 was fearless when he stepped up to the microphone in Washington, DC.
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. One of those traits was Forrest’s fearlessness. Being gump-like involves bold thinking. Being gump-like means acting gallantly. Being gump-like is interacting with others confidently.
Gump-like behavior is being fearless in the way you think, act, and interact with others.
Check out being gump-like Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 here.
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 was fully concentrated when playing ping-pong.
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. One of those traits was Forrest’s ability to concentrate. Being gump-like is being focused. Being gump-like strategically uses single tasking to get things done. Being gump-like uses the ability to focus – and not get distracted – as a way to accomplish long-term goals.
Gump-like is using your skill of concentration.
Check out being gump-like Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 here.
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.
Balance means stopping what you’re doing when loved ones are sick.
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.
Check out being gump-like Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 here.
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.
Sharing chocolates is an act of kindness
Forrest Gump had many admirable and notable character traits. One of those traits was Forrest’s ability to be kind. Being gump-like is having the ability to show consideration, be helpful, and be affectionate and loving. Check out being gump-like Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 here.
Gump-like is being kind.
New Year's is a chance to start all over
It’s just past midnight on January 1st, 1972. Everyone is still celebrating the New Year.
Forrest and Lt. Dan are in the bar in New York City. They’re discussing Forrest’s plan to buy a shrimpin’ boat.
Two women join them. The women’s names are Cunning Carla and Long-limbs Lenore.
Lenore looks at the television and exclaims, “Hey, hey! We was, we was just there. There at Times Square.”
Lenore then leans in and speaks directly into Forrest’s ear, “Don’t you just love New Year’s? You get to start over … Everybody gets a second chance.”
Are you planning to start over this year?
How?
What are you going to do with your second chance?
I wish everyone a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2012! Go make this your best year yet!
Next Blog Title: Being Gump-like (Part 7)
Next Blog Date: January 2, 2012
Steve Weber is a speaker, Forrest Gump tribute artist, facilitator, blogger, and author. The three principles of Gumption are specifically designed to get you (and your team) to Function with Gumption. Steve uses the simple, yet powerful, life lessons from the movie Forrest Gump to bring positivity back into the workplace. Learn more at SpeakingGump.com.
406.396.4611 | steve@speakinggump.com 
Forrest Gump is a fictitious character created in the book Forrest Gump, Winston Groom (1986) and the movie Forrest Gump, Paramount Pictures (1994). Steve Weber has been a Tribute Artist portraying Forrest Gump since 1996. Although Steve Weber has worked for the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. under license as Forrest Gump since 1996, nothing herein is intended to imply sponsorship or affiliation with either Paramount Pictures or Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
