Fifteen-plus years ago I started working professionally as a Forrest Gump impersonator/look-alike/tribute artist. I 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. Forrest was memorable. Being gump-like is being memorable. Check out being gump-like Part 1 here.
Gump-like is being simple.
Simple as in straightforward, plain thinking.
Simple as in non-nuanced.
Simple as in genuine.
Simple as in direct.
Simple as open and honest.
Forrest wasn’t a deep thinker – but he was a thinker.
Viewing things simply as they are as opposed to searching for hidden meaning is being gump-like.
Acting simply with initiative and common sense is being gump-like.
Interacting reliably and with simple graciousness is being gump-like.
How simple is your thinking?
How simply do you act?
Are your interactions simple and sincere?
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: Defining Gump-like (part 3)
Next Blog Date: December 19, 2011
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.
Tags: Forrest Gump, Function with Gumption, Gumption, simple, Steve Weber, Straightforward
