Tag: Adaptability

Flexibility

The other day, I was listening to a presentation on parts of the Periodic Table. The instructor talked about how nonmetals are brittle. She then asked what the opposite of brittle is, and the students said it was strong.

Think about that for a moment… Flexibility = Strength.

I want to be strong, and I work hard to be strong. But if I want to be even stronger, I need to work on my flexibility, too. Strength isn’t just about lifting heavy weights or pushing through tough situations. It’s also about adapting, bending without breaking, and finding balance in facing challenges.

This lesson applies to more than just physical fitness. In life, rigidity can be a weakness. Adapting to change, embracing new perspectives, and recovering from setbacks make us truly resilient. True strength lies in the interplay between power and pliability.

So today, I’m committing to becoming more flexible—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Flexibility isn’t just a physical trait; it’s a mindset, a lifestyle, and a key to unlocking greater strength.

What about you? How can you incorporate flexibility into your pursuit of strength?

#JustBeBetter
#StayStrongStayHealthy
#IOwnTheMorning
#WWKDD

Roll With It

I love playing music with my friends. I have been playing music with the same drummer for over 35 years. We no longer play many shows, but I always look forward to the next one.

This weekend, we had the opportunity to perform two songs with a friend who has sung with us for the last two years. Our friend hosted an open mic at an outdoor fair and wanted us to perform two songs to encourage others to get up and sing. I was happy to do this little gig, but as always, there were challenges.

  • I found out about the show the night before. Roll With It! I always like to prepare and practice, so the songs are second nature before we play them live. I needed extra practice time since we had not played a live show in about ten months, and I have been focusing on other musical goals. We could not work out a practice session on short notice. We all suggested songs. None of my suggestions were picked (not an issue). I practiced the two chosen songs. Instead of complaining about the short time to practice, I focused on the task. In the end, I was pleased with my preparation of the songs, but I had many questions about the technical setup for the show.
  • The drummer and the singer planned to sing while I accompanied them on the guitar. This lineup is not a problem, as it is a more straightforward setup. However, it relies on using other people’s equipment. In this case, we would use someone else’s PA system. With very little information, I had to figure out the PA system and decide which gear to bring (Read the previous blog “Balance” about only bringing what I needed). Roll With It! Since we had to “hike” in our gear, I took a guitar, two cables, a DI box to hook my guitar to the PA, and two cables.
  • When I got to the gig, I discovered the PA system was not good. Roll With It! There were no monitors to hear me or the singers.  Five minutes before we were supposed to go on, the singer asked if I would accompany a young singer on a song I knew and had performed in the past. No practice time. Roll With It! Halfway through the song, the cable PA conks out. Roll With It! It was a bad cable that I replaced with one of mine. The young singer was good but needed to know when to enter each verse of the song. I altered the song’s structure to help and support her. Roll with It!  She was so pleased that she sang a second song later in the day.
  • My bandmates are awesome people, but they are constantly changing their minds. We were first supposed to open the show to encourage others to come up and sing. Since more people than expected signed up for slots, we played towards the end. Roll With It! Giving those two time to “think” about our songs is always a bad idea. Remember, they picked the songs we would perform, and we chose their picks. As we were getting ready to go on stage, the two of them changed the first song we would play. Roll with it. I had no time to practice or get our stage confidence by starting with a well-practiced song. The only thing to rely on was hoping  I have a good memory and can remember the song structure, chords, and changes. Roll with It!

Despite all of this, it was a good show. We played well. We will continue to do a few of these as I write the next album. 

What did I learn? Roll With It! The only way to do this is to keep a good attitude so that others remember the joy we feel playing music as a group (and hopefully, someone in the audience plays bass and wants to join the band).

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#iownthemorning

#6 – Life Happens

Life Happens, and we need to equip ourselves to react to it. The best way to respond is to be prepared. We can only prepare so much for things we cannot foresee. However, we can prepare by frontloading our schedules to free up time for when our priorities need to shift. The more you get done at the beginning of a workflow (week, day, session, etc.), the more you can meet the unexpected challenges you face. No matter how well you plan, there will always be times when your priorities, schedule, and times are challenged. Be prepared. Frontload your workflow.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

#Be Prepared

#iownthemorning

Reaction

At the end of a wonderful weekend, the power went out suddenly around 8 p.m. The blackout was only the third time we had one in seven years. Unfortunately, all three occurred within the last calendar year. It was not what we wanted, and it threw a wrench into our plans to prepare for the new work and academic week. We could have easily chosen to play the victims and complained until our power was restored. We didn’t. This challenge was our time to shine. Instead of complaining about the situation we had no control over, we could take control, find backup lanterns, get a good book, and spend the evening reading or talking. It is amazing what can get done without 21st-century technology. However, this could only happen with having already developed good habits to rely on and the mindset that a challenge is an opportunity to get better (and having the right batteries for our lanterns).

What would you do in this situation? Either way, be prepared; implementing your answer will be much easier.

#Just Be Better

#Stay Strong, Stay Healthy