Faith & Flexibility
Previously I dropped a post with some thoughts about rigidity: Political, Cognitive, Social and Religious inflexibility. In this post, we read of Christ’s encounter with the religious and political movers and shakers of his time, the Pharisees, Chief Priests and Scribes all illustrated in Mark’s Gospel.
Experts opine that while each person is unique, several causes may be common.
Two are:
- An early-childhood experience, trauma, can lead to the unwitting, unconscious, need to control other people and situations.
- Another consideration for excessive rigidity can be seen as an attempt to make an unpredictable world safe from confusion, doubt, and pain.
Author and psychologist Andrea Umbach wrote: "Adults and children must find a balance between structure and spontaneity. Structure allows for a framework, choices, and some flexibility, but rigidity means you follow the rules -- or else. How do you find balance?..."
Consider these four suggestions:
- Observe your rigid behaviors. Spend a few days actively taking note of your routines and rules. Ask your partner, children, or friends to tell you when your rigidness appears. This exercise isn't meant to make you feel bad; it should help you learn to make your life more flexible.
- Try new things. Try a new food, sport, type of movie, deodorant, anything! Get your brain used to doing things differently. If you have social anxiety and are worried about being judged by others, be honest about the worst thing that could happen: You might feel uncomfortable. But taking a risk will help you tackle the unexpected and open up to new experiences.
- Embrace opportunities. Don't say "no" purely out of habit. Instead of thinking of 20 reasons not to do something new, think of five reasons you should do it. Keep the bigger picture in mind. For example, I might not feel like going out with friends, but I want to continue to build friendships.
- Compromise. Identify the situations where you are always in charge. Are there others in your life who deserve some input ? They may have stopped giving their opinions because you don't acknowledge them, so this will be an adjustment for both parties. Actively listen to others and see if you can meet them half way.
All of this brings us back to adaptability and my final thought for today:
Is the Character of Adaptability and Flexibility
working in you?
By being malleable, we are able to see how others can help and challenge us; We can see how everyone in our lives are placed there, by God, for a particular reason. And finally, we can see how God works and uses various people to touch our lives, and us to touch theirs. Peace…#Pkes