Be flexible, but stick to your principles.
Eleanor Roosevelt
The first day of our makeshift clinic in Haiti was long and stressful. As everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, I wondered whether this whole trip was a bad idea. Perhaps my initial medical mission would have been better spent in the US rather than in a third world country. Our efforts felt like a total disaster.
One of the Haitian children fell while climbing the fence, badly lacerating his leg. Then a group of young men tried to confiscate all the hygiene kits for the whole week. Thankfully, with a firm resolve, we stopped them. I left the clinic and broke down in tears as soon as we reached our lodging.
Later that evening, I sat down with the leader of our group, Dr. Chuck to commiserate. He listened to all my woes (many of which he already knew) and he told me a quote I’ll never forget from Robert Ludlum:
“Blessed are the flexible for they will not allow themselves to become bent out of shape”.
His comment convicted my gloomy attitude. What really did I expect? I wasn’t in my meticulously clean medical office anymore. My workspace consisted of a wooden school bench for an exam table and walls made of sheets hung over ropes. Our patients were desperate. Everything we did was a blessing to them. I needed to learn flexibility in this situation since problems were inevitable.
The next day was as challenging as the previous one . . . but my attitude changed. Instead of gloating about all that went wrong, I tried to bend a bit to accommodate to the circumstances. When we realized we didn’t have enough food for everyone at our site, we flexed. Each provider divided their lunch with their interpreter. By sharing what we had instead of hoarding it to ourselves, there was more than enough food for everyone.
As I reminisce about this experience long ago, I wonder why I don’t apply this principle more in my everyday life. My ordinary days are full of unexpected twists and turns. Too often I let myself become bent out of shape when I could flex with the situation.
Even the trees understand this concept. We all could learn from them if we’re quiet enough to watch their motion. When the wind blows through trees, they sway back and forth with the breeze. Yes, a strong gale would still break them. However, if they remained stiff and unmoving, even a weak wind would topple them over.
Take a lesson from the trees and my dear friend, Dr. Chuck. Blessed are the flexible, for they will not allow themselves to be bent out of shape. Wouldn’t the world be a much happier place if we all practiced a little more flexibility?
True strength is the ability to bend without breaking.
Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.
Bruce Lee
