Adaptability

There have been plenty of instances when I've been presented with an opportunity or a scenario that doesn't exactly light my fire as much as I would hope. I like to think that I do a pretty good job of acting in a responsible manner in these situations, although this doesn't say anything about my personal feelings or attitudes. There have definitely been occasions where "begrudgingly" might be a good word to describe the mindset with which I performed my task; I suppose that would constitute reacting in a negative fashion. In these situations, I exhibited adaptability in that I was not jazzed up about my role or participation in an activity, but still worked at a high level in accordance with my personal standards.

For a specific example, I remember being asked to play taps at our town's war cemetery at the conclusion of the Memorial Day parade. I thought that was a pretty neat, powerful opportunity, so I said of course I would do it. We get to the end of the parade, having marched a couple miles in the ninety-degree heat (not a lot of fun), and we were hot, sweaty, and tired. Then the band director comes up to me and says, "The people in charge of the ceremony are telling me that they might not need you, but would like you to stick around just in case." My negative reaction:  I'm pretty hacked off. Though I was nervous, I was looking forward to doing this, and it was somewhat the light at the end of the tunnel (with the tunnel being the tediousness of the parade). They cancel on me at the last minute, and they are still wanting me to commit my time? I want to go home and shower.

Long story short, I got over my initial reaction and stayed for the ceremony. I'm glad I did, because halfway through, someone came up and told me I was back on again. It ended up being a special, moving moment for me, playing taps in a cemetery for an audience of war veterans.

A major benefit of being adaptable is opening yourself up to experience opportunities. I wouldn't have had the opportunity for that experience if I had gone with my first reaction to the situation; I thought about things, sucked it up, and did something that was against my initial motivations following the parade (I.e., a shower). Adaptability allows for opportunities for success in a constantly changing world.