Be more Weeble.

“Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.”

Novelty for those born after 1990, nostalgia for the rest of us, Weebles were children's roly-poly toys that originated in 1971.

They were egg-shaped, so tipping one causes a weight located at the bottom-centre to be raised.

Once released, the Weeble was restored by gravity to an upright position.

During a Coaching Session, one of my brilliant clients landed on Weebles as a metaphor for how they wanted to better handle the knocks, big and small, that come with everyday life.

The Weeble is light at the top which means it doesn’t resist when you knock it but gives a little to the pressure.

It gives space to the force.

Rolls with the punches.

And it’s return journey to uprightness is equal in speed.

But if it is pushed hard, the ballast in its base is raised.

And because this ballast is heavy, it is equal in force to the stronger push and so works to bring the Weeble back to its feet.

How is this helpful?

Well, the insight my Client shared was that sometimes - at work and in life - we can choose to be more Weeble.

We can resist the temptation to dig our heels in to withstand the metaphorical blows that come our way, accommodating them instead.

We can carry ourselves lightly enough to be bumped - leaving room for other people to move into the space we’re occupying without blocking them completely or getting pushed down.

We can do as the Weeble does, by allowing ourselves to be knocked back, not over.

We can focus on recovering our balance rather than withstanding the force.

And when those bigger blows bear down on us, we can trust our ballast and the natural law of gravity to bring us back to our feet.

Then the work becomes building your ballast.

What keeps you weighted down when things bump you?

Your friends?

Your family?

Your achievements?

Your strengths?

Your bigger purpose?

Your faith?

Your network?

Your body?

Your mind?

Ballast-building is a proactive preventative activity that requires constant, consistent investment.

It means that when you need it, your base will be ready to counteract the changes that come your way and return you to your feet.

Just like a Weeble.