The Life Lessons of ‘Winnie the Pooh’
I have long suspected that there are very few life-lessons which cannot be learned from the infinite wisdom of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’. Its author, A A Milne, seemed to have an unrivalled ability to reach to the very heart of what it is to be human - and we, of course, are in the business of nurturing, teaching and guiding humanity through some of its most formative years (it sounds like a weighty and scary task when phrased this way, doesn’t it?!)
But fear not. Milne’s eternal wisdom, learned by so many of us as very young children, maintains its innocence and inspiration, even 93 years after its first publication. I’ve picked out a few of my absolute favourites from these beloved characters - there are dozens more I could have chosen. So grab yourself a tea, coffee, or if you’re lucky and the sun is shining, an iced beverage, and travel with me across time and space to the Hundred Acre Wood…
"When you are a Bear of Very Little brain, and you Think Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.”
Milne’s forward-thinking and insightful understanding of mental health and wellbeing is quite remarkable when one considers that these words were both written in the 1920s and aimed at children. Ahead of his time in so many ways, A A Milne reminds us all that a problem shared is a problem halved.
"If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”
The imagery of this quote never fails to make me chuckle! It really does remind us that most of the time, most people aren’t refusing to listen out of spite. Oftentimes, if we take a moment to dig a little deeper, we discover that something is making communication challenging. This applies in the home, the classroom and the staffroom in equal measure.
"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
Sometimes, at work and in life, it is so tempting to retreat to our parts of the forest (and sometimes that action is necessary, but temporary). Once we have recovered, rested, refuelled, we must venture out once more, towards the unexplored corners, and face with grit and gratitude whatever, and whomever, we may meet along the forest path.
All of us at Fulcrum Learning hope that you are having a happy, restful and exciting summer. Remember you can access all of our blogs, advice and content at www.fulcrumlearning.co.uk.
One more thought from Christopher Robin to his (and our) favourite bear:
"You're braver than you believe and stronger and smarter than you think.”
To listen to the blog, go to: http://youtu.be/ny_djmW3dZk