The Wisdom of Winnie the Pooh
One of my writing mentors recently asked me to define my “worldview”….a kind of author’s manifesto if you like. It took me awhile but I think I finally boiled down the core of my particular message from my unique way of looking at the world to one sentence that will help me build upon all other “messages” (blog posts, articles, etc) that I produce.
Although this does not specifically pertain to the children’s fiction that I write, as I build that core message out, I am finding it does help to remind me of the elements I want to capture in my stories. Anyways…..
I was musing over the children’s books that influenced me the most when I was growing up – what did I love about them, what did I gain from them, which ones did I go back to over and over…. And I had to stop for a while when I reached Winnie the Pooh.
In addition to the endearing characters and amusing adventures of Pooh’s world, there is an abundance of simple but profound “life messages” from that wonderful little bear. Below are 24 of my favorite quotes that…… well, they speak for themselves.
How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.
You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.
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.
Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.
If you weren’t you, then we’d all be a bit less, um…… we.
Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.
“What day is it?” “Today”, said Piglet. “Ah, said Pooh, my favorite day.”
“Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?” “Supposing it didn’t.” said Pooh. After careful thought, Piglet was comforted by this.
The things that make me different are the things that make me me.
When all else fails take a nap.
We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.
It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.
“How do you spell love?” – Piglet. “You don’t spell it….you feel it.” – Pooh
Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.
The nicest thing about the rain is that it always stops. Eventually.
A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.
Love is taking a few steps backward, maybe even more….to give way to the happiness of the person you love.
It’s so much friendlier with two.
And this last one perfectly sums up how I feel when I reach the end of a good book.
Goodbye? Oh no, please. Can’t we go back to page one and do it all over again?
I would consider myself a successful author if I could instill this same feeling in the readers of my books. I will be finding a way to incorporate this into my manifesto.
Feel free to share your favorite list of children’s books in the comments below. I would love to hear about what made them special to you!
**Be watching the site for my “Author Manifesto” GIVEAWAY coming soon!