Perhaps we adults need to revisit the realms of children’s literature, TV and film once in a while because there is a surprising amount of wisdom to be gleaned from them.
Author A.A. Milne created some of the most thoughtful and profound characters when he penned his Winne-the-Pooh novels and many of the quotes that were born from it have life lessons we can all learn from.
Some of these, and others from the subsequent animated adaptations, can be found below. As soon as you start reading them, you’ll be blown away by how deep and full of meaning they are.
If you are a parent, perhaps you should consider tracking down the books, TV series, and movies to introduce your children to the wonders of this bear in the forest.
On love:
“How do you spell ‘love’?” – Piglet
“You don’t spell it…you feel it.” – Pooh
On trusting your ability to deal with anything:
Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
On the importance of the little things:
Sometimes, said Pooh, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.
On being present:
“What day is it?”
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.
On the futility of worry:
“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.
On knowing by simply being:
Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.
On individuality:
The things that make me different are the things that make me.
On the difference between knowledge and understanding:
“Rabbit’s clever,” said Pooh thoughtfully.
“Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit’s clever.”
“And he has Brain.”
“Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit has Brain.”
There was a long silence.
“I suppose,” said Pooh, “that that’s why he never understands anything.”
On knowing that you don’t need anybody else to complete you:
I was walking along looking for somebody, and then suddenly I wasn’t anymore.
On self-sacrifice:
Love is taking a few steps backward maybe even more…to give way to the happiness of the person you love.
On gratitude:
Piglet noticed that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.
On comfort zones:
You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
On not overthinking:
Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits…
On unselfishness:
A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.
On the wealth in your life:
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
On clearing your mind of all thoughts:
Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.
On the value of dreams:
I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.
On the benefits of not micromanaging everything:
One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.
On the beauty within the arts:
But it isn’t easy, said Pooh. Because poetry and hums aren’t things which you get, they’re things which get you. And all you can do is to go where they can find you.
On finding joy in everything:
Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.
Orginal article: A Conscious Rethink