There is a funny, and yet, endearing quotes from Winnie the Pooh.
Does it feel nice to read them?
It seems trivial because it is packaged within a children story book. However, the message is just as powerful for the adults.
Here’s a bit of background of the story. Originally, it was Christopher Robin who said these words. He asked Pooh a hypothetical question about what would happen if he left. Pooh worried that he would be lost without Christopher Robin. He gave examples on when he would need Christopher the most.
Christopher Robin is wise beyond his years. Instead of answering Pooh’s questions directly, he taught Pooh an important lesson about his identity.
It’s about You
Did you notice that the quotes only use “you” as a subject?
We all know that Pooh doesn’t live alone in the wood. There are Piglet, Tigger, and other characters in the movie. Yet, he didn’t refer Pooh to anyone in the wood to fill his absence. It is easier for him to say, “Pooh, when I left, you can rely on Tigger to help you find your way.”
Why would he try so hard to make Pooh remembers this quote? Why he wants to convince Pooh about himsel?
It’s simple.
Because if you don’t know that you’re capable of, you will always rely on others. You will be jumping from person to person to fill the void of the previous one.
If you rely on others to do things for you, you will feel powerless when they are not there. Later, you will start resenting that person if everything in your world stops because of that one person.
Well, it doesn’t need to be that way.
To rephrase the quote above, ‘you’re more capable than you think.’
More than We Think
This quote is a good reminder to keep on believing in ourselves.
Trusting in our potential is powerful. it means accepting where we are right now, but with full certainty that it will get better.
That’s where hope and optimism come from.
Even when we can’t see past of our present, just knowing things will get better will change our perspective.
Which of the sentence below that make you feel better?
- Today is a bad day and I don’t know how long this will last.
- Today is a bad day, but tomorrow I can start over again and it’ll be much better.
Option 1 will make you feel like you are trapped in that situation. As if, the ‘bad day’ is the enemy that you have to get rid of. It will feel better if it is framed using option 2. Acknowledging that it is bad (after all you can’t turn back time) and believing that a bad situation isn’t permanent.
What’s interesting is both options are made before the fact. Because tomorrow is not yet come, the future can be interpreted in different ways. But still, the impact of this option will be experienced now.
This is what Christopher Robin teaches Pooh. Pooh didn’t need to prove his bravery or strength at that very moment. It’s just a conviction, that Pooh is more than what he sees in himself.
Well-A 