3 Life Lessons I Learned From a Children’s Book
Tarah Avery
I absolutely love children’s books! The kids’ section is actually my favorite area of the bookstore (no laughing), and back in the day I wanted to be a children’s book author – it could still happen!
But there is a classic book that I didn’t read until I was an adult. Have you ever read the book “The Tortoise & the Hare?” This is one of Gordon and my favorite books, and we read it just about every day.
We love the tortoise so much that it’s become our “family animal,” and we want to put it on a customized family crest one day. Yeah, we’re nerds.
Ok, I know it’s not that glamorous, but it’s us.
You might be wondering why we read this book daily. Honestly, it’s because a mentor of ours, Dave Ramsey, suggested it. Little did we know we would apply the principles not only to our finances but to just about every other part of our life as well.
If you’re unfamiliar with this story here’s the SparkNotes version:
A tortoise challenges a hare to a race. And because it’s in front of all their animal friends, the hare takes him up on his offer. He knows without a doubt he’ll win. But BIG surprise, the tortoise ends up winning the race! The End.
Oh, how I love this story. Here are a few life principles we’ve learned from reading this book that have really stuck with us:
1) Be Confident in Your Vision and Goals.
“A hare and a tortoise were having an argument. The hare who could run very fast thought he was much more clever than the tortoise, who could only move slowly and had to carry his house around on his back. But the tortoise did not agree. To the hare’s surprise the tortoise challenged him to a race. ‘We will run from here, over the hill, through the hedge, then along the carrot field to the old cart,’ he said. The hare laughed. ‘I am sure to win, but we will race if you like.”
It was the tortoise who set the terms of the race (now that’s clever). He had a vision – he knew where he was going – and he believed he would win from the very beginning. And it’s his confidence which got him to the finish line first.
When you live your life without vision & goals, like the hare, you may get off to a good start but ultimately let distractions get the better of you.
We’ve found that talking about a vision for our life and writing down our dreams with steps on how to get there (goals) have helped keep us on a steady path. Maybe you’ve never had a dream board, or never thought about where your life is headed.
And this is where the second life principle comes in. We stay on course through consistency.
2. Life is about Consistency.
“The tortoise plodded on and came to the hill…The tortoise had only just reached the hedge. He was already tired but kept walking slowly on.”
The tortoise just took it one step at a time, but he was consistent. Unlike the hare who ran at all speeds, running the race with no consistency.
“The hare was off flying over the grass. . . In a few moments the hare had run over the hill and reached the hedge. He looked behind, but the tortoise was not in sight. The hare stopped to nibble some tasty leaves . . . The hare had finished eating the leaves in the hedge and dashed off again at full speedto the carrot field. He was very fond of carrots and could not resist stopping to eat some. He ate and ate until he was so full he had to lie down and sleepfor awhile.”
In the end, his pride, inconsistency, and appetite made him lose. What is distracting you on your race? Do you make split decisions based on your emotions and how you’re feeling (I would never…)?
This principle can be applied to every part of your life. Invest in your faith consistently, invest in your finances consistently, invest in your friendships consistently, invest in your marriage consistently, invest in yourself consistently, invest in your business consistently, etc.
The best thing we’ve found in order to apply consistency to our lives is to create good habits. Habits help us keep to a schedule (especially since we’re self-employed). We consistently have quiet time individually in the morning, we consistently go to the gym, we consistently have a date night every week (same day), we consistently plan 4 “Superdates” a year, and I consistently write an article a week.
These are just a few examples. But we’ve learned that finding success in life is all about being consistent (a.k.a. intentional) about what’s important to us.
3. Surround Yourself with the Right People.
“The tortoise came to the hill . . . It was hard work for him to climb it, and the birds called encouragement to help him on his way.”
The tortoise has friends who encourage him the whole way, even when it seems impossible. They are on his team and believe that he can do anything he puts his mind to.
Are your friends encouraging? Are they on your side? Are they giving you advice that you can trust? You want friends with whom you can share your dreams without fear of being teased or laughed at.
Man! This little story is just packed full of the good stuff! You can pull so much from a simple children’s book. Feel free to share your favorite children’s book below! Like I said, it’s my favorite section in the bookstore 😉
Which of these principles most resonates with you in your own life? Which do you find most difficult?
Your Friend,
