Pooh On Philosophy

We can learn a lot from the great philosophers.  A list of the greatest philosophers includes Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Albert Schweitzer and C.S. Lewis.  They have revealed some great insights through their deep and intellectual writing.

Can you remember any of their famous sayings?  I can't either.  But I bet you'll remember these sayings:

• “I’m so tired my tired is tired.”
• “The things that make me different are the things that make me.”
• “People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
• “Doing nothing often leads to the very best something.”
• “I’m not lazy, I’m just on standby.”
• “I must be thinking too hard.”
• “Always look for the rainbow.”

These words of wisdom are from none other than the great thinker Winnie the Pooh!  His outlook on life is simple.

We often make life more difficult than it needs to be.  Pooh and his friends Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. The KISS concept of life is “Keep it Simple Stupid.” Pooh kept it simple but was not stupid. He said things like:

• “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.”
• “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
• “Sometimes we need to simply be there...not to fix anything or to do anything in particular, but to just let us feel we are supported.”
• “Don’t think too much. You’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.”
• “Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon.”
• “Birthdays mean cake!”

Pooh always tells it the way it is:

• “I always get to where I’m going by walking away from where I’ve been.”
• “You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
• “It makes a difference to have someone who believes in you.”

Pooh describes friendship this way:

• “As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.”
• “We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.”
• “Good friends will stick with you until you’re unstuck.”

Winnie the Pooh had a simple view of relationships:

• “Anyone can show up when you’re happy, but the ones who stay by your side when your heart falls apart, they are your true friends.”
• “We will be friends forever, just you wait and see.”
• “Sometimes all you really need is someone to hug you tight and refuse to let you go until you feel better.”
• “Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my favorite day.”

 There's a few quotes that can change our outlook on life:

• “Only look back to see how far you’ve come.”
• “We only regret the chances we didn’t take.”
• “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.”

 

At the start of a new year, it's the perfect time to read Pooh's sayings and maybe put them into practice this year.  Life doesn’t have to be as complex as we make it.  Take time to enjoy the journey!