6. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
This classic children’s novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson, was first published in 1922. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of a little boy (his owner).
“When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real.”
The moral of the story is that through loving others—beyond superficial appearances, we become Real. This is an enduring and most essential lesson for any age; without it “success” in life is empty. It will serve the reader a lifetime.
Video: The Velveteen Rabbit
7. Visit TED for videos of the world’s best thinkers (watch them together and learn).
Summary of Themes:
- The “conceptual age” requires a shift towards right brain thinking in order to succeed.
- All learning is incremental and done by degrees; you will make mistakes—learn to invest in loss.
- “Natural talent” is a myth; success in any field is achieved by deliberate practice.
- “Deep practice” technique changes the brain’s structure and vastly improves skill acquisition.
- A few simple disciplines or a few errors in judgement repeated over time will have an accumulative effect on your life.
- To be Real, love beyond provocative (shiny) surfaces.