Is it better to give up or to persevere?
Thank you for joining us Edward...
The Story behind The Pillow Parade
As a
parent, you always want to pass on the things you’ve learned about life to your
children. A big part of our role, as parents, is to help our kids navigate this
tricky world. One thing I’ve noticed is how important it is to not give up - to
persevere. There are a number of independent studies that back this up.
Researchers have found that the number one predictor of success is grit.
Basically, it’s the ability to get up after you’ve been knocked down.
You
often hear stories of how successful authors, entrepreneurs, musicians, and
actors faced an enormous amount of rejection, resistance, and frustration. They
didn’t give up. They persevered. As Bill Bradley once said, “Ambition is the
path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” It’s safe to say that at more than one point
in every person's life they are going to face resistance. It might be because of their gender. It might
be because of their religion or ethnicity.
It might even be because of how they look. This is often a very key moment in people’s
lives. They can choose to give up or they can choose to persevere.
Olive,
the main character in this book, has an unquestionable talent for jumping.
Based on her skills, you would think that the sheep would be thrilled to have
her join their Pillow Parade. Yet, she meets up with resistance. Why? She was
born a bunny. This is a very key part of the book. Olive had two options. Luckily, to paraphrase Woody Hayes, she
decided to paralyze resistance with persistence. She chose not to give up.
My
hope is that this book will inspire kids to not give up during frustrating
moments in their life. For children,
these moments might be about something as simple as having trouble zipping up
their coat. As a parent, I love these little moments. It’s a great opportunity to strengthen their
character. I’ve actually said a few
times to my kids, “Would Olive pout or cry?” They usually smile and say
no. It acts as a nice reset. An opportunity to regroup and rethink the
challenge.
This
question actually comes from one of my favorite parts of the book. It happens right after the grumpy sheep tells
Olive that she’s not allowed to join his sheep-only club.
Since
this might not be the most fun topic to discuss, I tried not to be heavy-handed
with the delivery. That’s partly why I
tell the story using lyrically playful rhymes. I want kids to enjoy it and
laugh. Although the key lesson is
unquestionably there, it’s gentle in its delivery.
Having read and loved the book, I can vouch for the fact that the delivery is indeed gentle, and the rhyming is lyrically playful and smooth. It's a very cool way to deliver an important message, and I love that Bill Bradley quote - maybe I should print it out and tape it to my computer. My vehicle has a habit of breaking down... but would Olive pout or cry?
Thank you for joining us Edward, and I hope lots of children sleep well after hearing this story, and wake up ready to work through the challenges placed in their way.
and find his book at https://www.amazon.com/Pillow- Parade-Childrens-Bedtime-Book/ dp/1775161803
Enjoy!
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