| You’re probably familiar with the story of the Three Little Pigs. Two of the pigs were lazy and built their houses out of straw and sticks, choosing to sing and dance and play rather than putting in the hard work required to build a strong structure. The third little pig was different. Not only did he work hard all day, carrying bricks and making sure his house was sturdy – he even added a fireplace and chimney! Soon, the Wolf came calling … “Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in!” And the pigs answered, one by one, “Not by the hairs of my chinny chin chin!” The Wolf replied, “Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in!” And he did! First, he blew down the straw house, and then the stick house, leaving the two lazy pigs scrambling to the safety of the third, brick house. Once again, the wolf knocked on the door and threatened to blow the house in, but this time, he huffed and puffed to exhaustion. The third pig’s house was too resilient and strong to be blown down by the Wolf. Finally – the Wolf had an idea! He would climb down the chimney! But the third Little Pig was wise and knew what was coming. He put a pot on to boil and slammed the lid shut as soon as the Wolf landed in the boiling pot. The Three Little Pigs ate him for supper. There are several lessons we can extract from this story: 1. Hard, consistent work pays off. 2. Dilly-dallying and just getting by often don’t create RESILIENCE. 3. Planning ahead will help you capture the wolves in your life. 4. Quick fixes (like the stick and straw houses) are never the answer. For example, losing weight for an occasion as opposed to focusing on feeling good and getting good blood test results. 5. Even if you work hard alone, capturing the Wolf is often the result of community. 6. A firm foundation and excellent building materials are always a Wise Woman’s choice. 7. Preparation for calamity ahead is what creates a Plan B. Remember, Plan A isn’t always a sure thing. 8. BRICKS ARE TOOLS – Use the TBYL Journal, Mindful Mug, and Quote Deck to build your resilient house! The Wolf symbolizes fear in all its forms, as well as the temptation to fall back into bad habits or poor choices. Wolves are predators looking for easy prey – don’t fall victim to them! Be prepared! |
