We learn life lessons in many different ways – from our own experiences, from our nearest and dearest, and by observing what happens to others.
And we can also learn about what really matters in life thanks to people and situations that aren’t real.
Here is some really important advice you can glean from books…
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
• With love, friendship and family (whether they are still with us or not), we can get through anything.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Reputations are not always true and things are not necessarily what they seem. Look deeper than on the surface.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
• Bravery isn’t always a lack of fear – sometimes it is a culmination of small risks you take every day just to survive.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
• There is magic everywhere in this world – just as long as you look for it. Never lose the whimsical notions that come so easily to us as children but vanish as we get older.
• Helping others gives our life meaning or, as Charlotte tells Wilbur, “By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift my life up a little.”
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Never rush to judge people. Take a bit of time to get to know someone properly – you could be in for a surprise.
• Don’t deny yourself an experience because it means stepping out of your comfort zone. You never know, it could change your life.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
• Have realistic expectations of others and don’t put people on pedestals. You’re the one who’ll get hurt if they fail to live up to your unachievable standards.
• Question everything. Learn to think critically and for yourself, and don’t believe everything you are told.
• You’re not the only person with a lot going on in their life. Other people are also going through some complicated stuff you probably have no idea about. Cut them some slack.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Don’t write someone off just because they don’t look like what you imagine a hero to be – or consider themselves to be one.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• What has happened, happened. You may have had no control over it and you can’t change it. Accept it for what it is.
