Each lesson has been couched in a simple story or fable drawn from personal experience or the remarkable characteristics of nature's creatures. The fable leaves the reader with a symbol that makes the lesson live in our minds and resonate in our hearts so that we put it into practice automatically, naturally, and even subconsciously. The nine lessons that the Eyres felt were most critical to the success of a family are: 1. The Nature of Commitment: The Law of the Geese. Geese mate for life and though they migrate thousands of miles, they always return home. 2. The Nature of Praise: The Lesson of the Crabs. You need only a shallow bucket when you catch crabs as one will instinctively pull the other down should he try to climb out. 3. The Nature of Responsibility: The Lesson of the Bear. When you meet a "bear" do you confront him or outrun him? 4. The Nature of Awareness: The Lesson of the Frog. Frogs, like people, can get cooked when they lose their awareness or stay too long in a comfort zone. 5. The Nature of Communication: The Lesson of the Whales. Humpback whales communicate constantly within their families, and never interrupt! 6.
The Nature of Discipline: The Lesson of the Elephant. A parent elephant can lift a 500 pound log or pick a single blade of grass with her trunk. 7. The Nature of Consistency: The Lesson of the Tortoise. Steadiness, consistency, and endurance always win. 8. The Nature of Security: The Lesson of the Redwoods. Redwoods have short, shallow roots, but they intertwine for the support that they need. 9. The Nature of Freedom: The Lesson of the Fleas. Keep fleas in a box long enough and they'll never fly above lid level, even when the lid is gone.
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