“What is essential is invisible to the eye.” – The Fox

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Found these ‘lessons’ from the ‘Little Prince,’ one of my Favourite Books, in the Huffington Post, under: 5-science-backed-life-lessons-from-the-little-prince.

Am offering You a condensed version, emphasis mine. For the full, with the ‘lessons,’ please visit link at bottom.

Let me tell You that I do Not agree with all the lessons, whatever science says. Like, ‘Spending time with oneself makes one happy.’ ALL businessmen spend time with themselves. No Concern for Others. Are they happy? Was Mother Teresa Happy? 🙂

For me, the Most wonderful words in the book are:

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

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Am sharing all this below by copy and paste, as I could not find a sharing option for Word Press.

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The Little Prince was published on April 6, 1943, introducing readers to the little hero of author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s most famous work. The book tells the story of a pilot who, after crashing his plane in the Sahara, meets a young boy known to readers as the Little Prince. This boy tells the pilot-slash-narrator about his home planet, an asteroid, and his travels to other worlds in space, and they form an unlikely bond over the course of eight days marooned in the desert.

1. We must reconnect with our childhood creativity.

The narrator of The Little Prince opens the book with a story about the first drawing he ever made as a child, of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. All the adults who looked at the picture, he recounts, always saw the same thing: an ordinary hat. The narrator says he abandoned his passion for drawing until he met the Little Prince, who immediately recognized the drawing for what it was: an elephant inside a boa constrictor.

“But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: ‘That is a hat.’ Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.”

Life lesson: As you grow older, don’t lose that little touch of madness and creativity. Adults prefer numbers and practical ideas, but they forget to look beyond the surface, to let go and be creative.

2. To appreciate life’s simple pleasures, we need to be less serious.

On his journey to different planets, the Little Prince explains that he met a very serious businessman. This man continuously counts all of the stars in the galaxy, and while he says he is happy because he owns them all, his life is lonely and monotonous because he has nothing else. He cannot even appreciate the beauty of the stars.

“‘I administer them,’ replied the businessman. ‘I count them and recount them.’”

3. Taking time for yourself is the key to happiness.

The Little Prince recounts meeting another interesting character on the fifth planet he visited, in which every day lasts only a minute. The lamplighter, as he’s known, must turn the planet’s lamp off every minute, and then frantically turn it back on a minute later. He never has time to rest or sleep.

“Then — the planet now makes a complete turn every minute, and I no longer have a single second for repose. Once every minute I have to light my lamp and put it out!” – The Lamplighter

Life lesson: You have to appreciate every passing moment. Enjoy life.

[ In THIS sense, Taking time for oneself, to Enjoy Life (too), it is Ok. Otherwise, spending time observing the navel sort of thing, Bah! ]

4. We must have the courage to explore.

Tokyo, JAPAN: Francois D’Agey, nephew of late French author Antoine de Saint -Exupery displays a book of “The Little Prince” 

On the sixth planet of his journey, the Little Prince met an “old gentleman who wrote voluminous books.” While the Little Prince initially believed the author to be an explorer, he finds that he is actually a geographer who has never set foot outside of his office!

5. It is better to choose with our hearts.

[ By screen capture ]

The Little Prince is in love with a rose from his home planet, one that looks like all of the other roses he sees on Earth. But his rose is unique because he has chosen it. It is “unique in the world,” says the fox, because the prince took time to take care of it.

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – The Fox

Obviously, The Little Prince contains plenty of other invaluable life advice. But to learn more, you might want to ask him yourself. When you visit his planet, you can’t miss him: He’ll be watching the sunset with the flower he loves.

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Reference and from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/5-science-backed-life-lessons-from-the-little-prince_us_5703e2afe4b0daf53af0ef64?section=india

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