Pooh, Piglet, and Psychological Safety
Pooh, Piglet, and Psychological Safety
"Today is my favorite day!"
“The things that make me different are the things that make me, ME!”
— Piglet
Pooh, Piglet, and Psychological Safety
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
In 1924, A.A. Milne wrote the first Winnie-the-Pooh book, which later inspired Disney to bring the 100 Acre Wood and its beloved characters to life through animation. A century has now passed since Milne's creation, but Pooh and his friends continue to impart timeless wisdom.
One of Pooh's teachings is to cherish the present moment and appreciate the journey, not just the destination. Pooh illustrates this beautifully when he asks Piglet what day it is.
“What day is it?"
“It's today," squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day," said Pooh.
Another life skill emphasized by Winnie-the-Pooh is focusing on the things you can control: your attitude and effort in the present moment. Pooh demonstrates this by prioritizing the process rather than the result, as seen in his pursuit of honey.
“Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best —” and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn’t know what it was called.
Finally, Piglet serves as an excellent example of being a good friend. We can positively impact our friends' lives when they are struggling. Piglet demonstrates this beautifully when Pooh has a difficult day.
"Today was a Difficult Day," said Pooh.
There was a pause.
"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Piglet.
"No," said Pooh after a bit. "No, I don't think I do."
"That's okay," said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend.
"What are you doing?" asked Pooh.
"Nothing, really," said Piglet. "Only, I know what Difficult Days are like. I quite often don't feel like talking about it on my Difficult Days either.”
"But goodness," continued Piglet, "Difficult Days are so much easier when you know you've got someone there for you. And I'll always be here for you, Pooh."
And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs … he thought that his best friend had never been more right.[1]
Let’s be sure to take care of ourselves, and be there for our loved ones. Check-in with someone today and let them know you’ll always be there for them.
“You can’t always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
— Winnie-the-Pooh
Connecting this quote to the story. We must be proactive in our relationships, just as Pooh and his friends actively seek each other's company and support. By taking the initiative and reaching out to others, we can build stronger, more meaningful relationships and support systems.
This week’s Chasing Influence tip: Care is shown through actions more than words. While simple words can tear a person down, it takes actions to truly build another person up.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2024
[1] Credit to A.A. Milne and his Winnie-the-Pooh series.