Tales for Life

We all have at least one gift (character trait, skill, talent), but do we make proper use of it? In this French fairy tale that dates back hundreds of years, we learn two valuable lessons: a great gift overused or flaunted is a terrible gift, but a good gift well used is valuable to the one who has it and those they are around.

Advice, good or bad, is just words. What sets good advice apart from every other type of advice is when it's something valuable that we can put into action -- sometimes right away. This episode, featuring a short, fun tale from Poland, cautions us to heed good advice when we get it, along with heeding the good advice within the story itself!

Life is not lived in a vacuum and what we do -- or don't do -- affects us and those around us. Every day we have the opportunity to make and leave a positive lasting result. But the biggest impact will be on our own selves. The reward we get from our efforts is forever part of our history and something no one can ever take away. This ancient tale from Japan reminds us of just this fact in a beautiful way.

When it comes to accomplishing our goals, putting the plan in place is only effective if you then act on it. This Russian children's tale warns us, in no uncertain terms, how dangerous it can be for us to have a plan and then go around talking about it to others. Dangerous, because spending our time talking, rather than doing, often causes our plans to fail.

We often associate status or titles with wisdom and intelligence, but doing so can cause us to overlook the wisdom and cleverness that is all around us...and within us. This wonderful Armenian tale is a great reminder to all of us that there is as much wisdom in common sense, horse sense, and folk sense, as there is in a textbook.

Another tale from Iceland sets the stage for reinforcing the idea that setting goals is important, but sticking to those goals is even more important. The more audacious the goal, the more determined you need to be. And the reward, your "Habogi moment," will be worth it!

A spiteful fairy, a runaway kitten, and a mean giant combine in this wonderful tale from Iceland to remind us that we can only be at our best when we find a way to help others.

Every day isn't sunshine and rainbows, but neither is it dark clouds and thunderstorms. With the help of an old Russian tale, this episode is all about how feeling sorry for yourself will take even the best of us down the wrong road, while showing inner courage and strength will get you out of the worst circumstances.

We know we're not perfect, but sometimes we act like it. This Korean folktale uses the wisdom of a thief to remind us all that we really are as bad...and good as everyone else.

What do a single mother, a helpless young man, and a frog have to do with all of us? A lot, actually. In this week's episode, a wonderful tale from Italy shows us that when you are comfortable in your own skin and do what you can do the best you can do it, you can achieve miracles in your life.