My favorite movie as a child was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. Roald dahl was one of the great storytellers of the 20th century. If he were alive today, he would be 105 years old. Here are five quotes and five lessons he taught me:
1. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory:
“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.”
Lesson: Life can get very serious at times. Lightheartedness and humor are essential ingredients for thriving and therefore cherished by the wise.
2. From Danny the Champion of the World:
“I will not pretend I wasn’t petrified. I was. But mixed in with the awful fear was a glorious feeling of excitement. Most of the really exciting things we do in our lives scare us to death. They wouldn’t be exciting if they didn’t.”
Lesson: We are often most afraid when we are on the brink of great new achievements and experiences.
3. From The Twitts:
“You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
Lesson: Few things have more impact on our lives than our thoughts. Spend as much time as possible thinking about beauty, goodness, and wisdom.
4. From The Witches:
“Real witches dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and they work in ordinary jobs.”
Lesson: There are some people in this world who will intentionally try to hurt you, but they can be hard to spot at first.
5. From The Minpins:
“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
Lesson: Life is constantly unveiling new opportunities, new ideas, new experiences, and new possibilities. Stay open!
Five quotes. Ten sentences. A lifetime of lessons. He was an amazing storyteller.
Matthew Kelly
Watch the video!