When it comes to developing yourself, there are some amazing lessons to be learned from the Parable of the School of Animals. Stop trying to improve your weaknesses and instead, focus on your strengths!

1. Focus on Your Strengths!
LESSONS YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE SCHOOL OF ANIMALS

2. The Parable of the
School of Animals
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Once upon a time, the animals decided they must
do something heroic to meet the problems of the
“new world,” so they organized a school. They
adopted an activity curriculum consisting of
running, climbing, swimming, and flying; and to
make it easier to administer,
all the animals took all the same subjects.

3. The Duck
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The duck was excellent in swimming, better in fact
than the instructor. It made passing grades in
flying, but it was very poor in running. Since it was
slow in running, it had to stay after school and drop
swimming to practice running. This was kept up
until its webbed feet were badly worn and it was
only average in swimming. But average was
acceptable in school, so nobody worried about that
except the duck.

4. The Rabbit
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The rabbit started at the top of its class in running but had
a nervous breakdown because of so much make-up work
in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until it
developed frustration in the flying class where the teacher
made it start from the ground up instead of from the
treetop down. It also developed severe muscle cramps
from overexertion and then got an average score in
climbing and below average in running.

5. The Eagle
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The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined
severely. In the climbing class, it beat all the others
to the top of the tree but insisted on using its own
way to get there.
Photo courtesy of JanieArt.com

6. The Eel
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At the end of the year, the abnormal little eel
that could swim exceedingly well and also
run, climb, and fly a little, had the highest
average and was top of the class.

7. Focus on Your Strengths
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The lesson from the school of animals is simple in theory, yet hard in practice.
Focus on your strengths.
It’s hard because it runs counter to everything we’ve been taught our entire lives, which is to
overcome our weaknesses. What the animals learned was that by trying to develop skills
that are not strong competencies to begin with, we tend to dilute our abilities. You are much
better off in the long run to focus on increasing your strengths significantly. Think about
it. The best golfers in the world don’t shoot free throws after a round of golf. They hit more
golf balls. The same thing applies to getting better at your job.

8. Learn How to
Focus on Your Strengths
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