Achieving Greatness: What Folk and Fairy Tales Teach Us About Goals, Success, and Accomplishment

By Steven Gregory

Reaching our goals and achieving greatness is not a magical process reserved for the very few. We can all do it. The encouragement and steps to guide us to our achievements have always been there for us, hiding in plain sight. They are in the folk and fairy tales we have told for generations around the world. These fanciful tales provide more than entertainment, they provide lessons and advice that worked when they were first told and will work today. “Once upon a time” can lead you not only to storytime but also to “Congratulations, you did it! You've succeeded!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steven Gregory
• Release date: Dec 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311437259

Steven Gregory

Steven Gregory is Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies at Columbia University. He is the author of Santería in New York City: A Study in Cultural Resistance and Black Corona: Race and the Politics of Place in an Urban Community. He coedited Race with Roger Sanjek.

Book preview

Introduction

No one wants to get to the end of their life and say to themselves, I didn't do anything significant with my life. I haven't achieved anything. It's not in our nature. We are creatures who want to accomplish things, make an impact, and look back on our lives with pride. Part of making that happen is what we choose to do with our lives. What goals do we set for ourselves? What do we want to accomplish? How do we define success for ourselves? What do I do with my life?

These are questions that have been asked by people for generations. These questions were asked to religious and community leaders, tribal and village elders, and those who have gained wisdom and success in their own lives. These people gave their answers to individuals, groups, and large gatherings. The answers were told time and again, and later many of them were put down in writing...sometimes as folk and fairy tales.

Folk and fairy tales are not often thought of as containing keys to how we ought to live our lives. These stories usually get classified into the children's literature genre and treated like coloring books –- something just meant to kill some time before someone falls asleep or grows up enough to be productive in society. But these stories are so much more. Just as the fables of Aesop are renowned for their nuggets of wisdom, many of the folk and fairy tales we continue to tell also hold the knowledge of generations past that we can use to shape our present and direct our future.

So why would people hide life's hints and tips in stories? The truth is, they weren't really hidden. They were just packaged in story form. Unlike the often sanitized versions of these stories that we know today, these tales were not originally intended for children. In fact, it wasn't until the 17th and 18th centuries (particularly with the publication of many of them by the Brothers Grimm) that these tales became connected to children. Before that time these tales were told by people as diverse as Indian scholars, Chinese philosophers, and Greek historians, not for entertainment but for education. The fact that the tales featured situations or characters that couldn't possibly be true was irrelevant. These stories were not being told for the truth of the situation or reality of the characters. What was important was the lessons that they contained. The hearers of these tales didn't need to believe that ants and grasshoppers were having conversations in order to understand that it is best to prepare for the days of necessity.

An equally important reason for the story format is that these tales could be relatable without being personal. For example, the story of The Three Bears (more famously known as Goldilocks and the Three Bears) is a great tale to illustrate the thoughtlessness of some people. However, to tell someone to their face that they're thoughtless and inconsiderate is considered rude. But to put it in a story causes the person to whom the story is being told to think poorly of Goldilocks and then, when they suddenly recognize in themselves the same behavior, make the correction without the embarrassment.

As well, the story format provides a lesson that is easily, and often enjoyably, remembered. Admonitions, lectures, stern warnings, and the like are often forgotten or ignored because we don't like the presentation. We might be scared straight when an authority figure yells at us, but when that figure is gone the fear-inspired behavior often goes too. However, if the lesson was enjoyable to learn, it will be enjoyable to follow. So form enables function. Even better, if the form was enjoyable enough, the listeners would not only remember the message of the lesson, they would gladly pass it on to others.

This book does not contain new information. The principles for achieving greatness are contained in hundreds of books from well-known authors like Charles Haanel, Jack Canfield, Stephen Covey, and many others, who learned the principles in their works from people before them. What this book does that is different is present the principles as they were first presented long ago, in tales. And even while these principles might be hidden in stories with talking animals, magic spells, or strange creatures, it is the purpose of this book to continue the tradition started generations ago and pass on the wisdom of others to those willing to hear it through the pleasant and memorable medium of folk and fairy tales.

Each chapter of this book contains a brief explanation of the principle and then presents two tales with which to illustrate it. The tales come from all parts of the globe, illustrating that this knowledge has been around and known to many people for centuries. It further illustrates that this knowledge is not culturally based but is universal. The principles of achieving greatness are not limited to certain societies, particular religious beliefs, or a particular part of the planet. They're everywhere! These principles have worked for others and they will work for you too.

Once upon a time…

Setting Clear Goals

It may seem obvious, but not only is this the first step in achieving greatness, it is often the first stumbling block for many of us. Whatever goal we determine for ourselves needs to be clearly defined. Could you imagine a soccer coach telling a team to Just kick the ball down the field that way? Neither can we set goals for ourselves that are equally vague. I want to be rich is nebulous when compared to I want a million dollars. I want to live in a nice house is not nearly as concrete as I want to live in a 4-bedroom, 3-bath house overlooking a lake. So the first stumbling block needs to turn into the first step. That is, be very, VERY clear about what you want to achieve.

People have always had goals, and they have always needed to be specific about what they wanted to achieve. The need to provide a meal needed to be specified as the need to catch a fish. The need to have shelter needed to be specified as the need to build a hut or house. The desire to not be a farmer needed to be specified as the desire to be a shepherd or merchant or boat captain.

Our ancestors from generations ago understood the importance of this principle just as much as the life coaches and motivators of today do. You can't get somebody to go out and do something if they have no idea what it is they want to do.

The two stories chosen to illustrate this principle do so in two ways. The first story is a humorous one from Europe collected by the Brothers Grimm. It shows how being unclear on what you want often has drastically unintended consequences. That is, the path toward your unclear goal is likely to be meandering and unclear itself, and your ultimate achievement of the unclear goal may be nothing like what you expected.

The second story is a popular tale from Norway. It has several themes within it, most having to do with relationships, but the theme of setting a precise goal and sticking to it is the overriding one. This is true even if you are unsure about how to accomplish the goal or even where it will take you. Your job in pursuit of the goal is simply to be clear about it and continue to pursue it. The circumstances and events that need to be in place to help you will then appear on your way, almost as if by magic. When you do your part, the result is achievement of what you set out to do.

Author's Note: Both of these stories in their entirety are somewhat lengthy, so they are presented here in slightly abridged form. If you want to read the entire stories, they are readily found online in their complete forms.

The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear

Once upon a time there was a father who had two sons. The older son was clever and intelligent, and knew how to manage everything. The younger one, however, seemed stupid and could neither understand nor learn anything. When people saw him they said, He will be a burden on his father!

When something had to be done it was always the older son who had to do it. However, if the task involved fetching anything when it was late or, even worse, at