How To Raise A Happy Genius

Very Good Lives started as a commencement address at Harvard University in 2008 by J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books. In it she focused on two concepts: the importance of imagination and the benefits of failure. All too often in life, children learn to be afraid of failure, when in fact failure is not only an important part of any creative and successful life, but there is also often a key learning process within it. This means that failure has to be embraced for the learning opportunity that it is, and children need to learn that not only is failure quite normal, it’s essential if they wish to lead what Rowling calls a good life. This makes Very Good Lives a critical life lesson for children if they are to grow into happy and successful adults, and since it comes from a well-known and well-liked children’s author, it’s likely to have a greater impact than if it came from someone else. While on the subject, it’s actually quite a good lesson for many adults to learn, too.

I would recommend introducing children to Very Good Lives from about the age of ten onwards, either through the video below, or the print version of it (which can be purchased from here for parents based in the UK or here for parents based in the USA), or, indeed, both!

About The Author: This post was written by Colin Drysdale, the creator of How To Raise A Happy Genius.

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