The Wisdom of The Little Prince

The text that most influenced me in my life was a letter from my father shortly after our 1949 escape with one knapsack from Prague.  He urged me to study diligently, saying that what I had in my heart and what I put in my head no one could ever take away from me.
 
The wisdom of The Little Prince, long my bedside companion, beautifully develops this theme. Its timeless and ageless message and hidden truths are so relevant in today's unsettled world.
 
"It is the time you have wasted on your rose which makes her so important". "It is only with the heart that one sees rightly.  What is essential is invisible to the eye."  "The eyes are blind, one must see with the heart.”
 
It is through the thousand little things we do each day as free men and women that we can show the empathy and build the trust to create a kinder gentler world. No government can or will do this for us. And we must not wait for the other guy to start.
 
"One runs the risk of losing a little when one allows himself to be tamed."  But our vulnerability is the very essence of our success. We must walk through it.  Freedom, friendship and accountability are both beautiful and fragile.  It takes self-reflection, empathy, openness and humility to build trust.  And it takes trust, risk and courage to navigate a desert and come out richer for the experience.