Pout or Purpose?
Meet the Characters
Copyright 2005: K.C. Fox Publishing
Fixity Fox takes Pouting Pig on a journey to find his purpose: In the book, Fixity Fox gives sage advice:
Fixity Fox looks at the sulking Pouting Pig and lets his words sink in before continuing. "But there is hope for you Pig. To identify your purpose, you first have to identify how important each Life Aspect is to you, because it's from these aspects your purpose is derived. Then, you assess how satisfied, or in your case, dissatisfied, you are with your life in each of the Life Aspects. And based on the combination of your importance and satisfaction with the Life Aspects, improvement areas can be identified; with the final goal being to identify specific improvement actions to prioritize."
Fixity Fox looks at the sulking Pouting Pig and lets his words sink in before continuing. "But there is hope for you Pig. To identify your purpose, you first have to identify how important each Life Aspect is to you, because it's from these aspects your purpose is derived. Then, you assess how satisfied, or in your case, dissatisfied, you are with your life in each of the Life Aspects. And based on the combination of your importance and satisfaction with the Life Aspects, improvement areas can be identified; with the final goal being to identify specific improvement actions to prioritize."
Pouting Pig begins the book in despair because he feels that he has no purpose:
Saturated in self-pity, Pig raises his head to the screams and scuffles of the hens, "Why do you run away from me? I don't want to be a bother, really. Should I leave? But, ohhhh, where would I go? If only I wasn't so useless. I'm a failure-I'm not fat enough, strong enough, smart enough. Woe is me!"
Saturated in self-pity, Pig raises his head to the screams and scuffles of the hens, "Why do you run away from me? I don't want to be a bother, really. Should I leave? But, ohhhh, where would I go? If only I wasn't so useless. I'm a failure-I'm not fat enough, strong enough, smart enough. Woe is me!"
Lovable Lab represents the Relationships Life Aspect. Here's how she describes the need to compromise in relationships:
"There was a time when I had some problems with the dog from the farm next door, Leonard the Lab. He and all of his friends kept running through the farmer's yard on their way to the swimming pond, trampling the farmer's wife's flowers. So I talked to Leonard about the issue, and asked him if he could take a different route to the pond. Initially, he didn't want to because it was shorter to cut through the yard. However, after much discussion, we compromised, and Leonard agreed that from then on, he would have his buddies meet him at the pond and he would walk, not run, through the farmer's yard. And something else happened - we actually ended up liking each other..."
"There was a time when I had some problems with the dog from the farm next door, Leonard the Lab. He and all of his friends kept running through the farmer's yard on their way to the swimming pond, trampling the farmer's wife's flowers. So I talked to Leonard about the issue, and asked him if he could take a different route to the pond. Initially, he didn't want to because it was shorter to cut through the yard. However, after much discussion, we compromised, and Leonard agreed that from then on, he would have his buddies meet him at the pond and he would walk, not run, through the farmer's yard. And something else happened - we actually ended up liking each other..."
The Hardworking Horses represent the Career Life Aspect. Here's how one of the horses describes the benefit of doing good work:
"The farmer had placed the wife and me into 'early retirement' or so he called it, but when that rain came down, and that tractor got stuck in the mud, with its wheels spinning like there was no tomorrow, guess who he called back into service? The husband asks triumphantly. "That's right. It was us good 'ole reliable Hardworking Horses to the rescue! In fact, the farmer relies on us so much now, he trusts us to plow the field by ourselves while he's not here."
"The farmer had placed the wife and me into 'early retirement' or so he called it, but when that rain came down, and that tractor got stuck in the mud, with its wheels spinning like there was no tomorrow, guess who he called back into service? The husband asks triumphantly. "That's right. It was us good 'ole reliable Hardworking Horses to the rescue! In fact, the farmer relies on us so much now, he trusts us to plow the field by ourselves while he's not here."
Confident Cat represents the confidence and physical attributes of the Self Life Aspect. As he states in the book:
"I want to be like a lion. In fact listen to this, I'm learning how to roar instead of purr." Confident Cat takes a deep breath, holds it for a second then exhales, letting out a funny sounding "roar."
"I also like to weight-lift and I work out six days a week. And while most cats drink plain milk, I drink protein shakes to build my muscles."
"I want to be like a lion. In fact listen to this, I'm learning how to roar instead of purr." Confident Cat takes a deep breath, holds it for a second then exhales, letting out a funny sounding "roar."
"I also like to weight-lift and I work out six days a week. And while most cats drink plain milk, I drink protein shakes to build my muscles."
Coquette Cat represents the sensuality attribute of the Self Life Aspect, as illustrated by this passage from the book:
Coquette Cat pats Pouting Pig on the head and says, "What a cute little Pig," and moves toward Fixity Fox. "Mr. Fox, you look like a gentleman that knows a little about money," purrs Coquette Cat as she brushes against Fixity Fox. "Because you sure look like a million bucks in that fur coat of yours," she says as she runs her paws through Fixity Fox's fur.
Coquette Cat pats Pouting Pig on the head and says, "What a cute little Pig," and moves toward Fixity Fox. "Mr. Fox, you look like a gentleman that knows a little about money," purrs Coquette Cat as she brushes against Fixity Fox. "Because you sure look like a million bucks in that fur coat of yours," she says as she runs her paws through Fixity Fox's fur.
Cash Cat represents the financial attribute of the Self Life Aspect. Here's how he makes sure all the other cats have a roof over their head:
"I'm the financial genius of the family. I focus on ensuring that the family's finances are in order. If it weren't for me, we'd all be stray cats out on the street. I have each one of the other cats tell me what their financial goals are, and then I make sure each of them sets aside a certain amount every month as part of their financial plan. I'm rather proficient at giving financial advice to numerous animals on the farm. How do you think Cash Cow got rich?"
"I'm the financial genius of the family. I focus on ensuring that the family's finances are in order. If it weren't for me, we'd all be stray cats out on the street. I have each one of the other cats tell me what their financial goals are, and then I make sure each of them sets aside a certain amount every month as part of their financial plan. I'm rather proficient at giving financial advice to numerous animals on the farm. How do you think Cash Cow got rich?"
Creative Cat represents the creative attribute of the Self Life Aspect. Below, she discusses the importance of having hobbies:
"Right now painting is a hobby, but I expect to make it my vocation once I get established. Also, hobbies can bring out the creative energy that we all have. And because of these hobbies, the world is a richer place. Think about the famous cat Pawblo PiCatto. Painting was his hobby, and now his works are masterpieces. But there are other types of hobbies as well: building things, collecting stamps, sewing, musical pursuits, restoring an old '71 Catillac, etc. Performing these activities fulfills your creative self."
"Right now painting is a hobby, but I expect to make it my vocation once I get established. Also, hobbies can bring out the creative energy that we all have. And because of these hobbies, the world is a richer place. Think about the famous cat Pawblo PiCatto. Painting was his hobby, and now his works are masterpieces. But there are other types of hobbies as well: building things, collecting stamps, sewing, musical pursuits, restoring an old '71 Catillac, etc. Performing these activities fulfills your creative self."
Cerebral Cat represents the mental attributes of the Self Life Aspect. He's truly got a head on his shoulders:
Cerebral Cat continues, "Much like a garden needs nourishment to grow and thrive, so too does a brain. A brain must be constantly fed nutrients in the form of insight, data, queries, thought-provoking ideas, and the like. The brain is a muscle that must be used and flexed just like any muscle if it is to grow. To coin a phase: A brain is a terrible thing to waste."
Cerebral Cat continues, "Much like a garden needs nourishment to grow and thrive, so too does a brain. A brain must be constantly fed nutrients in the form of insight, data, queries, thought-provoking ideas, and the like. The brain is a muscle that must be used and flexed just like any muscle if it is to grow. To coin a phase: A brain is a terrible thing to waste."
Conscience Cat represents the conscience attribute of the Self Life Aspect. She's definitely devoted to her causes:
Conscience Cat responds, her voice raising with intensity. "I'm willing to protect the less fortunate! I want to give a voice to those that can't speak for themselves-the downtrodden, the persecuted. I'm also in touch with those at the grass roots in order to affect social and political change. For example, I'm currently working on a campaign to protect the helpless mice on the farm from predators like my brother here," says Conscience Cat showing everyone the signs she made. "We're having a rally and a protest tomorrow."
Conscience Cat responds, her voice raising with intensity. "I'm willing to protect the less fortunate! I want to give a voice to those that can't speak for themselves-the downtrodden, the persecuted. I'm also in touch with those at the grass roots in order to affect social and political change. For example, I'm currently working on a campaign to protect the helpless mice on the farm from predators like my brother here," says Conscience Cat showing everyone the signs she made. "We're having a rally and a protest tomorrow."
Omniscient Owl represents the Spirituality Life Aspect. Here's how she begins her conversation with Fixity Fox and Pouting Pig:
"To begin, one does not learn all they need to know about spirituality by reading a couple of books - or by talking to me for that matter. The quest for understanding one's spirituality and harnessing the power in one's soul can last a lifetime. By talking to you this evening, my only purpose is to open your mind to different ideas that you may wish to pursue further. And, Mr. Fox, by the end of our discussion, you may realize that you are not in a position to gauge another animal's level of spirituality before you gauge your own. To begin the discussion on spirituality, let me ask each of you: What do you believe in?"
"To begin, one does not learn all they need to know about spirituality by reading a couple of books - or by talking to me for that matter. The quest for understanding one's spirituality and harnessing the power in one's soul can last a lifetime. By talking to you this evening, my only purpose is to open your mind to different ideas that you may wish to pursue further. And, Mr. Fox, by the end of our discussion, you may realize that you are not in a position to gauge another animal's level of spirituality before you gauge your own. To begin the discussion on spirituality, let me ask each of you: What do you believe in?"
Click the link below to find out how these animals represent the Life Aspects important to us all!
Fixity Fox
Lovable Lab
Hardworking Horses
Confident Cat
Coquette Cat
Cash Cat
Creative Cat
Cerebral Cat
Conscience Cat
Omniscient Owl
Pouting Pig
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