SKULLBOY AND THE LEAP OF FAITH
Haunted by the devious Dark Spot that tells him he is worthless, Skullboy decides to leave his home and go on a journey through a dark and mysterious forest to find his inner strength and overcome his feeling of lack of self-worth and show the Dark Spot just who is in control of his life.
Skullboy and the Leap Of Faith is a story about overcoming self-doubt and the perils involved in taking steps towards a life of your own creation.
Skullboy is taunted by the devious Dark Spot that tells him he is no good and won't amount to anything. Determined to prove the Dark Spot wrong, Skullboy sets off on a journey through a dark and mysterious forest where he meets an assortment of characters that either help him or hinder him in his quest to find the Leap Of Faith and ultimately prove to the Dark Spot just who is in charge of his life.
-
Later in their lives, a majority of people wish they'd taken more chances when they had the opportunity?
-
That a staggering percentage of children aged 3-17 suffer from anxiety, depression
SELF-BELIEF
Believing in yourself and your capabilities is so important when it comes to achieving goals and dreams. There are times in your journey when all you'll have is yourself, and it is the belief in what you are doing and who you are that can help you succeed when at times it feels like nobody else does.
In order to believe in yourself, it helps to look at times when you have already succeeded and tell yourself "Well, if I could do that, what's to say that I couldn't do this?" They don't to be big achievements either, even the smallest accomplishment can serve a bigger belief in yourself.
PERSEVERANCE
This was a great lesson for the author of this story to learn. When studying to become an animator, his student payments were stopped forcing him to get a full-time job to continue paying rent and for his course. When working full time and studying full time became too much, he needed to change course again. What would normally take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years for someone to accomplish, it took Scott 5 years. Five years of wins and setbacks, until eventually, he succeeded and fulfilled what he set out to do.
It is important for children to understand that if first they don't succeed in achieving a goal, to try again. To keep learning, training and improving, and eventually, they will succeed. Even when things don't look as though they are going to turn out, it's often at that point, that a breakthrough is about to occur. As the saying goes 'It's always darkest before the dawn'.
TAKING RISKS
Sometimes the things we truly want in life come with taking a risk. This may mean losing a job, friends, or having to move to a different country. Instead of looking at these things as a negative, it is important to keep in mind that sometmes you need to create a space for new careers, new friends, and new opportunities to enter into your life. These are the things that will be in alignment with what you truly desire and help you along your journey.
It is ok to be sad about this and feel a little heartbroken about the loss of people and things in our lives, and it's just as important to be grateful for having the opportunity to experience these connections in the first place.
Skullboy and the Leap Of Faith is a story about taking risks to achieve what you want in life, the things that have the potential to hold you back, and overcoming negative thoughts and emotions. It is not a story about jumping off the edge of a cliff to solve your problems!
This is not medical advice against depression and anxiety. The messages woven into this story are merely observations from the author's own experiences and how he overcame certain challenges. At a stage in his life, the author was medically treating his own depression, however, it still lingered and he realized that it wasn't the medication that was going to make him feel better, it was taking action towards achieving the things he truly wanted in life.
If your child suffers from depression or anxiety, please seek medical advice first. You can also download this free document which acts as a resource on how to explain the events of Skullboy and the Leap Of Faith as you read it to your child.