STORY 11
SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS: A KID STORYTherapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Fear
■ Anxiety
■ Depression
■ Indecision
■ Dependency
■ Being in the depths of despair
■ Being caught in unfamiliar territoryResources Developed
■ Letting go of a burden
■ Learning acceptance
■ Discovering new resources and abilities
■ Being in the moment
■ Creating empowerment
■ Reaching beyond expectationsOutcomes Offered
■ Letting go of the past
■ Freedom from fear
■ Independence
■ Focusing on new heights of achievement
■ Future-orientation
■ Empowerment
Once upon a time a little octopus lived in warm, shallow waters close to a sandy beach. Do you
know how many legs an octopus has? Yes, eight. And do you know what they are called? That’s right.
Tentacles. Well, this little octopus loved to wrap its tentacles around things and hang on. It might
grab hold of a fish and go for a fun ride. It might hang on to a solid rock that felt strong and secure.
One day, as the little octopus was out exploring, it saw a strong, sturdy anchor hanging below a
ship. Immediately, the little octopus wrapped its tentacles around the anchor and hung on.
Then something scary happened. The anchor began to drop, sinking down into darker, colder
waters where the little octopus had never been before. The little octopus didn’t like it but didn’t know
what to do. What do you think you would do if you were the octopus? Would you hang on or let
go?
Well, the little octopus hung on until, with a thump, the anchor landed on the sea floor. Then
it hung on tighter. It was frightened and scared of this strange place, and still didn’t know what to do.
62 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories