***I was given a free copy of this book by FSB Associates in exchange for this review.***
Every year at my son’s school they start the year with a series of assemblies to teach the students about “The Four Bees.”
Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be a Worker. And of course, be a friend.
Learning the Four Bees is a right of passage in our little elementary school. And in my humble opinion it’s a pretty good one, even if it is a form of indoctrination.
A few weeks ago my son came home from school complaining that he had lost a ticket in his first grade classroom. Naturally, I asked him why.
He explained that he had asked his teacher, “Why they have to have the same assembly 3 days in a row?”
In his mind he already knew the 4 Bees, so it seemed redundant to discuss how to use them in class, in the hallway, and then in the cafeteria.
I asked him which of the Bees he had violated by asking that question.
It took him a minute, but he finally said, “I guess it wasn’t very respectful.”
I told him that I had just read a book that can teach him some other “Bee Rules.” So we read it together, and guess what?
We loved it!
Reading Code 7, by Bryan R. Johnson was a great learning experience for both my son and myself.
Book Review: Code 7
Cracking the Code for an epic life
Here are the 7 rules, or “code” for an epic life, along with a couple conversation starters to try with your children.
Be Authentic
People appreciate authenticity. And we feel better when we are authentic.
Talk to your children about what being authentic and true to yourself really means. Explain why it is important to form their own expectations and personal values.
Believe in yourself, and trust your instincts.
Are you being your most authentic self?
Be a Person of good Character
Having character is not about religious beliefs. Character is about how you conduct yourself.
Honesty and integrity will take you a long way in life.
The truth: doing the right thing is not always easy, and it is not always instantly rewarding.
In the end, being a person of good character will make you more confident and people will respect you.
How could you demonstrate good character?
Be Caring
Life is not easy. There will be times when you are tasked with something that you do not want to do.
Always remember that people crave understanding.
If you show someone you care, you may find that you have more in common than you realized.
As they say in school, “use your listening ears.” Listen to other people.
How could you show someone you care?
Be Responsible
A person who is responsible can be trusted.
How do you feel when you know your parents have to remind (or beg or plead) for you to do what you are supposed to do?
Do the things that you need to do without being asked. Clean up after yourself.
Supervision (and nagging) will not be required if you are a responsible person and take care of yourself and your surroundings.
How could you be more responsible?
Be Persistent
Don’t ever give up if your goal is something you really want.
Anything worth having is worth working for.
It’s ok to get frustrated and take a break. But keep going.
Persevere and you will not regret it.
Name one thing you need to persevere on going forward.
Be Brave
Life is full of scary situations.
Someone once told me, “nothing is every as scary as you think it will be.” I have found this is usually true.
Speaking in public is scary. Taking a test is scary.
Introduce yourself to a person you have never met. Try something new, or learn a new skill.
Being brave is a skill, you can practice it!
What are your ideas for practicing bravery?
Become the best version of you
We are all a work in progress. And that is ok.
In the words of author Bryan R. Johnson, “The last word, become, is built upon the idea that we’re at a unique time and place in human history where we can increasingly author any kind of world that we can imagine. “
What kind of world can you imagine?
Which of these rules do you want to work on?
Remember the 7 bees
If you remember Code 7 you will become the best version of yourself. And you will be able to work toward creating the kind of world YOU want to live in.
Each of the 7 rules is presented in the form of a story about an individual child.
What makes these stories so special is that everyone can relate to at least one of them on a personal, intuitive level.
My son enjoyed the stories and even at the age of 7, totally got the point. He was able to relate these 7 rules to the 3 Bee Rules at school.
Reading Code 7, by Bryan R. Johnson was a great learning experience for both my son and myself.
I highly recommend this book for at-home reading with school aged children through middle school. A high schooler may find it a little too child-like.
Code 7 would probably be a nice addition to an elementary classroom as well.
For more information visit the Code 7 website and join the challenge.
Bryan R. Johnson is a creative, inspiring writer and I am anxious to see his future work.
Here is my affiliate link to Code 7 on Amazon. For my full disclosure policy click here.
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