My Logo - Virginia Ronning

My logo was designed to capture the meaning I took from the children’s story, The Story of Ferdinand, which was written in 1936 by Munro Leaf. My graphic designer took my passion for this story, the image of Ferdinand sitting under a tree, and returned with this.… The two black lines represent Ferdinand’s horns, and the rest is obvious- a flower !

You may remember that Ferdinand was a large, strong, bull who preferred to sit and smell flowers instead of being like the other bulls who stomp around practicing fighting. He did not want to fight. His mother accepts him for who he is and stops trying to make him be like the other bulls. Once when in he was in his field doing what he loved he was stung by a bee. He jumped and ran around snorting because it hurt. At that same moment men were walking by looking for a mean and tough bull for an upcoming bull fight. They were impressed so they took him to the city and renamed him “Ferdinand the Fierce”.

At the bull fight, the lovely Senoritas threw flowers into the centre of the ring. And so, Ferdinand sat down in the middle of the ring to enjoy the precious flowers. No matter how hard the matadors tried to get ‘Ferdinand the Fierce’ fired up, he just did what he loved to do. He was sent back to his farm to continue enjoying the field and flowers.

Several key aspects from this story have significant meaning for me. Ferdinand likes who he is and does not try to conform to what was considered normal bull behaviour. Because of this he chooses to act the way that is right for him in spite of pressure imposed by others. He has the courage to stand strong and be himself in spite of pressure from the outside world. The tale also reiterates there is no one right way for everyone. Who do we follow? Our own heart and our inner wisdom.

How does this pertain to my work as a counsellor and coach?

To know we all have our own unique strengths, interests, sense of meaning, potential, and goals.
To be respectful of other people’s journeys and needs.
To listen whole heartedly to the stories.
To help those who ask to find ways to let their own wisdom guide them.
To remind us all to take time to stop and smell the flowers.

Feeling unfulfilled or dissatisfied with life can be the result of many things, such as life experience, circumstance, choices, and/or mindset. We can make different choices when we can access our own inner wisdom. Being asked poignant questions by a coach may help you uncover your hidden gems and find clear ways to reach your preferred objectives.