Today's proverb comes from the Ancient Greek myth of Icarus... and we wrote a short picture book about the story!

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"Don't fly too close to the sun" is a warning against hubris (excessive pride). The proverb teaches us that pride and ambition should be balanced with caution, humility and good advice.

For example, imagine a young entrepreneur. She launches her first product and has immediate success. Encouraged, she starts making more and more ambitious plans. She decides to take out a large loan from the bank in order to launch more products and buy property. But the sales growth she was expecting does not materialize, and she finds herself falling behind on the loan payments. In the end, the business sinks deeper and deeper into debt and can't recover. If she had steered a "middle path," building on her success with small, moderate steps, and listening to her mentors, things might have ended differently.

We can apply this proverb in our daily lives by knowing our limits, practicing moderation, seeking out wise advice, and listening the warnings from others.

Have you ever flown too close the the sun? Share your story. And please tell us what you think of the book, Don't Fly Too Close to the Sun!