Adults and children alike adore his books. He has been a source of entertainment for many generations and will be for many more. It is so easy to get lost in his words and taken to another world. On the surface his books seem basic, one dimensional artwork, simple rhymes, but when you scratch the surface there is so much more! It may not have been his intention, but Dr Seuss is very inspirational. These are some of my favourite lines and ideas for business and life: Kid, you’ll move mountains!
This task, if taken literally, is impossible. But think of it in terms of achieving something great and monumental. Something, that at first, you thought you would never be able to do but really wanted to. Imagine if you actually did it, how good would it feel? Things that may seem impossible at first, but once you break it down and start thinking of ways to complete the small tasks along the way, will bring you the greatest sense of accomplishment.
Why fit in, when you were born to stand out? – Each of us is unique; we all have our own personalities and special talents. Things that make us, us! But why is it that we try so hard to fit in and be the same as the people around us? The reason is, because it is easy and as humans we like to be accepted. Standing out can come in many forms and it doesn’t have to be for the wrong reasons. It could be for doing an outstanding job at work, or going the extra mile at work or thinking of a new way to do things. So go on, stand out like you were meant to. Only you can control your future. We are all so busy these days that I think we have forgotten that we do control our own future. We get on the “roundabout” and just continue doing things the same way, day in and day out. The roundabout will only stop if we want it to. We need to remind ourselves that we are the one controlling where our life is heading. Isn’t it amazing to think that the thoughts you are having and the actions you are taking will shape your future.
If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good – It is good to try new things. As adults, I think we forget this. There is an exciting world out there, filled with fun things that we can try. From time to time, we all need to be reminded to have fun. Having fun leads to happiness, an increase in energy levels and a more satisfying life. People also naturally gravitate to happy people. My challenge to you is to try something you have never tried before and have fun!
Think and wonder, wonder and think – We live in a digital world and we are constantly being bombarded with other people’s thoughts. Sometimes it can be hard to remember if what we are thinking are actually our own beliefs or is it someone else’s thoughts that we have adopted. Every now and then we need to unplug, turn of the TV and phone and just ponder the bigger questions. What is it that is important to you? What do you want to achieve? What is the meaning of your life?
It’s better to know how to learn than to know – Learning how to do things is a skill. Once we know how to learn how to do something, we can apply the same technique to learning other things. The sky is the limit! Instead of filling your head with useless facts that you may never need, train yourself in the skill of being able to find the information when it is needed.
Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple – Why is it that we try and complicate things? Are we trying to prove how intelligent we are by making the questions harder? Yes, it is true we have evolved from early man and yes it is also true that we are the most intelligent animals on the planet. But, there are times that we need to get back to basics. The sun rises and sets in the same way it has done so for millions of years, and it will continue to do so. So let’s not complicate things.
We can apply these lessons to both our work and personal lives. It is something that as a child we find so easy to do, but the older we get it becomes harder. For me, the biggest lesson that I have learnt from Dr Seuss is to never give up. This isn’t from one of his books but rather from his life story. His first book was rejected 27 times before he had a chance encounter with an old friend who had just landed a job as an editor who agreed to publish his book. The rest, as they say, is history! I will leave you with these questions. What would you do if you were Dr Seuss and received 27 knockbacks to a great idea that you have? Would you walk away or would you search for the 28th opportunity?
You have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You are on your own and you know what you know, and YOU are the one who will decide where to go.
