Need Motivation for Life? Read Dr. Seuss
To me it seems that some of the best advice anyone could ever muster is most likely something that can be summarized in this great work of art by Dr. Seuss. There are so many life lessons in this children’s book that quite frankly, I think we should all read it for a little extra “oomph” to our motivation and self esteem every now and then.
Sure, kids probably won’t get much out of it when they first read it, but I guarantee that they will remember that book once they grow up and turn to it for future reference or what not. At least I have.
So here’s a breakdown of the best fragments of this book and the life changing, motivational, uplifting message it so benevolently gives to us.
“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away”
What better way to start off the book? Telling us to seize the day!
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
You are a 100% capable human being of doing anything you set your mind upon.
“It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people
as brainy and footsy as you.”
Going out into the unknown will always be a positive life changing experience and an opportunity to learn! Wanderlust is allowed.
“And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t
stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.”
This hits home to me. When you feel like everything is changing and you’re just there stuck in life, it’s good to remember that sometimes change is subtle and we won’t always notice when it happens in ourselves.
“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever
you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t”
Telling you to have confidence in yourself, which drives you to excel, but telling you as well you won’t always be good in everything, and that’s okay.
“I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and
Hang-ups can happen to you.”
No one is exempted from a bad patch. Not even was Dr. Seuss.
“You will come to a place where the streets are not
marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re
dark. A place you could sprain both your elbow and
chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How
much can you lose? How much can you win?”
This fragment could be easily overlooked but behold! He tells us that some situations are difficult and scary and at times we might get hurt, but be sure to analyze every angle and ponder every circumstance. He makes you think about the consequences of your decisions and what good or bad can result from risk taking.
“Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.”
Making up your mind isn’t easy and that’s okay. Take your time to think things through.
“You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down
long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on
for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear,
toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.”
Telling you that confusion in life is normal and sometimes our troubles can lead to situations like “The Waiting Place”. Dr. Seuss then dedicates two paragraphs on a most detailed description of the most mundane things. As I see it, he sort of depicts “The Waiting Place” as being caught up in the routine trivialities of life. Truth is, sometimes we settle and get cozy with our daily schedule that we allow life to pass us by because we don’t want to deal with uncertainty.
But that’s not a way to live life!
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.
And Dr. Seuss knows it! He encourages us to step out of our comfort zone.
“I’m afraid that sometimes you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win, because you’ll play against you.”
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll
be quite a lot.
“And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll
meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There
are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can
scare you so much you won’t want to go on.”
This whole chunk to me is quite majestic. Why so? Well because I believe that when you’re alone, you really find out what you’re made of. To begin with, Dr. Seuss shows us that sometimes you are your own worst enemy and you have to overcome your own fears to let your beautiful self shine through. Being alone is okay although it might be scary; it’s a necessary experience so that we may learn and grow.
“But on you will go though the weather be foul…
On and on you will hike.
And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.”
Be confident in yourself! Enough said.
“You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.”
One of the best life lessons you will get from this book. You will encounter so many different kinds of people in your lifetime so you must carry yourself well with others because you never know how the way you act will affect them. As Dr. Seuss says, life really is a great balancing act and learning how to deal with different people is all part of the show!
I, for one, really do believe that this stuff is on a biblical level. I’d like to imagine that 1000 years from now, whoever is left on earth will grab this book and sanctify it as one of the greatest literary pieces on which you should live your life by, hey it even makes some commandments! You’re worthy of this Dr. Seuss. Thank you.
