I think that if parents are honest, the over whelming number could quickly tell you the most memorable piece of Seuss-dom. With its whimsical use of rhyme and cadence, Seuss' stories make us grin, giggle and guffaw, harkening back to the time of our childlike fascination with fantastical things.
In his 5 Lessons, Seuss urges us to embrace ourselves with all of our warts and flaws, our idiosyncrasies and fears, our desires and dreams.
"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There's no one alive who is You-er than You."
Besides the genetic proof of this statement, the reality is that You are a limited edition, a Younicorn, Younique, Youpendous, miracYoulous, so why try to be anything else? I'll agree that it's not an easy task since we're bombarded from all sides with messages about how to be more like this or that, or that we're not up snuff in this way or that. The truth of the matter is that it's gosh-darned intimidating to reveal our barest essence to others, mostly for fears that we'll be shunned or criticized, but living a lie or acting a role is exhausting. Be who you are because no one else can do it as perfectly as you.
"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"
A universal human desire is to be accepted for who we are, and respected for what we feel, within reason. It is also a deep-seeded desire to be remembered. While it's a good thing to make honest attempts to get along with others, we're social animals after all, when those attempts result in giving up our identity just to conform to the group, it manifests as damage to our self-confidence and self-worth. Think of any group effort you have been apart of that you viewed as successful and you'll likely be of the opinion that it was a collaborative affair with your contributions acknowledged. From where I stand, that's standing out. If you possess the ability to take a leadership role in the group dynamics, that's frickin' awesome, but be aware that you were still likely a part of a collaboration.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."
Like the age-old complaint of so many children, we all have loved ones who wish we would embrace the advice they offer from their many years on this planet. While this is a loving act meant to spare us some potential grief or pain, the reality is that we all want to hold the reins of the team of stallions we're guiding through life. We're intelligent. We're mobile. We can choose where we go, how often, and how long. If we ask for some advice, please feel free to offer it up. If we don't ask, that means we're begging for a lesson at the "School of Hard Knocks". As always, there are exceptions to this ... we parents have to do our best to ensure the lessons are not harmful or fraught with lasting consequences. No one ever said being a parent was easy!
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
This is a loaded statement in these days of Social Media! As an educator who has more stories than braincells about the cruelty of some, especially young ones, I have seen the irreparable damage inflicted on those who had the courage to speak up. I'm "preaching to the choir" here, but we all know that we should be able to ignore the vitriol spewed by those that don't matter, but we also know how hurtful some of those Keyboard Warriors can be. With maturity, our ability to discern friend or foe improves, providing a figuratively thicker skin when it comes to the opinions of strangers. Of course, like all privileges, there's a responsibility to make sure our comments ... saying what we feel ... are not hateful or hurtful. I'm not alone in wishing that the world was a little more tolerant of those we see as different from us.
"Today I shall behave, as if this is the day I will be remembered."
This is an extension of Rule #2, IMHO, so let me offer some thoughts through the lens of coaching. The most memorable and successful teams I have been apart of were of a two-way nature when it came to decisions. What I mean is players were asked for, and acknowledged for, their thoughts and opinions when dealing with a team obstacle. Sure, the more experienced ones ... usually the coaches ... had a larger percentage of the overall number of decisions, but the best teams were a more collaborative effort, usually materializing as greater buy-in from the players, resulting in each individual feeling they were appreciated, valued and respected. They were remembered. When this group effort results in an achievement that is cup-worthy, it will live forever in the memories of the team ... their Glory Days.
Good ol' Dr Seuss!
Theodore Seuss Geisel came into this world on March 2, 1904 and showed early on that the Arts were his calling, studying at Dartmouth College and a brief stint at Oxford University. He wasn't a "real" doctor; he adopted the "Dr" title to go with his Pen Name Seuss because his father, a brewmaster, had his heart set on his son becoming one.
If you wish to know more about Dr Seuss, CLICK HERE.
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