I’ve been a lifelong fan of Dr. Seuss, aka Theodor Seuss Geisel, the children’s book author and illustrator. The fact I was born on the good doctor’s birthday may have something to do with it, but it’s mostly because his stories are just simply entertaining and amusing from cover to cover. And his books continue to sell at a brisk pace almost 30 years after his death.
Ironically, Seuss never had children, but went on to write more than 60 books for young people selling more than 650 million worldwide. In the early days of his career, Seuss worked in advertising writing copy for bug spray and motor oil and his first book, “And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street” was published in 1937.
What is it that makes this faux doctor’s books so intriguing? A large part of the allure are his drawings of strange and crazy made-up animals that inhabit the pages of his stories. And while he claimed “Kids gag at having morals crammed down their throats” a great many of his stories moralized about his views on consumerism, Hitler, racial inequality, politics and the arms race.
While you may think his books silly and only for children, the life lessons they continue to instill are just as valuable for adults as they are for our kids.
Keeping Your Word: In “Horton Hatches the Egg”, published in 1940, we find Horton the elephant being conned by the lazy bird Mayzie to sit on her egg while she takes a short break. That short break becomes permanent as she’s flown the coop to Palm Beach. So, Horton sits on the egg muttering, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, 100%.” In life and business, it’s important to keep your word, to do as you say and say as you do. That’s how we build long-term relationships and build trust with those we care about.
Tomorrow Brings New Opportunities: We all have days that just downright suck. “The Cat in the Hat” came out in 1957 and is the story of a scheming anthropomorphic cat who entertains a brother and sister on a rainy day in their house. Things go awry, but at the end of the day the cat cleans up the messes and says, “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Waking up with gratitude in our hearts each day creates a positive attitude that will carry us through the challenges and negativity that are bound to land in our path.
Be Open to New Experiences: I’m quick to say I don’t like something even though I may never have tried it before. But when you think about it, everything is new until you’ve tried it the first time. In “Green Eggs & Ham” Sam-I-Am urges the narrator to try the concoction named in the title and at one point says, “You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And you may!” At the end, the narrator does try them and proclaims, “I do so like green eggs and ham. Thank you, thank you Sam-I-Am.” Only by being open to new experiences will we learn our boundaries and those boundaries may be much larger than we ever imagined. In fact, Seuss wrote this book on a dare that he couldn’t write a book using only 50 words. He did it and opened himself up to new possibilities.
Persistence Shapes Your Destiny: Seuss’s last book, “Oh the Places You’ll Go” has an unseen person (“You”) leaving home and facing the obstacles life throws at all of us. From hang-ups and bang-ups to the “waiting place” where everyone bides their time just waiting for something to happen. But Seuss tells us if we’re dexterous and deft, we’ll succeed, “98 ¾% guaranteed”. While persistence won’t always lead to success, the chances are better than not you’ll wind up ecstatic beyond your wildest dreams. It’s no surprise some 300,000 copies of this book are bought every year (me included) and given to graduates as they start adulting and beginning new careers.
At the end of the day, we all have a child inside us longing to be set free. Seuss was able to channel his inner child to create a vast array of characters that continue to entertain and inspire us. Perhaps if each of us were to tap into the child that lives within us, we might also find inspiration. It’s never too late to chase your dreams, to find the passion you had as a child, and to turn it into a reality.
Or as Dr. Seuss himself said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go.”