I read to my kids. A lot. Especially my son who is currently obsessed with books… which is awesome. I find it pretty awesome how some of the older books are just riddled with amazing truths and great concepts.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss is an all time favorite here in my house.
“Congratulations, today is your day.”
The very first line in the book, notes a message that many people just don’t get. Today is the time to start. Today is the day to take the first steps. Not tomorrow… today. And not only is it the time to start, but it is a gift given to you. So Congratulations.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself 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.”
You have the brain power and physical ability to make your own decisions. It’s not anyone else’s responsibility and you’re on your own. If things turn out good or bad, it’s because of your decisions. No one else.
“And you may not find any (streets/paths) you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.”
If you can’t find a “normal” path in life that you enjoy, has a positive effect on your life, or you’re passionate about, then get out of the box and look elsewhere. Just because everyone else is following the status quo doesn’t mean you have to.
“And when things start to happen don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.”
Gotta roll with the punches. Don’t get all worked up about things you can’t control or things you can’t foresee. Get after it!
“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you’ll top all the rest. Except when you don’t. Because sometimes you won’t.”
Life is going to have ups and downs. Being on top is no guarantee. You can be at your highest point one day, and your lowest the next. This is ok. Accept that it’s possible. Adapt to the situation and work your way back up.
“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.”
At times you can get overwhelmed by life. It can feel like you are catching the raw end of the deal constantly. Making rash decisions isn’t helpful. Making NO decisions, is not helpful either. Life will not get better without you taking action and making it better. Don’t settle. Ever. Life is too short to wait around and not get things done.
“I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win cause you’ll play against you. All Alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot.”
It’s true. Some times you will be on your own. No one there to help you. No one there to motivate you. No one there to push you, motivate you, cheer you on. No one there to congratulate you. That’s life. This is just the way it goes. You cannot let this stop you. You have to keep taking action and winning the day.
“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 will scare you so much you won’t want to go on. But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl.”
Tragedy can strike. Life can get scary. Being alone can stop you in your tracks and shut you down. You have to keep pushing forward. Even when everyone and every thing is against you.
“And remember that life’s a great balancing act.”
Life is juggling. Family, friends, work, pain, pleasure, happiness, strife. The key is learn to balance. To make sure you focus on the things and the people that better your life. Find balance, the best you can. That balance isn’t the same throughout life. Sometimes you need to push things more on family. Sometimes more on work. Sometimes more on your own personal growth. Just find that balance.
“So… be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray, or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting… so get on your way.”
No matter who you are, what your name is, where you’re from, what your circumstances are. Don’t wait until tomorrow to make the choices and steps to better your life. Do it today. One action at a time. One step at a time. But today is the day. Do it!
Such great stuff. So many adults need to read that book. You might not be able to make it through 300+ pages of a great self help book. Start with Dr. Seuss, it might be the best thing that happened to you.
Just wait until we break down The Carrot Seed. The amount of knowledge in that tiny little board book! hah!
A lot of the world’s current problems won’t be fixed by the stubborn adults that inhabit the world today. But what we teach our kids today, can change the world in the future. Life isn’t full of hand outs, no one owes you anything, times can get hard, you have to make choices and take on the consequences of those choices. But Kid, you can move mountains!
Now that’s a message.
Be good, train hard, stay safe.
-aaron
Aaron Jannetti 