Learning from Dr. Seuss
Ted Geisel doesn’t exactly have an uplifting storybook illustration of himself. If there was, people wouldn’t read it. I’ll let you do the research if you want.
However, Ted is one of the bestselling authors in history and I have learned so much from his books.
One of my children loves his books dearly and as we lay in bed reading, I can’t help but draw connection to some of the greatest practical advice.
Every day. He had a very particular formula for success.
Ted Geisel was Dr. Seuss.
It happened by accident. Dr. Seuss got annoyed and irritated.
Very. Annoyed and Irritated.
Ted Geisel saw an article saying that kids were illiterate. Schools were failing to teach kids to read. “This is ridiculous!” he said, “Kids’ books are boring! That’s why they don’t read.”
“Bobby likes Jane. Jane and Bobby run.” etc. No kid wanted to read them. So no kid would learn.
He chose himself to solve the problem. He was doing well in the advertising industry. He could’ve stuck with that and just argued and been apathetic about kids and reading.
Instead, he wrote a book.
“THE MORE THAT YOU READ, THE MORE THINGS YOU WILL KNOW. THE MORE THAT YOU LEARN, THE MORE PLACES YOU WILL GO.”
Ted Geisel took ACTION. You can have thoughts, theories and dreams.
But the one thing that’ll work is work that screams.
Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, wrote “The Cat in the Hat” using only 236 basic words. The book was a huge success and quickly sold over a million copies.
He then wanted to write and entertain for an even younger audience.
He wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” with only 50 unique words, which sold over eight million copies.
All because he was ANNOYED. He was annoyed that teachers and writers thought kids were too simple-minded and would only read simple, boring books.
ANNOYANCE + ACTION = SUCCESS.
“Kids are smart,” he said. So he DID something.
“UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT, NOTHING IS GOING TO GET BETTER. IT’S NOT.”
He didn’t have any kids. He never had kids. But he knew they weren’t stupid.
Kids like to play. If you can get kids to play, even with their mind, they will learn, they will have fun, they will be “all in”.
He didn’t waste time arguing with scholars in newspapers. Here was his THREE-STEP GUIDE TO SUCCESS:
He found something that annoyed him…
He thought he knew a better way…
He proved it by doing it (and making sure he had fun).
Then repeat.
Find the thing that annoys you! Make it better.
“BE WHO YOU ARE AND SAY WHAT YOU FEEL BECAUSE THOSE WHO MIND DON’T MATTER AND THOSE WHO MATTER DON’T MIND.”
All too often, society reinforces that when you stick out like a nail, you’re going to get hammered.
School hammers away many of those nails before we are adults. The epidemic of worrying about what others think about you can be debilitating.
It’s hard when you come across people that don’t seem to like you – even worse to see hate from people whom you don’t even know.
It’s hard. I’ve received it in some form for most of my life.
People say, “Ignore it,” and I mostly do. Now, more than ever, it has become a lot easier to ignore it.
I want to always say what I feel. And those who matter don’t mind.
My favorite Dr. Seuss book is “Happy Birthday to You.”
I wanted to fly out my window and go on a journey like the hero of that book.
I still do. In my story, I will take my family and close friends with me.
“TODAY YOU ARE YOU, THAT IS TRUER THAN TRUE. THERE IS NO ONE ALIVE WHO IS YOUER THAN YOU.”
Sincerely,
Jayme
P.S. Everyone has the amazing ability to share your ideas, dreams and perspective – to teach. So go teach, like Dr. Seuss did.
