8 KEYS FOR PERSONAL SUCCESS
"Opportunities don't happen. You create them." - Chris Grosser
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as ’Dr. Seuss was a well-renowned cartoonist and writer. He had many other pursuits before he was given a request by William Spaulding that would set Theodor’s sights in a whole new way.
Theodor was asked to reduce a list of 348 words that Spaulding had compiled, believing they were the most important words for first-graders to learn, and asked Theodor to reduce the words again to 250 and write a book that would engage young readers. This task was undertaken after Life Magazine published an article about the growing issue of illiteracy stating that children weren’t reading due to books being boring.
This started Theodor on a journey of great proportion with his first book (using 236 words) of this type being ‘The Cat In The Hat’.
It would be a miss of us, however, to believe that Suess’s work is only for young readers. Keep reading to find the 8 keys of personal success that we can learn from Dr. Suess.
8 Keys to Personal Success from The Works of Dr. Seuss:
1) Be True To Yourself
"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 key to keep in mind. If you have to put on a mask, or can’t feel free to say how you feel, then perhaps you are not associating with the people you should surround yourself with. Looking in the mirror, being happy with the person who looks back, and then making sure you have real friends, those who you can be yourself with is key.
"If you can be who you are, and say how you feel, then hang with those folks, they’ll surely keep it “real"."
2) Deal With Problems Head-On
"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. If you face your ‘troubles’ (fears, hurdles, burdens, hardships, etc.) face them front on and work through them, you will gain more of the things you are after: Confidence, courage, determination, and the knowledge that you can cope, survive and conquer anything that comes your way.
3) You Drive Your Bus
"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. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go."
There is nothing stopping you, bar the person you see in the mirror. Are you going to embrace this moment and run toward your goal?
4) The Power of One
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not."
We are often waiting for people to change the world. Newsflash, No one is going to save us, no one is going to just hand us all our dreams. Be the change you want to see in the world, as Gandhi would say. You would do well to step up, and have the determination, passion, and courage to change things.
5) Time of Reflection
"You can get help from teachers, but you are going to have to learn a lot by yourself, sitting alone in a room."
My greatest discoveries have come from sitting alone in a quiet room. Dr. Suess said, “Think left, and think right, and think low, and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”
Dare to dream and dare to be alone with the only person who can make your dreams become reality.
6) Knowledge is Priceless
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn the more places you’ll go."
Awareness is the key to moving forward. Reading expands your mind to the possibilities; once your mind has been expanded it can never go back to its original shape.
7) The Journey is the Reward
"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way."
Every single human being has his or her ‘mountain’ to climb. We all have the task we need to conquer, the relationship we need to build or the result we need to reach. How we climb the mountain equates to the life that we will have. Procrastination will allow us to play in the valley, but we will never reach our potential until we start the climb.
8) Uniqueness is Your Gift