When I was a kid my mother use to read books to me. Among those books were the popular Dr. Seuss books. He was a creative writer who used rhymes to get certain messages across. I loved hearing them when I was little. When I got older, I loved reading them but it was not until about 3 years ago that I got something else from his books. I began to read them in a different way and with a different attitude. Dr. Seuss slowly began changing my life.
"You are you. Now isn't that pleasant?"
This quote changed me because Dr. Seuss just takes a moment to help his readers understand that there is no one else like you. No one else can be you. Simply, you are you. He adds to this by saying, "now isn't that pleasant?". As I got older, this quote really made me think. Only you can be you. Isn't that satisfying? Isn't that pleasing? That of the 7 billion people in this world only YOU can be you. Which means there is no wrong or right way to be.
"If things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just move right along and you'll start happening too!"
This one is a big one for me because I am SUCH a worry wart. I worry about EVERYTHING. But Dr. Seuss is reminding us that we just have to keep going. We have to pick our feet up and keep going. Before you know it, you'll be over that hill and gliding down the other side. You'll eventually learn how to move mountains and not let these things affect you. But until then: don't worry, don't stew, just move right along and you'll start happening too.
"Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
What an awesome thing to do. Turn the tables on your troubles! Dr. Seuss is reminding us to be strong. When troubles come around the corner, knock them out! Don't let them get you down. Show your troubles that you're not one to be reckoned with! Soon, your troubles won't even feel like troubles anymore. Be that. Be that strong individual who will face anything and will not stay down.
"And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!"
This has motivated me to do so many things. Dr. Seuss doesn't even know you and he has faith in you! We as human beings have the power to be whoever we want to be. It may come easier to some, but your trials and tribulations will become you, not defeat you! If you use the word can't enough, you start believing that you can't. Tell yourself you will succeed and then you will believe, when you believe you will achieve! You've got this!
"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."
Have you ever worried about something and I don't mean like the occasional 'what am I gonna do about that?' I mean the full on biting your nails, can't get it out of your head, can't sleep at night kind of worry? And then it turns out it was an easy fix and you feel silly for worrying for so long? Dr. Seuss has been there! Sometimes we spend so much time worrying about something that we completely miss an easy fix! Remember all those tests that had trick questions? And when you reviewed the test, you thought to yourself, "wow, that was really simple, why did they make the question so complicated?" Life will do the same. Just stay calm because you know the answer.
"It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become."
So many people come from bad families, or grew up without a parent, and so on. They want to live in their past; however, if they would just focus on their future, they would see all of the amazing things they can become! You get to decide who you want to be, not you past, not you parents, not where you came from. You. And that's beautiful.
"Unless someone like YOU cares a whole awful lot, NOTHING is going to get better. It's NOT!"
This one should hit home for all of us. Everyone of us want to live in a better place. We want world peace, and more nature and less social media and more positivity but no one wants to take that first step. I think most of us in a way, feel insignificant. Like we cannot be the one to make the change. But that's the kind of mind set that is going to keep this world going at a downward spiral with no brakes. BE THE BRAKE. Stop underestimating yourself and stop spreading negativity. Start spreading positivity. This is something that I need to work on as well and this quote is hanging on my wall to remind of that.
No matter where you are in life, you have a choice to be whoever you want to be. Stop doubting yourself. Keep working hard and know that you will get there one day. And when you finally make it, then you can look back where you came from and truly realize how strong you are.