How Dr. Seuss Helped Me Go to Great Places!
February 27, 2011
Generations of children have cut their reading teeth on the simple rhymes of Dr. Suess. Who could forget “The Cat in the Hat,” or “Horton Hears a Who”? We’ve shared the endearing characters with our children and our grandchildren, knowing the whimsical stories, peppered with inspiration and insight, will live on in their memories, too.
MY own all-time favorite Dr. Seuss book is the last one he ever wrote. “Oh! The Places You’ll Go!” begins with the optimism and encouragement of great things to come with “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to great places! You’re off and away!”
Those words, as it turned out, have been the catalyst to many life-changing events over the years. I didn’t know it at the time, but they gave me the courage to walk through many doors of opportunity that came my way.
” You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
Who soar to high heights. “
Sounds silly, I know, if you think too long about it, but who couldn’t use a little dose of Dr. Seuss motivation from time to time? Words of encouragement, cloaked in the form of lyrical rhymes might be just what you need to motivate you to move forward in your journey.
One such opportunity changed my life, drastically. I had been a member of Toastmasters for about a year – having attended simply to learn the art of public speaking—and I was invited to moderate a federal debate for an election. Gulp. My lips moved and I heard myself say “Yes!” without even a pause! The voice inside my head, however, was screaming, “No you can’t do that! You’ll make a fool of yourself and the Club!”
Well, thankfully, I ignored those whispers and I followed my instincts. “You CAN do this,” I told myself, drowning out the sound of self-doubt. “Yes, you can.” And I did.
There were loads of people in attendance, and the media was there. Yes, media! A television crew was eagerly waiting to broadcast all the mistake and missteps of my debut.
Looking out at the 350 people that filled the room, waiting for me to speak, I heard:
” You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose. “
And since that day, I’ve never looked back. I conquered my fear, shook off any self-doubt, and discovered I loved it! Who knew how much I would enjoy speaking in front of crowds of people?
Stepping outside my comfort zone, and facing my fears, has opened up so many doors of opportunity for me. And the cherries on the top of it all, is the self-esteem and self-confidence I found through public speaking.
Just as Suess’ pajama-clad hero was up to the challenge, I, too, climbed my mountain—and life looks pretty awesome from up here!
” So . . . .
Be your name Buxbaum or Bixy or Bray
Or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
You’re off to Great Places!
Your mountain is waiting.
So….. get on your way! “
A special thanks to Heidi Cohen, who inspired this blog post, with her We Love Bloggers contest. It was great fun revisiting the magic that is still being shared by so many children around the world.
photo: Joe Shlabotnik
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