All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned From Dr. Suess

"Be who you are and say what you feel....because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -- Dr. Seuss



A blog I read had this quote in it a few days ago. And I started thinking of all the wisdom in the Dr. Seuss books.



Green Eggs and Ham teaches us to try new things.



And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street teaches us not to lie.



Yertle the Turtle teaches us to be happy with ourselves, no matter our station in life. And that the "Little People" do make a difference.



The Grinch and the Whos teach us the really meaning of the holiday season.



The Lorax teaches us the importance of taking care of our environment.



It's all there....love, happiness, respect, getting along with others, the importance of education and our beliefs, how to take care of others when they are old, sick, young, or in need.



I wonder if Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss's real name) was trying to teach the kids he wrote for about life's lessons or if that was just a good side effect. He started writing for the baby boomers of the 50's and was still going strong when I was a kid in the 70's. I doubt many of my generation can quote the Bible, but I'm willing to bet we all know and can quote a large part of our favorite Seussian book. I'm sure most of us don't know Amazing Grace, but I am pretty sure we can all sing along to "You're a mean one...Mr. Grinch."

So here's my take on the famous "All I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten"

All I Needed to Know about Life I Learned from Dr. Seuss

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned from reading Dr. Seuss.

These are the things I learned:

Everyone is important. (Yertle the Turtle)

Don't Lie (And to think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street)

Clean up after yourself (The Lorax)

Be Yourself (The Sneeches)

It's Ok to be Silly (There's a Wocket in my Pocket, Wacky Wednesday, et al)

Colors, Numbers, Letters, Learning is important (One fish, two fish/The ABC Book/Oh the Thinks you can Think)

Holidays are about people and love, not toys and food (How the Grinch stole Christmas)

Appreciate your parents (Hop on Pop)

Imagination is fun! (pick your favorite--it's in them all!)

The future is yours to make of it what you will. (Oh the places you'll go!)

Never give up. (The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins)

There are so many lessons Dr. Seuss gave us. It's all there. The wisdom of the ages, boiled down and distilled into the fun and silly world that is Dr. Seuss. None of it is so hard that a 6 year old can't get it, but the lessons are such that adults still struggle to follow them when they're 60. The world would be a better place if we all were a little more like Seuss's heroes.

Ok...so I'm not Robert Fulghum. But I know there are several of these lessons I'm still working on 30 years after I first learned them from Dr. Seuss. And if anyone asks...I may even share which ones. ;)