5 Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss…

Dr. Seuss – Ted Seuss Geisel – was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, children’s author of all time.? He created over 60 incredibly imaginative and inspiring stories that to this day educate and entertain tens of millions.?Perhaps not surprisingly then, there’s also a lot to glean not just from his books, but from his journey -- which also included an Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and sales of over 700 million books. ?

Thinking of that we can simply say, that’s a lot. ?But it didn’t start out that way. ?No, it did not…?

Perseverance:?Ted Geisel didn’t magically become Dr. Seuss…He was voted least likely to succeed by his classmates at Dartmouth College. ?He was turned down 27 times before he got his first cartoonist job at a weekly. ?Then, after creating his first book he had to convince the publishing gatekeepers that his book – being completely unlike any of the successful children’s titles of the past -- was worth a try.?

UNLESS someone like you

?Cares a whole awful lot

?Nothing is going to get better

?It’s not.

How can you bet on yourself again and again to increase your career odds?

The Intersection of Your Personal Venn Diagram ?Dr. Seuss was good at illustrating, but wanted to be free to follow his own passions – mostly centered on adult humor. Early in his career he found a partial path to financial freedom by producing advertising copy for, of all things, Flit mosquito spray and Standard Oil.??Despite these long-term and well-paying side hustles he was still constrained from doing what he loved.?These same work agreements prohibited him from pursuing almost all other creative outlets…that is, except “brat books”…

The sun did not shine.

It was too wet to play.

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold, wet day.

???????????????????????

?

What are you good at? What do you like to do??What type of work will enable the lifestyle that you want??

Honing Your Skills?Dr. Seuss was a successful, but not wildly successful, writer when he agreed to teach a University of Utah course on writing for youth audiences.?The preparation for that class forced him to reflect on what interested children in his books.?And this reflection drove his own framework around children’s needs – security, belonging, to love and be loved, to achieve, to know, for aesthetic satisfaction, and a need for change – that he would use to create more than 60 Dr. Seuss books over a 53 year career.?

Van Ness has enjoyed a high rate of success

In his pioneer work in the Study of Stress.

So, you can be sure, he will stress you a trifle,

Then he’ll send you around to see Dr. Von Eiffel.

When you reflect why you are good at what you do can you identify and create a framework that could help you produce consistently outstanding results?

Talent Multiplies Talent?During World War II, Dr. Seuss worked closely with three time Academy Award director Frank Capra (It’s a Wonderful Life) and Chuck jones (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner) creating instructional and propaganda films for the troops.?Later, he collaborated with The Berenstain Bears creators, PD Eastman (Go, Dog. Go!), and many more as the chief editor of Random House’s beginner books division.??

Every Who down in Who-ville,

?The tall and the small,

?Was singing!

?Without any presents at all!

? ?

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn famously said that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.? Who are your five?

It’s Never too Late ?At age 51, Dr. Seuss had only two widely recognizable children’s books under his belt – And to Think I Saw it On Mulberry Street and Horton Hears a Who!? At age 53 he created The Cat in the Hat and the How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?At age 67, influenced by the environmental movement, came The Lorax.?At age 86, Dr. Seuss published his last work – Oh, the Places You Will Go.

Why!?He’ll be a Hero!

Of course he won’t mind

When he finds that he has

?A big circus behind.

?

Tomorrow is so, so far away…What can you do, to start today?

#lifelessons #DrSeuss #TheCatInTheHat

Chris Carvalho has been blessed to be an executive and board member at some of the most iconic (Lucasfilm) and impactful (Roblox) entertainment and technology companies in the world.?Reflecting on his personal Venn diagram has allowed him to pursue a new potential “once in a lifetime” job – as the co-writer and producer of, Classified , a TV show pilot.?His favorite Dr. Seuss stories include How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, If I Ran the Circus, and the Lorax.

More from Chris:

What does Your Customer Want??Three Lessons

25 Thoughts to Guide Your Career and Life

What You Should Have Learned in Middle School, But Didn’t

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