“Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”
This month, we want to recommend a book that appears, at first glance, to be a children’s story. But behind its colorful illustrations and simple rhymes lies a moving essay on facing the fear of failure, the need to be bold and try, and the dreams that can only come true when we step outside our comfort zone and follow our natural curiosity.
Dr. Seuss is not a behavioral economics expert but trust us: once you find a reason to pick up this book, you won’t regret it. It speaks to anyone who has faced a challenge, experienced failure, or hesitated before taking a risk and stepping into something new. It speaks to anyone who has found themselves waiting for change to happen while letting the present slip by. In short, it is a book about all of us.
Even those who are unfamiliar with Dr. Seuss’s work cannot help but identify with the small character who sets out on a new path and gets lost in a fantastical world, only to learn a thing or two about life. The hero discovers that sometimes you need to change your familiar surroundings. But out in the wider world, dangers lurk, and we quickly learn that getting out of trouble is not always easy. Somehow, through a fantastical world and the eyes of a childlike hero, it becomes easier to let down our defenses and truly hear the author’s message: that life is the wisdom of balance.
In so few words, Dr. Seuss manages to pack in remarkable insights about life, without effort and without ever sounding preachy. I came across this book by chance, and only later discovered that it is well known among professional coaches and mentors. It is a wonderful, humor-filled pause in any process of growth and goal-setting.
Happy reading!
