From getting along with others to standing up for yourself to acceptance of life’s difficulties, Dr. Seuss’s  (Theodor Geisel) stories can teach us a lot about how to navigate through the world.  His stories are often silly and fun, but they are also wise, perceptive and full of good advice.

In honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and National Reading Day, here are some of the lessons we can learn from Dr. Seuss.

• It’s important to stand up for yourself and stick to your values, even when you’re worried about what others will think or believe that your point of view is unimportant.

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant.”

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

“I know up on the top you are seeing great sights, but down at the bottom we, too, should have rights. “Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories””

• In life we all need things that produce positive emotions both in the short term and long term.  We are happier if we find things we enjoy and do them.

“If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good”

• You can improve how you are thinking about your current circumstances and change how you feel about them.

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

• Both good times and bad times come and go.  Enjoy the good times while they’re here and let them pass on when tomorrow comes.

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

• Don’t underestimate your ability to solve your own problems and make your own decisions.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

• Finally, Dr. Seuss knew that it is important to acknowledge the realities of the world and a given situation, even if you don’t like them.

“I’m sorry to say so but, sadly it’s true that bang-ups and hang-ups can happen to you”

Thank you to Dr. Seuss for sharing his world and wisdom with us all.  These are just a few of his insights into maintaining your mental well-being.  Please share any quotes or themes from Dr. Seuss that resonate with you in the comments section.

Photo by Wendy Piersall, available under a Creative Commons attribution license.

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    Last reviewed: 21 Mar 2011