An amazing man and writer once said, “Sometimes the questions
are complicated and the answers are simple.”
He also said, “When beetles fight these battles in a bottle
with their paddles and the bottle’s on a poodle and the poodle’s eating noodles…they
call this a muddle puddle tweetle poodle beetle noodle bottle paddle battle.”
So...upon further review maybe he was not an expert on the
difference between simple and complicated after all. He was, however, one of the most influential
writers in American history. He wrote and
illustrated over 40 children’s books, which have been translated into more than
15 languages. He has sold over 200
million copies. And I am proud to say that
a handful of those copies reside in my home and my office.
You may wonder why a seasoned business professional such as
myself, (pause while my co-workers get their laughing under control), would
need children’s books on her office shelves.
Well, I would love to tell you. I
think many years ago, that man with crazy ideas and rhyming words, got it right
on a whole lot of things. Including the
idea that we very often over complicate things.
For that reason, when difficult issues arise in my work place, I often
turn to works such as those by Dr. Seuss to make a resounding impact on groups of
all levels who often start out thinking, “Is she seriously fixing to make us
sit in a circle while she reads us a children’s book.” The answer is always, YES!
Those same groups have experienced laughter, tears, and
awesome fashion as we have adopted new, less complicated, ways of looking at
what truly are big issues.
So
today, one day past what would have been Dr. Seuss’s 110th birthday,
I invite you to join me in celebrating Read Across America Day by diving into
some great children’s literature. A few
of my favorites that I have used over the years are shown below. I have tried and true success stories to go
with each, but I encourage you to dive into some new literature of your own
with the children in your home or community.
You just might be surprised how much you both take away!
Until next time…Peace, Love and People! And for those of you who love the Dr. as much
as I do, Act Swiftly Awesome Pachyderms!
Tiffany
