Each Monday, I would like to share a reminder about the importance of being mindful. These will come from literature, popular culture, music--anywhere one might get this sort of everyday life nudge.
Today's Mindful Monday reminder is actually a pair of quotes from the children's book The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss and the 2012 [3-D CGI] movie with the same title. These quotes serve as reminders that we must be aware of our role in our communities, our families, and our world.
In the first quote, Dr. Seuss reminds his readers that each person is important and has something to contribute; they must simply care enough to act.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
The second quote, from the film, is an excellent reminder that along with everything around us, we are not simply what we are at this time, but what we have yet to be. A beautiful sentiment of possibility and endless opportunity for positive growth.
“It's not about what it is, it's about what it can become.”
Like many authors before him, Dr. Seuss used his medium to convey a real message about what he saw in society. As is the case with other children's book authors, people may underestimate his ability to assess and critique society. Whether The Lorax is a fable demonstrating the dangers of corporate greed and its devastating effects on the environment or simply a children's story about a moustached creature speaking "for the trees," the story provides children and adults alike with plenty to ponder.
Both of these quotations can help to inspire us to be our best selves--to work each day to make progress and grow into the people we had always hoped we'd be--because if we don't put in the effort, who will?Labels: Mindful Mondays
