I think it’s safe to say that Dr. Seuss’s work has affected us all, whether as children, or even now. Regardless, Dr. Seuss’s skill at channeling his creativity through literature is apparent. Here are some quotes that bring out the best of the our childhood hero:

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

So many things are temporary. This quote reminds us to not ruin happy memory by being sad that those times are over, but to just keep going and remain positive.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax

The Lorax tells the story of how the Once-ler, consumed by greed, chops down all the Truffula trees to make his Thneeds. The Lorax, protector of the trees, tries to stop him, but the Once-ler doesn’t listen. At the end of the story, the Once-ler gives away the last Truffula seed, with the challenge to plant it and take care of it. Because nothing was going to change if someone didn’t care.

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!” – Happy Birthday to You!

Sometimes we need to celebrate ourselves. How unique we all are. You are the only you out there.

“Kid, you’ll move mountains!” – Oh, The Places You’ll Go

Dr. Seuss isn’t talking to all the doctors out there, or the lawyers, or even the adults. He’s talking to a kid. Just an average person. The kid who sits in front of you in English who’s always texting. The person who sits next to you on the bus every day whose name you can’t remember. He’s talking to all those people.

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

We have this obsession with fitting in and just being “normal.” Every one of us has something to show the world, and it would be so much easier if we were okay with standing out.

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue FishSometimes we just need to take a deep breath and laugh. We get so caught up in our schedules that we forget to laugh. And no matter how rough things seem, there’s always something to laugh about.

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Horton Hears a Who!

This quote is so much more relevant than we think. The word “small” really just means “different.” What this quote is really trying to get at is that a person’s a person no matter their race, their religion, their salary, their appearance.