Never Give Up

Dr. Seuss. (Photograph by Al Ravenna, New York World-Telegram and the Sun staff photographer, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.)

William “Bud” Hart, of Haverhill, shares “Success Principles”—ideas for living a greater, better and more accomplished life, and building habits that stick. He also coaches clients to incorporate strategies for boosting their mental and physical performance during everyday living.

William “Bud” Hart, of Haverhill, shares “Success Principles”—ideas for living a greater, better and more accomplished life, and building habits that stick. He also coaches clients to incorporate strategies for boosting their mental and physical performance during everyday living.

It’s Sunday night. Just days away from the start of the July 4th weekend and just hours before I usually submit an article for Monday’s WHAV news publication. Maybe it’s because I scheduled myself to have several days off from writing over the 4th holiday, I am not sure, but my mind decided to start a bit early. I am struck with writer’s block. I’ve had a number of ideas (all going nowhere), now my imagination has taken over and my fear that I will not overcome this writing block is solid.

Just as I was about to give in to the block and give up on having an article for today an idea did come to mind in the words of the Poet Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If I can’t be creative, maybe I can at least make you feel good with this story about Theodor Seuss Geisel.

Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss had his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, rejected 27 times before it was finally published by Vanguard Press in 1937. Geisel was walking along Madison Avenue in New York, reportedly planning to burn the book in his apartment’s incinerator when he arrived home. As fate would have it, he ran into an old school friend, Mike McClintock, who that very morning had started a job as juvenile editor at the Vanguard Press. Within hours, a contract was signed and the literary career of Dr. Seuss was launched. “If I had been going down the other side of Madison Avenue, I’d be in the dry-cleaning business today,” Geisel later said.

So as you head into the work week this Monday morning (and every morning) wondering about what today and the days ahead may have in store for your hopes and desires keep the story of Dr. Seuss in mind. Keep dreaming, moving forward and good things happen.

You may soon forget this article, but I’ll consider it a success if you read it with a smile and feel a greater sense of inspiration, hope and purpose. That’s a message in itself and one worth sharing.

William “Bud” Hart is a certified “Mindset” Coach, Accountability Partner and strengthen Business Consultant. Founder of Hart Group, www.hartgroupma.com.