Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
“Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
“I’m sorry to say so
But, sadly, it’s true
That Bang-ups
And hang-ups
Can happen to you.
“You can get all hung up
In a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.”
-from Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
Oh, The Places You’ll go was the last book Dr. Seuss published before he died. A man known for cheerful nonsensical stories like the Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham, he could have written something optimistic about how life’s journey is smooth and easy and we can all be happy all the time.
But that would not have been real.
Instead, Dr. Seuss chose to write an authentic book about what it’s really like to live on this earth. About how life is messy and how, sometimes, you are flying high and feel like nothing bad can happen and then, CRASH! you are gob-smacked by an event you didn’t see coming.
It sucks.
“You’ll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you’ll be in a Slump”.
At that point, you have a choice. You can let that crash define you, you can wallow in pity and frustration. Or you can move on.
You can pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and move forward one step at a time; but that’s not as simple as it sounds.
“And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.”
There’s hard work involved and it might feel easier to stay in the slump for a while. Yet, there’s no reward in the slump and, if you’re honest with yourself, it’s not an enjoyable experience. Because there’s nothing worse than knowing great things are out there and that you aren’t taking advantage of them.
Getting out of the slump requires intentional action. You have to plan your next step. And it takes courage because you might not know the end result.
“On and on you will hike.
And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
And you might find yourself lonely and scared and confused, but you are in charge and that’s something.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.”
One day, you might look back and realize that the slump is further behind you than you thought. You will feel encouraged to keep going. And that’s something too.
“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)”