Brain Bulletin #46 - Terry Small's Favourite Brain Book

in Brain Bulletin

My Favorite book was just named one of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.

Here it is:

I love this book.

Are you surprised? Don't be. This book has incredible relevance for leaders, parents, students, and teachers.It has relevance for you!

It is the most impactful book I have ever read on producing results. Share it with everyone you know. It is a book about your brain.

I fly to Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday to speak to a group of leaders on "The Leadership Brain" (I love my job). When I get back I will tell you about a very important, recent discovery about your brain.

Enjoy:

Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places you'll Go

Oh, the Places you'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
Youre off to Great Places!
Youre off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
Youre on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy wholl decide where to go.

you'll look up and down streets. Look em over with care.
About some you will say, I dont choose to go there.
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

Its opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,v dont worry. Dont stew.
Just go right along.
you'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES you'll GO!

you'll be on your way up!
you'll be seeing great sights!
you'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You wont lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
you'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you dont
Because, sometimes, you wont.

Im sorry to say so
but, sadly, its true
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.

you'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when youre in a Slump,
youre not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly theyre darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple its not, Im afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place

for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
Thats not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
you'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because youre that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! you'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they dont.
Because, sometimes, they wont.

Im afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you cant win
cause you'll play against you.

All alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when youre alone, theres a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you wont want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

you'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
you'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Lifes
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
youre off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So get on your way!
(end)

What more is there to say?