This particular piece is sort of a companion to the last one, about “Starting Where You Are”. Only it will be shorter. I promise. I have come to suspect that I might be prone to wordiness, and I am trying to embrace the concept of “less is more” when it comes to the spilling of my thoughts. A shorter message is more likely to be read, I believe. I am a great fan (yes, I am) of the late, great Theodore Geisel, aka “Dr. Seuss”, and as such chose to write a research paper about him last year. One of the things that struck me as I learned more about his life was the way in which his most famous literary works came to be.
In 1955, the illustrious Mr. Geisel was challenged by William Spaulding, the director of Houghton Mifflin's educational division, to write a new kind of reading primer for children, in order to battle the growing levels of illiteracy in America. Spaulding gave him a list of only 225 words to work with, and once he began attempting to create something within those limits, he described the experience as being one of the most difficult of his life. He described it like "being lost with a witch in a tunnel of love", and said that "The only job I ever tackled that I found more difficult was when I wrote the Baedeker guide Eskimos use when they travel to Siam".
The result was, of course, “The Cat in the Hat” and the other outrageously popular childrens’ books that followed. I would wager that every one of you reading this now could quote from memory at least one line from one of those books. You all know who “Sam-I-am” is, and just how passionately he wants to share his green eggs and ham. “Thing One and Thing Two” are likely not unknown to you. So what is my point? My point is that having only the stripped-down basics to work with was what ultimately produced, for Dr. Seuss, what many consider to be his most brilliant and enduring works. In other words, less became more.
Having previously stated that I have ditched “The List” and that making a "Big Plan" is not part of my nature, I do concede to the fact that if we are to make any progress in this life, there needs to be at least a seedling of an idea of how to go about that. But to set “all or nothing” goals which fly out the window at the first sign of failure is not the way to do it. At least not for me. So I have created for myself a stripped-down basic motto that I can live with. One that does not evaporate the first time I violate it. One that can always apply, and this is it: One Better Choice at a Time.
I can always make a better choice than the last one. Always. This applies to both small and large choices. If I just had a big 44-ounce Dr. Pepper when I have attempted to swear off sugar and caffeine forever, I can have a smaller one the next time. And a smaller diet one the time after that. If I fail to say a prayer of gratitude on my way out the door one day, I can whisper a short one on the run in my car the next time. And I can properly get on my knees the time after that. A little better is still better. If I wrote a really long and wordy blog post last time, I can make it shorter this time. I can choose better words and be more specific. And I can leave it at one basic fundamental thought, rather than expounding for another page. One better choice at a time.
Is Spaulding related to the Spaulding reading method that Dr Sorenson teaches? Geisel was challenged more than once on the way to fame, as I recall, maybe twice by Spaulding. At the time Cat in the Hat came out, he had been making only about $2000 per month off his 20 or so books. He became an instant millionaire and then the funniest thing happened. His millions doubled because people took interest in him as an author and started buying up the 20 books he had honed his skills on. I think that a lot of current research in psychology supports your idea of one better choice at a time. Somebody spoke to my class at ASU about research that showed that eating one little piece of polished carrot was shown to lead to a healthier future. It causes a long list of intermediate effects such as you see yourself eating healthier, you see the other carrots in the refrigerator, you see your arm reaching for the carrot, you displace some other food, you displace some other habit for that second--it is all about habits and incrementally improving them. Improving on the improving is important, too. The most successful people seem to have practiced the art of incremental improvement, usually on a hobby, first, and then applied it to their careers and relationships.
ReplyDeleteDavid, thanks for the additional research. The woman behind the reading method my mother teaches was named Ramaulda(sp?)Spalding.(Different spelling and no relation to William Spaulding). My mother trained directly under her when she was learning the method, and now is one of relatively few specialists in the country who teach that method of phonetic reading instruction to other teachers. If you want to know more about Theodore Geisel, there is an excellent book, called "Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel" that you should check out. I appreciate your comments!
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