Going to University and taking a psychology course one is bound to come across the works of Walter Bradford Cannon. He stated that the human nervous system responds to perceived threats by either fighting the response or by fleeing (taking flight) from the threat. His work details how our lives want to be in a state of homeostasis (in other words, being in equilibrium, or harmony with itself). When a point of stress or emotional stretching to our normal comfort levels occurs, we will take a fight or flight response. I would like to offer three variations on this idea of “fight or flight” in how we apply this psychological principle in our lives by looking at three separate principles.
1. We try to fight in order to take flight
2. While we are in flight we want to stay in sight
3. Whether we fight or take flight, rest is always best
I am reminded of the importance of “fighting” perceived obstacles in our lives that discourage us from achieving our goals by reading about the journey of Dr. Seuss. A writer at an early age, Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote in his local college fraternity humor magazine. During the Great Depression, Geisel supported himself and his family by drawing advertisements for household named companies like Ford, General Electric and Standard Oil. Always attentive to life’s simple and complex mannerisms, Geisel was inspired to write his first book after listening to the rhythms of a ships engine. After writing And to Think that I Saw it On Mulburry Street Geisel went to a publishing company to see how his work could be developed further. After being rejected, Geisel, who was using the pen name Dr. Seuss for his work, went to another publisher, and then to another, and then to another, and then to another and finally after the 27th, rejection, Seuss found a publisher who was willing to publish his first book. It was during this journey that Seuss wrote other children’s books as well as political cartoons for daily newspapers. He, along with a business partner Ralph Warren, tried to invent an Infantograph (a device that could tell parents what their child would look like when they were older). It was also shortly after getting this first work published where Seuss turned his interests to political causes getting involved in the US military and writing scripts for films that dealt with conflict.
It was not until later on where Seuss was inspired to write several other children’s books like Horton Hears a Who, The Cat in the Hat, and The Grinch that Stole Christmas to name a few. Being aware of his limitations as well as his strengths, Seuss always had a knack for the creative.
Here’s what he had to say about his inspiration for the Grinch that Stole Christmas
I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of
last December when I noted a very Grinchish countenance
in the mirror. It was Seuss! Something had gone wrong with
Christmas, I realized, or more likely with me. So I wrote
the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I
could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.
Through writing several popular and inspiring works, Seuss never won some of the well-known awards for children’s literature such as a Newberry Award. Although not recognized in formal award for his children’s literature, Seuss’ imagination lives on through his motivational characters like the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, and Horton. Seuss suggested that the imagination leads to discoveries that the mind cannot fathom. Looking at Dr. Seuss’ journey in life, we see that there were lots of struggles. Through a desire to not just fight, but to cooperate with his struggles, and rest in his creativity and resiliency, Seuss discovered ways to overcame challenges. The gift of imagination, and the awareness of life’s intimate yet seemingly mundane idiosyncrasies brought new worlds and new characters to life.
When we choose to fight in order to take flight, we can embrace our God given imaginations as a thing of beauty as we become aware of our unique and awesomely crafted imaginations.
1. We try to fight in order to take flight
2. While we are in flight we want to stay in sight
3. Whether we fight or take flight, rest is always best
I am reminded of the importance of “fighting” perceived obstacles in our lives that discourage us from achieving our goals by reading about the journey of Dr. Seuss. A writer at an early age, Theodor Seuss Geisel wrote in his local college fraternity humor magazine. During the Great Depression, Geisel supported himself and his family by drawing advertisements for household named companies like Ford, General Electric and Standard Oil. Always attentive to life’s simple and complex mannerisms, Geisel was inspired to write his first book after listening to the rhythms of a ships engine. After writing And to Think that I Saw it On Mulburry Street Geisel went to a publishing company to see how his work could be developed further. After being rejected, Geisel, who was using the pen name Dr. Seuss for his work, went to another publisher, and then to another, and then to another, and then to another and finally after the 27th, rejection, Seuss found a publisher who was willing to publish his first book. It was during this journey that Seuss wrote other children’s books as well as political cartoons for daily newspapers. He, along with a business partner Ralph Warren, tried to invent an Infantograph (a device that could tell parents what their child would look like when they were older). It was also shortly after getting this first work published where Seuss turned his interests to political causes getting involved in the US military and writing scripts for films that dealt with conflict.
It was not until later on where Seuss was inspired to write several other children’s books like Horton Hears a Who, The Cat in the Hat, and The Grinch that Stole Christmas to name a few. Being aware of his limitations as well as his strengths, Seuss always had a knack for the creative.
Here’s what he had to say about his inspiration for the Grinch that Stole Christmas
I was brushing my teeth on the morning of the 26th of
last December when I noted a very Grinchish countenance
in the mirror. It was Seuss! Something had gone wrong with
Christmas, I realized, or more likely with me. So I wrote
the story about my sour friend, the Grinch, to see if I
could rediscover something about Christmas that obviously I’d lost.
Through writing several popular and inspiring works, Seuss never won some of the well-known awards for children’s literature such as a Newberry Award. Although not recognized in formal award for his children’s literature, Seuss’ imagination lives on through his motivational characters like the Cat in the Hat, the Lorax, and Horton. Seuss suggested that the imagination leads to discoveries that the mind cannot fathom. Looking at Dr. Seuss’ journey in life, we see that there were lots of struggles. Through a desire to not just fight, but to cooperate with his struggles, and rest in his creativity and resiliency, Seuss discovered ways to overcame challenges. The gift of imagination, and the awareness of life’s intimate yet seemingly mundane idiosyncrasies brought new worlds and new characters to life.
When we choose to fight in order to take flight, we can embrace our God given imaginations as a thing of beauty as we become aware of our unique and awesomely crafted imaginations.
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