A five-minute reset with more wisdom than most business books
Heading into a long weekend, I’ve had so many conversations with people saying the same thing: “I want to read more.” “I need something to lift me.”
“I just don’t know where to start.”
So, here’s a little nudge: start small. Start easy. Have a bit of fun with it.
Start with something that might already be sitting (neglected) on your bookshelf - especially if you’ve got kids.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss might look like a bedtime story, but don’t be fooled. It’s punchy, poetic, truth-telling all disguised in rhyme. Many lines will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. He names the truth that most of us dodge - that life is full of ups and downs, waiting rooms, lonely places, and uncertain steps. But he also reminds us, boldly and repeatedly, that we are capable of navigating it all.
It speaks to the messy middle we often avoid talking about. The slumps. The waiting places. The lonely bits.
And it does it in a way that feels… kind. Hopeful. Empowering.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
It reminds us that leadership (and life) isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about taking the next step. Choosing again. Trusting your feet. Knowing you’ve got what it takes, even when the road is unclear. It’s not promising ease, but instead promoting agency.
This line that always sticks: “Unslumping yourself is not easily done.” It speaks into committed action right. It’s not about waiting for motivation, it’s about choosing to move, even when it’s hard. Especially then!
And then there’s The Waiting Place. A holding pattern of people stuck, hoping something will happen to them. Don’t sit still to avoid discomfort. What we really need is to get moving, even if the first step is messy.
I’ve read it to my kids, gifted it to execs, and pulled it off the shelf when I’ve needed a quiet reset. Every time, it lands.
So if you’re heading into the long weekend and feeling a bit frayed at the edges - grab a cuppa, pull out this book, and take five minutes to breathe. Read it in a difference lens, what lessons can you learn?
Because honestly? You’re still going places.
~ Lisa