Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Children's Books

As an adult I have often forgotten and then been reminded of the important lessons I have learned when I was a child. Important topics about the nature of reality, kindness, caring, sharing, personal development and a love for the environment are all covered by popular children's stories. I would like to provide a list of the most influential books and stories from my childhood that can change the world if taken to heart.1.) The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
This story teaches us the value of selflessness and the ability to find happiness in ourselves from creating happiness in others. The book is simple yet effective at conveying one of the most important keys to happiness in life. Its evocative producing a deep emotional connection to the sessile protagonist. The tree gives all it can to manifest happiness in the small boy who comes to play with the tree. As the boy grows older he begins to lose sight of what brings him happiness and eventually falls into the grips of materialism to fulfill his desires. This story can make even the strongest of men shed a tear as the story progresses to its ultimate conclusion.
Teaching people about the truths in life can be as simple as a story about a boy and his tree. The importance of giving rather than receiving is something that can not be stressed enough in life. We are taught as children to share our toys with our friends, clean up after ourselves and to play nice. All of these things accomplish the task of manifesting happiness in those around us. It is not stressed enough that when we make others happy that we too can share in that happiness. It all to often becomes a game in which happiness for ourselves is separate from other's happiness and dependent on the actions that we perform to improve our status, obtain new possessions or improve our position. It has been shown that money and material possessions can only increase happiness up to a certain point by alleviating the stress of financial burden after which increases in wealth causes no increase in overall satisfaction in life. In recent years new research into happiness has revealed that the modern American is by no means happier than individuals in some of the poorest places on earth. The dream of capitalism is that we can obtain a better position in life through materialism and therefore increase our overall happiness. This is indeed false. The story of 'The Giving Tree' shows us that we can give and give until there is no more to give and still achieve happiness. Possessions do not contain happiness as it can not be quantified and distilled down into a measurable product. Happiness comes from within all of us and can be manifested infinitely without bounds. I believe that we should all take the message of 'The Giving Tree' to heart and start teaching ourselves and others the value of finding joy from producing happiness in others.
2.) The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

The Lorax is a character that lives in the forest of Truffula trees, a tree that is capable of making a versatile product know as "Thneeds". The Lorax represents the voice of the forest and its inhabitants, speaking out against any who might bring harm to the forest. Told in retrospect, the story begins with a boy asking the Once-ler how the area has become so delapidated. It begins with the arrival of the antagonist the Once-ler and so begins the ominous decline and eventual eradication of the Truffula trees due to over-harvesting. The Once-ler produces Thneeds from the Truffula trees which begin to grow in popularity. In order to keep up with demand the Once-ler increases his production and industrializes his operation. This in turn cause the extradition of the forest inhabitants via the destruction of their environment. The eventual over-harvesting leads to the detriment of the environment and the eventual extinction of the Truffula tree. A glimmer of hope is left at the end of the story as the Once-ler has a change of heart and realizes the folly of his actions. The final hope lies in a single seed that the Once-ler hands to the boy which was can one day restore the Truffula trees to the area.
The message of conservation and responsibility ring loud and true through the small orange protagonist. The Lorax can be viewed as a true 'tree hugger' speaking out against deforestation and over-consumption. The story also highlights the role that capitalism plays in destroying our environment; produce to consume. This cycle of production and consumption exhibits no upper bound as long as resources are plentiful. This model however is unsustainable and is exemplified by the destruction of the Truffula tree and the inhabitants of the Truffula forest. Modern day correlates can be made when looking at the ever growing use of palm oil for industrial and consumer products. Increased demand of palm oil has led to the destruction of habitats for many animals including orangutans (another orange creature displaced by deforestation). There are many more examples of this wanton destruction in the name of profit including the pollution of rivers, desertification and other forms of wildlife habitat destruction. The story of the Lorax is a cautionary tale to say the least. It tells us all of the woes of capitalism along with teaching us that there is a need for personal responsibility and ethics when practicing business. Unsustainable business models are exactly that, unsustainable. Let us all remember the story of the Lorax when we conduct ourselves in an ecological and ethical manner and not be blinded by dreams of fortune which is fleeting .
3.) Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

This is a book that needs very little explanation. Everyone poops. Period. Thats the message delivered throughout this short 27 page book. It shows various animals performing the act of defecating, hippos, lions, alligators, rabbits, you name it and it is pooping.
A story about defecation may seem uninspired at first but on closer examination there is a fundamental message that is most often forgotten in modern culture, we are all the same. We all poop is  a great way to deliver a powerful message. Individuals lead seemingly very diverse lives, CEO of a powerful Fortune 500 company, street peddler in Venezuela, a conductor of a symphony. What do they all have in common? Whoever you may be (or whatever) as long as you are a biological organism you will possess the need to intake energy and expel waste. This commonality underlies all living systems and unifies all organisms under this unifying banner. As children grow up they begin to become trained that what goes on in the bathroom is private and personal. A person may even begin to become ashamed about the most natural of human occurences. It is so natural that next to sleeping we will spend more time on the toilet than any other activity. Creating an understanding of how each human is living a life that is analogous to our own is vitally important to manifest an understanding of how to treat one another in our daily lives. Each individual could easily be us only living a different life under different circumstances. This idea can bring about a feeling of compassion and empathy that is not possible when each individual is viewed as disparate from our own personal experience.
4.) Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Green eggs and ham is the story of a tenacious little fellow who wishes to open the eyes (and tastebuds) of a reluctant friend to new experiences. The story details the opposition to trying a somewhat odd colored pair of eggs paired with a not so unusual slice of ham. Various locales and conditions are proposed in order to facilitate the sampling of the proposed dish but all are met with disdain and intractable replies. The story ultimately concludes with the tasting of the green eggs and ham and the unexpected enjoyment by the friend pressured to do so.
Although the methods of the green and eggs advocate may be questionable the point of the story is still viable. The openness to try new things is one that will generally lead to a more rich and fulfilling life. Everything in life at one point was tried for the first time. Some things are quite important and useful, like walking, talking and breathing for example. Others are more acquired like sushi, chocolate covered beetles, coffee and many of 'delicacies'. Keeping an open mind and finding experiences that make life rich and meaningful are essential to creating a life worth living. Having opportunities for growth accompanied by fear of the unknown are commonplace and should be embraced if one ever wishes to grow as a human being. Most fears are irrational and provide nothing to enhance our experience of reality. Freeing ourselves from our irrational fears can open up many new opportunities that otherwise would have been left unexplored. The fear of the unknown can manifest itself in all forms. The fear of jumping out of an airplane, the fear to workout, the fear of tasting a new dish and the list goes on and on. Each of these all have a perceived level of   danger associated with them and each will lead to new experiences once the initial fear has been conquered. Creating new opportunities is essential to vitality and the human experience. Experience life for what it is and be open to new possibilities in all of their various forms to have a more rich and fulfilling life (even when colored green).
In SummaryI am sure that there are a ton of books that could fill the place of the ones I have listed. I believe that these books exemplify how a simple message can be packaged in a small space and can lead to profound changes in thinking and activity. If all of us could take the messages we learned as children and take them to heart we can impact massive change in both ourselves and our society. Lets remember to give more than we receive, be willing to try new things, protect our planet earth and the environment in which we live and always remember that we are all the same (yes, we all poop).