You Are Special

Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor
by Fred Rogers | Penguin Books © 1995 · 192 pages

I got this book after watching the wonderful (!) documentary on Mister Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It's a collection of wisdom gems from various sources-a quick-reading portal into Mister Rogers’ brain that has an amazingly calming, uplifting effect. (At least it did for me.) Simply reading his words seemed to elevate my consciousness and make me a kinder, more patient person. Big Ideas we explore include: Be the best at whatever you are, our #1 Job in life (hint: Encourage others!!), I Like You (just the way you are), being a living example, Mister Rogers' creativity (hello, torture!), perfect parents/kids? (nope!), and the gap (the essence of human creativity).


When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong along with the fearful, the true mixed in with the facade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way.
Fred Rogers

“I care deeply about communication, about words—what we say and what we hear.

While our television communication might look simple to some, it really isn’t. Children are not simple . . . neither are adults. I have always given a great deal of thought to how I present ideas during our television visits, and I’m always fascinated to hear how people have used what we have said—on television, in speeches, during interviews, and in our books. Often they’ve used our ideas in creative, productive ways I had never dreamed they could be used.

So may it be with the words in this book, which have been gathered from my speeches, songs, newspaper columns, books, and television programs. Once you’ve read them and made them your own, may they find their place in the innermost part of you—in that essential part of you that inspires you to be who you really are.”

~ Fred Rogers from You Are Special

I got this book after watching the wonderful (!) documentary on Mister Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

(Note: I simply can’t recommend that documentary enough. It’s an incredibly inspiring look behind-the-scenes into one humbly heroic man’s ministry to change the world one kid (and family) at a time.)

Technically, I got this book (and a couple others we’ll be profiling soon) after one of our Optimizers told me that Mister Rogers had some great books in a little comment on our Oasis. (Thank you, Stephana!!)

This book is a collection of wisdom gems from various sources. It’s a quick-reading portal into Mister Rogers’ brain that has an amazingly calming, uplifting effect. At least it did for me. Simply reading his words seemed to elevate my consciousness and make me a kinder, more patient person. (Get a copy of the book here.)

As always, it’s packed with Big Ideas. And, as always, I’m excited to share some of my favorites we can apply to our lives TODAY so let’s jump straight in!

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About the author

Authors

Fred Rogers

America's Favorite Neighbor.