At times you may get stressed or feeling low because of life’s challenges that it affects your capability to adhere to a good neighbor policy. Everyone wants to be an excellent friend to someone, and feel loved back. And Fred Rogers knew how to make everyone feel better, even on their worst day. Oh, the things we have learned from Mr. Rogers!
When Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood made its television debut on February 19, 1968, the children’s program took many households by storm. Both kids and parents loved Mr. Rogers.
He brought fun puppet shows and soothing songs. But he also reminded us that everyone is unique and special by fostering feelings of self-worth. Also, he encouraged kids to be their best selves.
Fred Rogers greatly cared about educating children to be well-rounded people.is
However, Mr. Rogers is mainly remembered for his curiosity and his kind words that inspired both children and adults. Sometimes, it only takes only a positive attitude in life to see the vast opportunities for inventive thinking, love, and exciting experiences.
By the time of his death on February 27, 2003, Mr. Rogers had released 31 seasons of his shows, a whopping 895 episodes. The film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is soon to be released based on his teachings.
Still, today, when life’s twists and turns stress you out, you can turn to his wisdom and words of encouragement to cheer you.
Below is a collection of some of Mr. Rogers’ inspirational quotes that will almost certainly rock your neighborhood!
1 -“The world we live in needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile.”
An individual is the basic unit of his or her neighborhood–or the world at large. To create an atmosphere that makes feel self-confident and secure, each person must first see himself/herself as a worthy contributor.
2 – “No one else can lead the life you live.”
You are a unique being with unique thinking, values, principles, preferences, talents, abilities, etc. Thus, no other person can fit in your shoes. That demonstrates how worthy you are.
3 – “All of us, at some point or another, need help. Whether we are offering or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to the world. That is one of the things that unite us neighbors – in our own way, everyone is either a giver and a receiver.”
No one is an island, and rarely can one overcome the adversities in life without the support of others. Good neighbors help each other because each one has something different and valuable that the other person lacks. Play to your strengths!
4 – “There are three secrets to ultimate success: The first one is being kind. The second one is being kind. The third way is being kind.”
It is only by showing kindness to others that we can achieve real success in life.
5 – “It’s not what we own in this world that matters. It’s what we do with what we have.”
Here, Mr. Rogers teaches us that we shouldn’t squander what talents we have. Instead, we should find satisfaction in using what we have to advance in life. Only then can we be of help and value to others.
6 – “Often, when we think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
Usually, when you reach a specific goal or milestone, there are always new challenges ahead of you. The new phase calls for a new set of goals and will unlock the next opportunity.
7 – “I hope you find pride in yourself for the times you’ve said ‘yes’ when all it meant was extra work, which seemingly benefits the other individual.”
You need not only lend a helping hand when it is convenient for you. Sometimes you need to go the extra mile to help others (even when you have your problems to handle). It’s all part of being in “the neighborhood.”
8 – “You may take a lifetime to discover who you are, but it worth the effort.”
It may take time for someone to identify and understand their value and purpose in life. However, once he or she this information, it brings self-contentment.
9 -“The connections and people we meet during our lifetime – perhaps that’s what heaven is.”
More often than not, we meet different people with whom we create lasting relationships. Many of these people end up being good family members, friends, or neighbors. Those relationships are what we need to live happily and harmoniously.
10 – “The act of forgiving is a strange thing because it is easy to forgive an enemy than a friend. It is even hardest to forgive the people we love. Like other life skills, the ability to forgive and let go of the bitterness is a character that culminates at an early age.”
It is human nature to easily forgive and forget an enemy when s/he has wronged us. But sometimes it is difficult to forgive someone we love. Nonetheless, parents can teach their children how to forgive and forget while their children are still young.
11 – “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It’s an active noun such as ‘struggle.’ To love someone is to try to accept the way s/he is right here and right now.”
No one was created perfectly. Every person has their flaws, shortcomings, and some qualities that may not appeal to everyone else. Therefore, you can only love a person after you accept that they are prone to making mistakes and errors. Love is all about embracing other people, flaws, and all!
12 – “If you only knew how important you are to the people you’ve met; how important you can be to the individuals you may never dream of.”
There is always a lasting impression you leave in every interaction you have with a person.
13 – “Anything human is worth mentioning, and anything mentionable can be managed. When we share our inner feelings, we become less overwhelmed, less upset, and less scared. The people we trust with such a conversation can help us understand that we are not alone.”
A problem shared is half solved. When we share our fears and challenges, we tend to feel relieved, and life becomes more tolerable and bearable. We need other people who can listen to us and offer solutions to our problems.
14 – “It is a human need to be loved. The greatest thing to do is to let others feel like they are loved, and they are capable of loving back.”
To coexist as good neighbors, we need to show love to others. Everyone longs for affection. In turn, those individuals will realize that they are loved and will love in return.
15 – “Anyone who does something to help a child in this world is a hero.”
Children are innocent. Because they are the future generation, we should strive to pass on our knowledge, values, and morals. So, by helping a child, you are nurturing the next leaders, administrators, role models, doctors, philanthropists, etc. That makes you worthy in your neighborhood.
16 – “We exist in a world that requires collective responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘That’s not my kid, not my neighborhood, not my world, or not my problem.’ Then there are those people who identify the need and respond. I consider them my heroes.”
The world requires everyone to understand that we need to come together to solve the problems we face as a society. Furthermore, we must discover the courage inside ourselves to offer timely responses and solutions to these issues.
17 – “We cannot always achieve success in what we try – especially not in the ideal world – but it’s not the honors, awards, or the fancy things that nourish our souls. It is the understanding that we can be trusted, that we need not fear the truth, and that the basis of our existence is good stuff.”
We may try multiple times to achieve a particular goal or prize. We don’t get satisfaction through the material rewards or recognition we get. True happiness comes from the understanding that other people can trust in us without fearing the truth.
18 – “There’s no ordinary life that is free of pain. It is the very fighting with our problems that propels our growth.”
Life is full of pains and struggles. In fact, one cannot live without experiencing these difficulties firsthand. Even so, it is the struggle to find solutions to these challenges and pains that fuel our strength and growth.
19 – “Picture what our communities would look like if every one of us felt tacitly mandated, as a worthy course, to speak a word of kindness to another person.”
A good neighbor policy starts with kindness. Our neighborhoods would be heavenly if everyone spoke words of kindness to other people and nurtured warm friendships.
Final Thoughts on Getting Inspired by the Kindness of Mr. Rogers
Life is full of opportunities to experience the goodness and values of other individuals. Many successful adults grew up watching Mr. Rogers on PBS and took away valuable life lessons.
Most importantly, we learned that the material things in life don’t matter. Indeed, the things that matter most are kindness, learning to shoot for the moon, and developing a strong sense of self. From there, any child can blossom into a well-rounded person who matters to their community or neighborhood.
