Otterocity!

The other day I got a fortune cookie with my food, cracked it open, and read the tiny blue words on thin piece of paper. Like other fortunes found in cookies it was really vague.

Here is what it said:

"An old wish will come true."

Instantly my mind started racing.

What wish will that be?

. . . world peace.

. . . win the powerball jackpot.

. . . get a million dollar movie deal for my fantasy novel.

. . . get a promotion at work.

. . . go to Greece and travel Europe.

. . . become an olympic champion.

. . . win the Tour de France 8 times.

There were thousands of grand wishes that I had hoped for in the past. There are thousands of small wishes I hoped for in the past too. Then I thought a moment longer.

What are wishes anyway?

Wishes are hopes for change. They are a want for something more in our lives. They are the beginnins of goals and things to work for in your life so that the wish will come true. Wishes are a catalysit for getting what you want out of life.

Here are some wishes I just thought of to increase otterocity in my life.

OTTER WISHES:

. . . I wish I can work smarter, not harder.

. . . I wish I can have a more creative mind.

. . . I wish I can adapt to new things in my life.

. . . I wish I can have a more playful disposition and enjoy life more.

. . . I wish I can communicate with others better.

. . . I wish I can improve my teamwork and work with others better.

. . . I wish I can focuse on my own individual uniqueness.

. . . I wish I can persevere through challenges that are thrown my way.

. . . I wish I can love unconditionally.

. . . .I wish I can have a joyful spirit at all times.

These are all good wishes to bring change, and a positive outlook on things.

Maybe one of these will come true for me.

(Or, maybe I can blow the biggest bubble gum bubble in the world)

In light of the new move Lincoln, I wanted to post this inspirational and motivational quote I have posted near my phone at work.

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

--Abraham Lincoln

So, moving foreward today . . .

Whoever you are.

Whatever you do.

Aspire to be a good one!

HARD WORK:

You can work really hard. You can go all out onwhatever thing you set out on, and invest a lot of energy on accomplishing anendeavor. But that is where the comparison between hard work and smart work ends. Often when you work hard you look busy, spin your wheels, and take unnecessary steps.

But what have you really accomplished.

SMART WORK:

When you work smart you get more accomplished. You work less, but get more done.

Here are several things that you can do to incorporate smart work in your life:

You can work smart, be more productive, and happier too!

(For more, stay tuned for the forthcoming book Otterocity Field Guide.)

WORK SMART
WITH OTTEROCITY!

I ate a fortune cookie the other day. Somewhere I was told, in order for your fortune to come true, you had to eat the cookie and swallow it, before you read your fortune. So I downed the sweet crunchy goodness, then looked down at my fortune. I was surprised and confused by the words of wisdom and luck.

"You will be unusually successful in business!"

UNUSUALLY?

What does that mean?

I knew that it meant not usual. I decided to look it up in the dictionary for a more deeper meaning. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the synonyms.

UNUSUAL: Extraordinary, remarkable, rare, strange, singular, curious, queer, odd.

If it means strange, curious, queer or odd then I could do without this fortune! If it means extraordinary, remakable, rare, and singular then I am looking forward to this fortune coming true!

I dediced to do something different today. Normally I write articles, novels and non-fiction but it has been a while since I tried my hand at poetry. This just popped into my head today and thought I would blog about it.

I am not one for rhyming in a traditional, textbook kind of poetry way.

Here goes:

I AM

I am all I can be.
I lead by example,
With a heart that is pure,
A mind that is fair,
And a successful desire.

I am all I can see.
A walk in the park,
Noises in a crowded room,
Peace and war between others,
Trees, mountains, grass, and flowers.


I am a father of three.
Sisters of a kind,
Dfferences in style,
I hope to inspire,
And love their little smiles.


I am busy as a bee.
Searching, driving, looking,
Working for a living,
Not afraid to do it,
Teamwork is my style.


I am fun and care-free.
Punny by nature
Witty with thebest,
Like to meet new people,
Hanging out with the rest.


I am part of the word we.
My wife and I are a team,
My family is my universe,
My work is my giving,
I run the human race.


But, most of all . . .


. . . I am me.


By T.A. Northburg

What I really like is the inspirational stickers that go over the hole on the coffee lid on your to-go cup. (So I don't spill all over the car.)  Here is an inspirational message. Or, should I say a dare that I got recently on a coffee hole sticker:

"DARE TO DREAM!"

Dare to Dream:

I am definitely a dreamer. Sometimes, I do have my head in the clouds. Hey, I am a writer and I have BIG dreams. I sometimes catch myself sitting there staring at the TV drifting off to the moment I am receiving my Newbery Medal, or attending the opening premier of the move of my book. I get chills thinking of traveling the world talking to children, young adults, and adults. I picture myself inspiring them to dream their big dream and go for it!

It is good to picture the things that you want out. The main thing here is, if you don't "Dare to Dream" then you won't be able to set in motion the events that will take you towards your dreams. It kind of reminds me of a poem I found online recently.

DREAM BIG AND DARE TO FAIL

by William C. Glessing

www.voicesnet.org/poetrydisplay.aspx?poemid=100499

Here are the best things about dreaming:

• It is free.
• It does not hurt anyone.
• It can keep you motivated.
• You can achieve the impossible.
• You are never too old or too young to start.

Just think of all the things in this world that we would not have, or accomplished, if people dared to dream.

What are your dreams?

NOW I CHALLENGE YOU:  DARE TO DREAM!

What does Persistence mean to you?

Recently, I asked that question in a writing forum, mainly about persistence in writing and publishing. However persistence can be found and used in every facet of our lives. Take a minute and think about what persistence means to you--then read on.

HERE IS WHAT PERSISTENCE MEANS TO ME:

Doing the things that you need to do on a daily basis to be constantly working towards your goals. This means taking the good with the bad, doing things that others are not willing to do, and learning as much as you can from others to improve your chances to become a success.

HERE IS WHAT PERSISTENCE MEANS TO MY WIFE:

"You are going to be working on this until you are 83!"

(Of course she said this in gest.)

HERE IS WHAT IT MEANS TO OTHER WRITERS IN MY FORUM:

• Dogged determination to create that first piece that feels good enough to be proud.
• It means to keep going until you're dead.
• It means constantly picking yourself up time and again, knock back after knock back.
• It means refusing to give up, even when the cause seems hopeless, and it means keeping a focus on a tiny pin prick of hope far off in the distance which you strive to move towards, kicking negativity out of the way with each footstep.
• Persistence=hope. Having one is having the other.
• It means failure stimulates you to greater efforts.
• I immediately thought of a persistent cough. But then I thought it's kind of like persistent writing... it keeps you up at night, it's always there, sometimes it irritates other people, the list is endless.
• Persistence is many things to everyone. The common theme is not to give up, to keep on keeping on in the face of adversity. We all face something in our lives that we must persist in, whether it is a challenging job, marriage, relationship, hobby or life problem. With persistence you can overcome it.

The question you have to ask yourself is, "Is it worth it to me, to keep persisting on?"

IF YOU DON'T PERSIST--YOU WON'T REACH IT!

What is your purpose in life?

First, let’s define what Purpose is.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1996 defines purpose as; “That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure, or exertion; view; aim; design; intention; plan.”

Now, let me share an inspirational story with you. My long time mentor, Doug Axtell first shared this with me back in 1996 and I have looked at it every year (and throughout the year) since then to remind me to find my purpose, to keep striving towards what it is I want in life and to never—never give up!

As the story goes:

“A group of refugees was about to flee a war zone by hiking over some of the most rugged terrain in the country. As they were about to leave, they were approached by a frail, old man and a younger woman who carried an infant. The leaders of the group agreed to take them along with them. It was made clear that the man would have to make it on his own—they would not help him.”

“Several days into the journey the old man fell to the ground, saying he was too exhausted to continue. He pleaded to the group to be left behind to die. Facing the harsh reality of the situation, the leader of the group reluctantly decided to do just that and started off on their way.”

“Suddenly the young mother placed her baby in the old man’s arms and told him that it was his turn to carry the child and walked away with the group. It was several minutes before the woman looked back, but when she did, she saw the old man stumbling along the trail with the child in his arms.”

"They all made it across the mountains.”

--Author Unknown

Talking about purpose—this man was about to give up and die. When given a new purpose in his life he found the strength, courage and determination to get up and continue on. He did not want the baby to die.

It is our human nature to discover a well spring of mental power, vigor and personal encouragement when faced with a new aim or goal. But, when we are too tired, discouraged or full of fear, our tendency is to sit back and give up. Does this mean we are weak? No. Mostly, it means we have lost our motivation. I can also mean the sight to our purpose has become blurry or foggy. Or, simply it could be that we just need to find a new purpose.

For the man in the story it was fortunate enough that he was traveling with the woman and the infant, or he would have been left to die. It was even more fortunate that she passed him the baby instead of walking off with the group. His new purpose found him.

We can only be so fortunate. All too often we must find our way through the fog and mist to continue towards our intended purpose. Many times we have to find a new reason for our existence or aim in life. We have to re-motivate ourselves to keep our determination and drive.

Look at your life and examine if you have lost the motivation, drive and determination to strive towards your purpose. Or, if your purpose ahs become blurred or foggy—how can you clarify the sight or lift that fog? Where can you look to find a new purpose?

WHATEVER IT IS—FIND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE AND GO FOR IT!

I have been going to Moxie Java for the last year-and-a-half.  It is where I have spent my mornings writing my forthcoming book titled, Otterocity. I find inspiration by sitting in the corner, listening to my ipod, and sipping my cup of quality joe. On occasion I enjoy watching the young ladies work and seeing the satisfied customers come and go.

Unfortunately, due to an unforseen circumstance, Moxie Java is closing its doors this coming Saturday.  No longer will I, and other Moxieites, be able to get a hot cuppa joe, milky beverage, or iced drink.

I am not writing this because I will no longer be able to get my coffee there. I am writing this because of the people that work at Moxie Java.  Every day for the last 1 1/2 years I have been met with the nicest, friendliest, and happiest staff I know.  They are always smiling, calling you by name, and genuinely interested in the thins going on in your life.  They are professional, courteous, and serve a wicked mocha latte.

What is it about them that makes them so special?

The young ladies at Moxie Java have Otterocity. Otterocity is about bringing a joyful spirit to your life, no matter what happens to you. Even though the staff has known, for the last two or so weeks, the store was closing they didn't waiver on giving a joyful experience to their customers. (Not one single minute.) Each day was met with the same enthusiasm and intensity as the first day I set foot in the establishment. It was their joy and care for what they did that made me come back.

(From left to right)  Jennifer Hunter, "Tia" Peck,
Sarahlynn McIntyre, Emily Henderson, Katie Weant
Isaac (Jennifer's son)
(Not shown) Alycia, Chelsea, Jillian,
Amy, Adina

Owner Jennifer Hunter should be proud for pulling together such a fine crew, instilling her ideals, and providing such great service. Tia, Saralynn, Emily, Katie, Alycia, Chelsea, Jillian, Amy, and Adina must know that it is because of their joy and enthusiasm for what they do that made Moxie Java the best coffee shop around!  They were the ones that provided supreme service and a top notch customer experience!  You all show great Otterocity in your life!

Know this; each and every one of you can take your Otterocity with you! If you believe that you can bring a joyful spirit to your life, in this time of uncertaity, you will find your way and new opportunities will come. Have perseverance, work smart, and your life will be great!

I will miss every one of you, and I hope I run into you in the future. I wish you the best in their future endeavors, wherever that leads you. I will be a sad Saturday when the "JAVA ON" sign reads "JAVA GONE" for good.

Go forward with Otterocity!

You have two choices in life.

ONE:  Blend in with all of the other otters.

TWO:  Be your own otter and stand out!

Otterocity is about bringing joy and happiness to your life.  It is also about becoming your own person with individual uniqueness.  You are special. You are your own person.

Become uniquely you and stand out from the crowd!

How do you do this?

• Take Risks
• Take The Lead.
• Help Others
• Don't worry.

Have fun, and be yourself!

Go forward in life with Otterocity!