David Stoddard - the Unmotivated Motivational Writer

January 20, 2012

Just Want To Say Hello - Again

Hello.

In case you have forgotten because of my lengthy absence / laziness the past many months, I am David. In the near future, you will see more and more entries. I know you may have heard that before once or a few hundred times. But I mean it this time. Really.

And it will all be Kristen Lamb's fault (or credit, depending on how you will look at it). I'm in the middle of taking her writing/blogging course this month and next. Because of it, there will actually be more entries in this blog than once every few months. So please stay tuned.

In the mean time, I again want to take this moment to say Hello to those who may have missed me, forgotten about me or don't even know anyone exists here. So, with the help of Lionel Richie and the video editing skills of ant1mat3rie at Vimeo, I say...

Hello from ant1mat3rie on Vimeo.

Question for ya...

Who do you need to say hello to?
What will you get out of it?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/djstoddard
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

January 18, 2012

Don't Do It Congress, We're Watching. (SOPA)

To make "THEM" happy, I'll censor myself this time and just let the music play.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/djstoddard
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

July 20, 2011

You Are An Unusual Bird

Why, yes I Am.

The title comes from a chapter heading of a book I had years ago where the reader (survey taker) would take a survey (I gave that away already), and the results would lead you to an animal or 2 or 3 of some kind.

The book was "The Animal In You." I was a penguin.

Now I truly don't think it was because of how I was dressed. (have never worn a penguin suite or a tux for that matter).

And I don't think it was because of my swagger (as if they called that a waddle or something). I'm guessing because of it's flightlessness, they knew something about my only flying twice in my life at the time. (to Florida and back home when I was 14).

Attempting to think back to so many years ago with the book, I did agree with what it said. I am guessing there was a much better bit of reasoning mentioned in the book which is a lot better than my saying, yup, that's about right when it came to me.

I like to think the unusual part was more of a "you're not like other folks." (Yes, Michael Jackson's Thriller video came to mind where he tells his date that he isn't like other guys - to which she says something like I know. that's what I like about you).

This past weekend, I went to Chicago to help my GF move stuff back home. I drove the 15ft truck back to the Lou. (More on that at a later time. But let me just say I have more respect for those who drive the big rigs as well as the smaller trucks I was driving. And when you are on the road with the trucks, understand they don't have a rear view mirror and they really can not see you pull out to go around them. So be careful out there).

Back to this blog post.

I know the Chicago part has almost nothing to do with this post about being unusual. Well, yet it does. We went to Navy Pier on Friday and to say there were different people there would be an understatement. There were unique people, different people, unusual people and yet totally the same to everyone else.

So where am I going with all of this?

I don't really know. It all made sense when I picked up the camera and took a picture of the TY Beanie Baby penguin who was resting on my bed. So I guess I am leaving that up to you.

What comes to mind when you hear the word unusual or different, or strange. Are they interchangable words? Do they mean the same to you now as they did when you were a kid? Do they mean the same to you and your kids today? Or do your kids have the same interpretation of the word you may have had back in the day?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard The Unmotivated Motivational Writer www.djstoddard.com
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard or Facebook
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

July 5, 2011

Wish You Were Here

A Writer's home away from home.

I can dream, can't I? And yes, I do appreciate those who take screen saver pictures for computers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer www.djstoddard.com
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard or Facebook
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

June 30, 2011

Happy New (fiscal) Year! Horray! Yippie!

I know. It just doesn't have the same excitement without the chill in the air (Missouri boy here), the smell of cheap champagne in the air (cheap Missouri boy here), "Auld Lang Syne" blasting in the air (old school, cheap Missouri boy here) and glitter puddles all over the floor. (You thought I was going to say something about "in the air" again. (Tricky, old school, cheap Missouri boy here).

Well, enough about me.

But, as for me, I like how the "fiscal" year provides a break in the "real" year. It gives us a chance to look back over the past six months (shorter than a whole year), and see what went right, what went not-so-right or those few (we hope) things that just totally went left instead of right.

Well, enough about me again.

How about you? Take a few moments. (Note: No one really knows how long a "moment" is, so it's up to you how long you do this). Think back, look back, skim back, track back over the past 181 days (if you are reading this on July 1, 2011) and see what you accomplished, hoped to accomplish, never thought you could accomplish and maybe just need to work a bit more on in order to accomplish. (Please, don't, I mean really, don't send the comma police after me).

Let's start this New (fiscal) Year with a gentle kick by knowing we did some stuff right already, and we are going to do even more right stuff rightly. (Note. Don't always try to figure out what I am typing. It makes sense to me and and it will to you as well if you are drinking that cheap champagne mentioned above).

This is our year... (and by year, I mean the next 182 days or so. Don't worry. We'll do this again in 6 months or so, and then that will be our year as well).

So what are you waiting for? We have a celebration to attend to. Then we get back to whatever it is we were doing before I so rudely interrupted, um, whatever it was you were doing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer www.djstoddard.com
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard or Facebook
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

May 2, 2011

Why We Did What We Did

Following 9/11, Jack Buck's poem at the at Busch Stadium provided us with needed encouragement to go on, to look ahead, and to be ever vigilant.

Last night's news about bin Laden being killed brought this speech to mind - nearly 10 years later.

Our thanks to those who wear the uniforms - for doing what they do.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer www.djstoddard.com
Follow me on Twitter twitter.com/djstoddard or Facebook
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

March 31, 2011

Opening Day In Cardinal Nation

It's that time again here in the Lou where folks wear red, unofficially take the day off, and just go crazy for the Cardinals. (Yup, I too found a red shirt to wear as well. I don't know what folks around here would do if you were not wearing red - but I wasn't going to take any chances).

This town does it well. The Cardinals do it well. Sure, it might be just a lot of hype for something which will go on for 162 games and be done with sometime in October, but it's a celebration of another season, a new beginning and another symbol of sorts that things are going to be awesome.

So what does this have to do with writers and motivations and projects and stuffs that need to be done?

It's just an idea, a thought, a suggestion to celebrate the start of whatever it is you may be working on, taking part in, becoming or whatever.

Make it an event

You don't have to have the Clydesdales parade around, but I guess you can get your dog to run around after a laser pointer spot on the floor. (Don't do it folks, someone can get hurt).

So my suggestion as mentioned above is to celebrate the start of your next project, your next phase in your life, your beginning steps of writing that book.

Lastly, here is a video of the Clydesdales inside the current Busch Stadium in 2007 presenting the World Series trophy.

Go Birds!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
http://www.djstoddard.com
http://about.me/unmotivatedmotivationalwriter
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

March 9, 2011

Price Check On Aisle 3 Please

For the length of time I have been out here on the Internets, (and not just in this single sitting), I've learned that I have no more of a clue today than I did back in the days BG (before Google).

Part of the problem (if it is a problem) is that today, there are so many voices out here. Some giving advice and helpful ideas. Others giving things more in the realm of what-were-you-thinking or I-told-you-so.

Whichever the case, I am once again in my own little world of going with the flow. And by that I mean doing something by the seat of my pants without really thinking, wondering, planning in this spur of the moment - moment.

For many moons, I have been reading Joe Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing. He has been a consistent voice for those interested in publishing. It is because of him and his own experiment that I am doing the same sort of thing with regard to my 2 ebooks of writing prompts, "200 Writing Prompts" and "3 Simple Words."

As stated above, I am just winging this. So if Amazon's and Barnes and Noble's systems haven't quite completed doing what they do to make the adjustment, they will soon... Both ebooks will be available for 99¢ (at least for a little while, maybe even longer).

So if you have ever had this thought of "Damn, I want to write, but where do I begin..." Now is your chance.

For Barnes and Noble fans, here's the link to them. David's books at Barnes and Noble.

February 18, 2011

The Time Is Now

(Flickr Photo by Neal).

Author Note: I was going through past articles and things this past week and came across one which for some reason felt new to me (though it was written a few years back).

I know when this was written, the time to get off one's tail and get going in a positive direction was NOW (Then). But now, reading it again today, I can't help but thinking that now is just as good of a now as then was as a now.

The article is an excerpt from "The Time For Me Is Now" as well as from "The Unmotivated Collection."

So for now, here is The Time Is Now...

The Time Is Now

by David Stoddard

This is it. This will be MY year. Now is the time. No more wishing for things to happen. No more feeling sorry for myself. No more planning and planning and planning and even more planning. No more false starts. No more waiting for someone else to make me happy. This will be a year filled with shining moments.

And I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna start right here and right… after I read this column.

During the past few weeks, I've been able to "talk" with different people. Many folks have written me about plans for the coming year. And I couldn't help but notice how much of a sincere belief many of them have in what they are thinking of doing.

There are some who are starting a business which they have always thought of doing, but for some reason didn't think they had the time or the talent to do. Several have started business type activities in the past, but perhaps didn't quite feel interested enough in what they were doing or didn't see positive results fast enough.

There are others who have begun to see that there is hope for a better life out there. Maybe they've been waiting for others to do things or make the decisions for them, but after waiting and waiting, have gotten to the point of now is the time. They understand that no one is going to do it for them, except themselves.

Even more are getting involved with their community or different groups of people with similar interests. Working with people at a job is one thing, but being involved with those striving to make the world a better place can be so much more rewarding.

A couple of people have said they are going to take those art classes or car maintenance classes which they have always wanted to take, but never did. One or two have said they are planning on going back to school.

I've also talked with people who have so many ideas of what they would like to do or get involved with or take up or be a part of, but they just don't have the time (so they say). I admit, sometimes there just isn't time to do everything, but that doesn't mean you can't get started with something.

As we've seen throughout our lives, when we begin something, (especially things we don't really care to do) things have a way of taking on a life of their own. It can become difficult to stop or get out of. Kinda like being the family taxi. All you had to do was do it one time, and it becomes yours seemingly forever.

Doing something you like to do, can work the same way. Maybe you start off with something as small as making an ornament or a decoration for a gathering. If enough people talk about it enough, it might be the push you need to do more of that.

Maybe you just want to get out of the rut of waking up, go to work, come home, go to sleep, wake up, go to work, come home, go to sleep…. Taking a class might be an answer. You don't have to join a whole group or anything, just get out and try something different. The added benefit besides what you might learn is you never know who you may meet. You never know how or when your life can change.

For those with the motivation to do what you've always wanted to do and feel this is the year, best of luck to each of you. For those on the fence, go ahead and test things out a bit. See what life might be like on the other side. For the rest who are wondering and wondering, the best time to do it, is now.

Because, if not now ………. When?

The article can also be found in "The Time For Me Is Now" at Amazon or in "The Unmotivated Collection" for the Kindle at Amazon or the Nook at Barnes & Noble

February 6, 2011

Unmotivated Motivational Moments (#001)

Getting Started For Writers And Others

Pages