This week is Orangutan Caring Week (celebrate Orange is for Orangutans on the Wednesday of OCW, which is November 15th). I read a cute little book called Love the Orangutan by Stefan Casta and Anna Viktorson, which I picked up, believe it or not, at IKEA. It's a really sweet book, sharing interesting facts about orangutans, and it's illustrated very well.

Reading about orangutans reminded me of my time working in the primate unit and getting the chance to help with the orangutans. It was very special, and then an orangutan spit in my face.

This Telling My Story shows what animal trainers do when animals "misbehave"-- and how we can apply a similar response to our own lives when we don't show up as our best selves, when we make mistakes.

"As hard as the craft of writing is, the greatest challenges writers face are often within ourselves. Comparison, self-doubt, isolation, and other internal struggles can derail a writer's progress, at any stage in the writing life. Author, essayist, and speaker William Kenower knows these struggles first-hand, and hears them from writers everywhere he teaches and appears. In this candid and encouraging book, he dismantles the myth that some writers have talent and others don't, and shares relatable stories, wisdom, and best practices for reengaging with our passion, following our curiosity, and staying connected to what matters most.
If you've ever wondered whether you're "really" a writer, or should retreat to a safer, more conventional path, this enlightening and accepting book will spark renewed purpose and joy on your writing journey."

Happy NaNoWriMo, everyone (my writing friends know what I'm talking about!). I was very excited to sit down with just an incredible writing life coach, and mentor, Bill Kenower, author of Everyone Has What It Takes.

We discuss many topics that can block us as writers, but find the link to just about any profession as well. In my interview, I even got to practice some of Bill's expert advice, dealing with a learning opportunity (NOT a failure), and discuss rejection, getting in "mood" and "flow" for writing, comparing ourselves to others, and having what it takes.

Bill is a great coach, a wonderful speaker and storyteller! If you like this Zoo-notable, check Bill out on his website, and grab a copy of Everyone Has What It Takes for yourself. You'll thank me, I promise!

You ever find yourself procrastinating? Well then, my friend, it's time to Eat That Frog!! Brian Tracy gives us 21 good reasons to figure out the most important work for your life and day and get on it already. Big Ideas include Setting the Table for Success (planning and the 10 goals list), Visualizing Who You Want to Be, the ABCDE Method, Identify What is IN YOU that holds you back, and Thinking Positive.

If you like this Zoo-notable, please share and leave a review.

You may also be interested in these related Zoo-notables:

Miracle Morning and Miracle Equation by Hal Elrod

Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen

Superhuman by Habit

As always, leave me a comment on ZooFit.net to let me know your thoughts, ideas, and other questions.

As we approach Halloween, I thought the topic of grit might be appropriate, and how we can gain a little more resilience, tenacity, and initiative in our lives.

I discuss big ideas like learning grit, rejection and failure help us succeed, minding the gap between effort and success, developing a growth mindset (becoming more like bamboo), and helping others helps us stay gritty.

If you liked this Zoo-notable, you can check out the book for yourself.

Want to see how powerful grit can be? Check out Chris Beaven's website for his DAILY art (over 10 years without a missed day!).

Like this book on Grit? You might like these other Zoo-notables as well:

Shannon McKinney from GRAZE

Wangari Maathai's Unbowed

It Takes What It Takes by Trevor Mowad

How do you reduce the gap between the life you live now and the life you want? How can choosing our response be our one truest freedom that no one on earth can take away?

These profound questions have helped guide me for the past 4 years, and they are thanks to a Nazi concentration camp survivor and psychiatrist who developed Logotherapy, Viktor E. Frankl and his amazing book Man's Search for Meaning.

I learned about Frankl and his principles through my Optimize Coaching program (now called Heroic). You can check it out, sign up for Premium or Coaching, both are incredibly affordable for the life-changing experience offered!

Find the book: Your Local Library, Buy Online (support local bookstores!)

Connect with me at ZooFit.net to let me know what you thought of this episode and for more content through blogs, newsletters, and events

I love it when I get to catch up with amazing friends while also discussing their amazing stories. Miranda Levi is a prolific author with three novels (Tear in Time, From a Youth a Fountain Did Flow, and Mo(ther) Na(ture))and a book of poetry (In Orion's Hands) out already, and isn't slowing down anytime soon.

She sat down with me to discuss her latest project, Mo(ther) Na(ture), and discuss our writing process and life lessons we learned together.

MEMORIES!

Want to connect with Miranda and get a copy of MoNa yourself? Check her out on social media:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Nab the book yourself

What is the most important behavior to teach an animal? For me, when working with dolphins, it was the "target". Teach an animal to touch a target and the sky's the limit to training other behaviors. Working with Thor, a bottlenose dolphin, and teaching him and other dolphins to perform a vertical spin jump helped me learn the value of a target behavior-- the one thing that will propel my well-being forward.

What is your "target" behavior? We'll discuss some options like sleep, drinking water, or celebration as the foundation upon which the rest of your self-care program will stand.

Connect with me at ZooFit, and learn more ways to feel better, so we can do better by training positive!

GRAZE (Growing Resiliency in Aquarium and Zoo Employees) is an amazing organization dedicated to helping animal care professionals maintain their mental health and promote strategies for staying resilient in a stressful and often chaotic world.

Whenever I talk to Shannon, we tend to geek out about treating ourselves more like the animals in our care, and today is no different. It's a FANTASTIC conversation, something for everyone.

Want to connect with GRAZE? Check them out-- they offer group support, classes, certifications, and more-- https://zoomentalhealthsupport.com to sign up for their newsletter and learn more.

Connect with me at ZooFit, too to stay connected and learn how when we feel better, we can do better!

I love chatting with my published author friends, but this was an especially wonderful treat, sitting down with author Barbara Wolf Terao to discuss her memoir Reconfigured. Barbara met on the gorgeous Whidbey Island as both of us started on our journeys towards writing our stories. She's completed hers, and honored me with the chance to read the book, which is a moving, uplifting, and just overall well-written and incredible story of life.

We talk about the writing process and getting your story out there, being advocates to your own care, and finding peace and getting centered (Nam Myoho Renge Kyo).

If you are interested in getting your own copy of Reconfigured, visit Bookshop (support your local bookstore) or She Writes Press.

Learn how to get your story out to your audience at She Writes Press

To celebrate National Wildlife Day on September 4, I pulled out this fun book about leadership, titled Wisdom from the Wild: Nine Unbreakable Laws of Leadership from the Animal Kingdom, by Julie C. Henry. I recommend this book to anyone in a leadership role, or who WANTS to be in a leadership role, or thinks they may be put in a leadership role. We focus on five of the nine "laws" because I feel they are important not just for leaders, but anyone looking to improve their life, their work, or their relationships with others.

If you enjoyed this Zoo-notable, or want to check the book out for yourself, you may want to see if your local zoo has a copy, or support your local bookstore through Bookshop.

And as always, connect with me at ZooFit.net to share your ideas, thoughts, and stories! We grow stronger when we grow together.