Momentum of the Muse

The lion may be the king of the jungle, but big fish like you belong in the ocean. Here are 9 reasons why being the Giant Pacific Octopus will benefit you more than being a shark, or a big cuddly cat.

1. The GPO has 3 hearts. Two hearts pump blood to it’s two gills, and the third heart pumps blood everywhere else. In your practice, it pays to have more than one passion. Driven people get too caught up in one path. When you have more than one passion they rebound, compliment and carry each other. In regards to writing, sitting at your desk 24/7 just isn’t that inspiring. Cultivate other interests, like medieval swordplay, beer tasting, or – ahem – shopping, and watch inspiration flourish in the process.
2. The GPO can change colors and blend in almost anywhere. While there’s much to be said for developing in your niche and specializing, it also pays to be flexible. By being an expert in one field, with the ability to move into others with confidence, you’ll fit in more places. AKA you’ll appeal to a wider array of client needs. Like the GPO, this lends you safety during dangerous times when predators like falling economies prey your neighborhood.
3. The GPO can squeeze through a hole the size of it’s eye. Can you tighten your belt, forsake certain luxuries, to get to a more ultimately fulfilling place? I have a friend who makes lucrative money at a job he despises, but longs to be a big player in the film industry. He complains all of the time, but says he couldn’t handle the pay cut and lack of stability. Being able to expand and shrink to suit the purposes you most desire takes courage, determination, and flexibility.
4. The GPO has acute vision. The one part of it’s body the GPO won’t forsake when shrinking down to fit through where they need to go, is it’s vision. Always maintain your vision. Know that your actions now are not always about immediate gratification, but rather fulfillment later. Fight to see what others fail to see, that things can be done differently, that you are not defined by what everyone else does. Keep your eyes open to new ideas, innovations, and opportunities.
5. The GPO has a well-developed brain. You must be smart already, since you’re reading my blog. Well, in my opinion, at the very least. The most successful people pull in knowledge from everywhere. They can’t rely on one source alone to educate them, but rather find their information in a variety of ways that best suits their particular learning process. By knowing a lot, and then triangulating to form educated opinions, rash decisions are harder to make. Sometimes I think the brain is a vestigial structure; if it isn’t used, it slowly loses it’s functioning.
6. The GPO is only the size of a grain of rice when it’s born. And the largest ever documented weighed 600 pounds, and was 30 feet across. That’s the size of an adult male killer whale. You, too, should always weigh 600 pounds! Well, obviously not, but it is important to always grow, and never stagnate. Stagnation equals death. A cab driver told me once; “If I were to die emotionally and live another twenty years, I would rather die physically today.”
7. The GPO has many ways to get through the shells of it’s prey. They can pull it apart using their arms, bite it open with their beak, or drill through the shell. In aquariums, they are given tight jars to open. Who needs a man around the house, if you can have a GPO? You should also possess a variety of techniques for approaching any problem, or any type of person. By approaching each situation knowing that different problems and people will respond better to each specified technique, you are guaranteed to be more successful.
8. The female GPO stays in a den with her eggs for until they hatch. This process can take up to seven months, depending on the temperature. She dies shortly thereafter. I do not recommend the dying part, but sticking through a problem is an important quality when seeking unusual or hard to reach success. When acting outside the box, or striving for exciting goals, there is often opposition. Many people are limited in their thinking and will recommend more practical routes. Take their advice into consideration, but also know that if something is possible for you to do, that your tenacity is enough to carry you through. Alternately, know when to quit; for example, before you die of starvation tending your eggs.
9. Males mate with more than one female and females can take sperm that are up to a meter long. I admit it; this one was a bit of a stretch to fit in and be on topic, but it had to be done. But, here goes; I’m applying it to networking. Just like you can always be marketing, you can always, always be networking. And why not? It’s really just socializing with a more responsible name. Be confident, and reach out to people who are experts, who are well-known in their field, who might intimidate or inspire you. Become impregnated with the 1 meter sperm that they are able to offer. Ok – that was inappropriate, ew and ugh, but I’m keeping it. Look for mentors to guide you, mavens to educate you, and connectors to connect you. Utilize people, and let them do the same with you. Imagine yourself with 8 arms, reaching out everywhere and taking everything in. A wide scope is likely to come in handy… or arm-y.

Credit of information to:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/giant-pacific-octopus.html
http://www.aqua.org/animals_giantpacificoctopus.html
http://marine.alaskapacific.edu/Octopus/factsheet.html
http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/School_Programs/octopus/index.html

And the presentation I saw on the BC Ferry to Vancouver Island. They may have failed miserably with the Fast Cats, but they succeeded in fascinating and further intriguing me.