inspirational author comes to seymour

By Brooke Stevenson
brooke@seymourherald.com
     Seymour Branch Library presents author and national speaker Denny Stockdale, known as “The Ambassador of Affability.”
      He will share highlights of his new book, “Conversations from The Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop: 8 Keys to Rediscovering Lost Dreams and Finding Your Life’s Calling” at 4 p.m. March 24.
      Stockdale shares the passion for purpose and meaning which inspired him to step away from a long career in the information technology business to pursue his own life's calling.
      “It is an inspirational story that is built around eight acronyms which are one word life lessons,” Stockdale said of the book.
     The eight chapters of the book are titled as followed:  FAITH (Find Answers in the Heart), DREAMS (Defining Reality Eventually Achieves My Success), AIM (Action Increases Momentum), HOPE (Hold Onto Peek Experiences), PRAISE (People Respond Admirably In Sincere Encouragement), LOVE (Let Our Values Emerge), HOPE Revisited (Help Other People Excel), CALL (Create A Living Legacy).
     “For example with FAITH it is intended to really help people get in touch with what is important to them,” Stockdale said. “Then at the end of each chapter is a reflection section.”
     Originally he thought that the book would come out as a series of how-to essays built around the eight acronyms, but it ended up being a story built around three main characters.
     The primary characters in the book are Tag (The acronym guy) who is in his mid-20s, Tag’s boss Randy who has taught him many life lessons, and Bill, a middle aged man who Tag confides in after Randy is bitten by a rattle snake.
     “It is an inspirational story that runs through the entire book,” Stockdale said.
     He added that he wrote the book because for a number of years he has wanted to make a difference and this is one way he thought he would be able to do that.
     “I hope to inspire others to chase their dreams,” he said.
     The library event will be interactive, according to Stockdale. He will take a particular segment from the book, talk about it, and focus on helping people realize they have support systems in their lives.
      “I’m looking forward to seeing Tennessee because there are many places I haven’t been before,” Stockdale said.
     For more information about this event, call (865)573-0728 and for more information about the author, visit www.dennystockdale.com.
       “Conversations from The Neighborhood Ice Cream Shop” is available on Stockdale’s Web site, amazon.com, as well as other places.