Stephen Biernacki, a friend and fellow music aficionado from the higher ed Twitterverse, recently posted pics of the fortune cookie fortunes that, as he put it, “honest and motivated while working from home.”

As I read his post, my eye wandered to the half-dozen such fortunes I have tacked up on my computer monitor at work:

• Be direct, usually one can accomplish more that way.
• You are primed to come up with a creative solution.
• Think of what you will think of 10 years from now.
• Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
• Pay attention to your nonverbal cues, and try turning it down.
• Today you should be the leader. Things will go your way.

Sure, it’s just words printed on a piece of paper slipped inside a mass-produced food product (I’ve seen it done in person!), but affirmation has come from stranger places. I like to surround myself with these little truths, when I find them, to remind me of both their inherent message as well as the fact that nuggets of inspiration are all around us.

Which fortune cookie words of wisdom stick with you, either literally (on your monitor) or in your mind?

Disclaimer: While I love a good fortune, I can’t stand the actual cookie. If we go out for Chinese food together, you’ll be in luck.