Thrusday, January 07, 1999
Area author tells teens how to help themselves
BY CINDY KRANZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Motivational speaker Otis Williams has inspired so many adults over the years that they asked if he could do the same for their children.
It was uncharted territory for the 34-year-old Golf Manor man, but he seized the challenge and has written VICTORY 4 Youth! Succeeding Against the Odds(Kendall/Hunt Publishing; $19.95), a self-help book for teens.
Mr. Williams, president of Otis Williams Limitless, divided the workbook into seven sessions,each covering a fundamental principle that spells VICTORY:Vision, Integrity, Courage, Thinking, Opportunity, Responsibility and Yes, you can. It “teaches teens what most adults can't,” he says.
Many adults live without thinking about their future or knowing what their values are, he said, so they can't pass vision and values along to their children.
His book doesn't preach, Mr. Williams said, but gives teens the tools to become critical thinkers and create their own vision of the future. He does that through a series of writing exercises, such as:
• Write down six consequences of alcohol and drugs.
• Make a list of opportunities that you have to gain experience in an area that you find interesting.
• Write down your fears.
“I'm not here to tell you what to do,” said Mr. Williams, who uses the book in his VICTORY Training Program for youths.
“I'm here because I want you to become an independent thinker. I'm not here to tell you to have sex or not have sex. I'm telling you to think about the consequences.”
He encourages teens to make their own choices.
“It means you're not going to wear Tommy Hilfiger because everybody else wears it or do everything just to fit in.”
Mr. Williams succeeded against the odds. He was adopted and raised in a low-income, single parent home in Winton Terrace.
In 1993, he won the title of “World Champion of Public Speaking” for Toastmasters International, defeating more than 10,000 competitors.
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