This New Year’s Eve promises to be devoid of customary celebrations and joyous fanfare. They have canceled fireworks, giant disco ball drops, and gatherings of any size. Parades, 5k runs, and sporting events have morphed into virtual events. Exciting hotel rendezvous with your closest friends, flowing champagne, and passionate midnight kisses to ensure a prosperous year are not on the evening’s agenda. We won’t host house parties with homemade Jell-O shots, raucous games, and a groaning table covered with a potluck of traditional dishes. 2020 rewrote every previous definition of abnormal events.

Nothing matters as I wait, anticipating the midnight countdown to close the books on the past twelve months. I have been waiting for this exact minute, the moment the cosmic fulcrum tips and permits us to consider the inconceivable and allows us to hope. My inner conviction says the sun will rise each morning, that evening follows day, and the stars and planets proceed along a predictable path. I believe in the inherent goodness of human beings. It sustains my long vigil, for the better world I know lies beyond the horizon.

Somehow it seems appropriate for our wishes are born in darkness, in a cold, quiet night, while nobody is watching, where no one can see. One tiny flicker is all it takes.

How will you mark this New Year’s Eve?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Today we stand on the cusp of a new year, a clean slate, a chance to start again. Before us lies 8,760 hours’ worth of opportunities to work on your resolutions. Or are you struggling with your first steps? The holidays hang on, lulling us with over-indulgence, followed by lethargy. It demands a great effort to shake the laid back atmosphere. A journey requires an approximate destination. Knowing your intention lets you determine your general direction and set your course. You don’t need every step plotted and planned.

Maybe you have written, highlighted, and adorned your goals with pretty pictures, but analysis holds you, hostage. Your stack of self-help books grows until they become a pedestal for your remote control. Action, getting off the couch, changes your perception. Things look different, and you react in unexpected ways. Trying something you have never done can be scary, but it may prove to be exhilarating.

There are plenty of reasons to hesitate and move with caution. 2020 taught us we are not in control of events, no matter how much we plan. That first step could be a doozy. It might be the best thing you have ever attempted. You must ask yourself which you fear more, finding yourself a year from now sitting on the same couch, with your life intact, or living in a future where you attain your dreams. Don’t wait for it to happen. Dare to stride boldly toward your destiny.

What “first steps” are you taking today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Yesterday, a frog asked me to solve an elementary level math problem. Number manipulation is my favorite subject, so I agreed. Imagine my surprise when he declared I was wrong.

Here is the story question he gave me:

Five frogs were sitting on a log. Four frogs decided to jump into the pond. How many frogs were left? Was your response one? The correct answer is five frogs remain sitting on the log. Shocked and appalled, I was sure the amphibian didn’t understand simple subtraction. He licked his eyeball and assured me the error was not my mathematical skills; it was my logic. He said I assumed no difference existed between deciding and doing.

Action taken without prior reflection can yield disastrous results, but all thought and no movement is just as detrimental. Congratulate yourself for reaching a decision and prepare yourself for the difficult work to begin. The toughest step is moving from deciding to doing. Fear often induces paralysis, leaving us sitting on a rotting log instead of leaping into our journey toward a better situation. Don’t allow inaction to negate your resolution. Realize you don’t need every answer, and perfection only happens with practice.

Are you ready to jump into your day?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Will and desire alone do not ensure success. I have an intense desire to be a billionaire. I bet you do too. However, no matter how many lottery tickets I purchase and scratch, I don’t see it happening anytime soon. I can set goals and plan to buy a ticket every week, but my chance of hitting a big jackpot remains unchanged. We need a path with much better odds.

The good news is we have examples, role models, and breadcrumbs to follow. The bad news is, it requires work. You must commit to completing what others refuse to attempt. Don’t expect encouragement from friends or family, pats on the back, or high-fives and attaboys. No one will be there as you toil in the darkness. There will be stages in the process you will hate. If you are lucky, you will find a trailblazer who validates your journey.

The desire to succeed must fuel your competitive nature and sustain your drive as you create your anchor and inch forward. One small step helps you prepare for the next one and the one after that. It is grueling, thankless, and imperative. Hard work is the path that prepares you for your lucky break and unlocks the door to your success.

Will you dare to find your path to success?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It appears innocent and unassuming, fragile, thin, and benign. The blank page is a pop culture icon, and it is formidable. It induces anxiety, fear, panic, and feelings of inadequacy. The blank page reduces creatives to blithering idiots, incapable of action. Alaa Al-Aswany says writing is the “conflict between what you want to say and what you could say.”

Perhaps we should shift our thinking, channeling Michelangelo when he said, “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block before I start my work. It is already there; I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” Maybe our story is already there, written, and waiting for us to release it.

Staring into 2021, with its unlimited possibilities, we can find ourselves frozen, afraid to move. The train wreck of 2020 has increased our level of hesitation, adding threats of impending chaos, the sensation of lacking control, and the feeling of standing at the edge of a cliff overlooking a sea of the unknown.

Yearlong goals seem too optimistic, yet I can’t abandon my goal-setting practice. Targets are like a story outline that serves as the structure for our lives as we take bold strides forward. So, this year, I plan to create bite-sized goals, and I am adopting a 13-week strategy. Step by step, we advance, aware of an ephemeral dream, an imagined destination, and an image of what we want to become.

What path will your goals create in the new year?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Holiday fare is one of the most anticipated aspects of Christmas. It is also detrimental to my waistline. So, I adopt a mandate of restrained indulgence. These are the dishes I prepare at no other time of the year, and I don’t want to miss a single delectable mouthful. If only I could stop at just one mouthful. But how can I resist these once-a-year goodies?

Taking an extended walk is a fabulous tactic for burning those unavoidable calories. Fresh air is invigorating, and it lifts the food-coma hangover from my body. If we are lucky, the temperature will approach freezing with crystal clear skies. Bundling in layers and wrapping a scarf across my face to defend against bitter cold is mandatory, and I get lost in the euphoria.

My meandering takes me further from home than I realized. Blue skies smile, and the quest for what lies around the next corner, or past the horizon’s edge beacons. But I must turn back, leaving untold discoveries for another adventure. They promise to wait for my return.

How will you spend your Boxing Day?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Frohe Weihnachten

God Jul

聖誕快樂

メリークリスマス

Feliz Navidad

Buon Natale

Joyeux Noël

Vrolijk kerstfeest

Giáng Sinh vui vẻ

Veselé Vánoce

Feliz Natal

성탄을 축하드려요

Wesołych Świąt

С рождеством!

Hyvää joulua

Merry Christmas

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843. The initial run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve, and the publisher, Chapman & Hall, issued a second, and then the third edition before the year’s end. They claim the book has never been out of print in the 176 years since its original publication. It has inspired countless adaptations. It never fails to make the most popular Christmas movie lists. An impressive accomplishment for a story of approximately 28,000 words.

Despite the Bah Humbug, scary ghosts, the portrayal of subsistence living, and an overbearing boss, it is an optimistic tale, portraying redemption’s forgiveness and love’s strength.  We see generosity’s effects on our fellow humans and the infectious nature of good cheer throughout the year.  It is an evergreen reminder that we possess the power to create a positive impact on others. Generations continue to confirm the heartfelt reality of our human condition.

This holiday season, I wish you fond recollections of childhood pleasures. May you create precious new memories with cherished friends and family. During the festivities, take a quiet moment to reflect on times past and present as you imagine a brighter future.

How will you carry the holiday spirit into the New Year?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I find holiday shopping and gift-giving overrated. In truth, the gift-receiving is the real letdown for me. Wrapped in each box I present are hours of creating lists, researching, stealthy reconnaissance, and nail-biting decision making. Then comes the browsing, buying, and tracking delivery dates. Presentation wrapping reaches another level of anxiety. The goal is to bring pure delight to my friends and family. It is a stressful process, and it can lead to disappointment when you received underwhelming presents.

But it does not dampen my love of the season. The best activity is driving through the neighborhood, looking at my neighbor’s brilliant displays. My leisurely cruises are a favorite pastime. A couple of streets away, the homeowners deck every house with lights. I detour to enjoy the show every chance I get. This year I expanded my evening excursion and discovered a home with a choreographed display. We can even listen to the music on a station on the car’s radio. It is an elaborate event with three nightly shows and free admission.

Watching twinkling lights, listening to carols, and spending time with loved ones is a genuine holiday treasure. All we need now is snow.

What non-traditional holiday traditions do you observe?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Is your destiny written in the stars? Your daily horoscope can offer insight on whether you will meet your soul mate today or if your best option is hiding under the covers. Interpretations from the heavenly bodies influence many, offering guidance with their decisions. Others scoff at relying on unproven theories.

Our society places great value on truth, science, and a preponderance of evidence to support our tradition of enlightenment and to explain our world. A sensible person believes in the well explained. They disregard the existence of wonder, dismiss awe, question the possibility of miracles, and discount the surprise of serendipity. We satisfy our interests with a quick internet search. Studies show the individuals who are the most innovative are also eager to explore, accept risks, and dig deeper into “why.”

They say curiosity drives creativity, and creativity takes us on non-linear paths through sometimes embarrassing happenstance. Tapping into our creative side means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable to get messy, to move things around, and experiment. We must develop a willingness to laugh, play, and flirt with genius. The inspiration is within your reach. You only need to look at the stars.

What questions will you explore today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer