Count down from five.

Fear can paralyze us. Fear stops us in our tracks, prevents action, progress, and derails the fulfillment of our destiny. Some days the most daunting task is getting out of bed. Try counting backward from five, then go. You can’t wait until you feel like doing something because – surprise – you are never, ever going to feel like it.

Your goal is to exercise every day. You planned it, scheduled it for 9 am. But when the clock strikes 9, you waver. Neuroscience has calculated we have five seconds to act before our brain kills our best intentions. Exercising is risky. You might injure yourself and develop sore muscles. Your instincts are trying to protect you, keep you safe, and they encourage you to pull the blankets over your head.

The five-second rule breaks the impulse. It gets you moving and pushes you into action. You may know there is nothing dangerous about going for a walk, making a phone call, writing a story, but when you hesitate, you have five seconds before your brain convinces you to stop. Watching tv, or scrolling through your social media feeds is much more enjoyable.

Instead, you must take control, rule yourself, start counting, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO.

So far, it’s been working.

Will you take five seconds to rule your world?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The simple act of smiling has profound consequences. Scientists say a smile causes your brain to release neuropeptides that can help you handle stress. Your smile floods your body with dopamine, endorphin, and serotonin, chemicals shown to lower your blood pressure, decrease your heart rate, and even ease your pain. Studies show when we smile, others perceive us as looking younger, thinner, and more intelligent. Yep, that’s right, smiling makes people believe you are smart.

Wearing a face covering, well, it masks our smiles. Or does it? I find I am watching people’s eyes more than ever before, searching for some connections. I have discovered an honest-to-goodness, 100% genuine smile is transmitted for the eye to behold. There is a wrinkle, a crinkle, a glorious twinkle, and zap – it supercharges my heart, lifts my spirits, and suddenly I am smiling too. I want the other person to imagine the loony grin hidden behind my mask, and I boost my responses with sign language. Enthusiastic thumbs-up, energetic hand waves, and grateful air hugs augment my repertoire. I have even added happy dance steps to accompany my muffled laughter.

Your friends smile back when they see your smile. Sometimes I think they are only laughing at my antics. But they receive those same mood-boosting chemicals, predisposing them to smile or maybe dance for the next person they meet. Your beaming face and body language can start a feel-good epidemic.

Whose day will you brighten?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Lately, a topic has been surfacing in my feeds: finding your writing voice. It is not something I had considered. So, I searched for explanations and directions, only to find the best advice disappointing. Comments included the usual lineup of admonitions ranging from write to read more, and my favorite, know your audience. While they have merit, they are insufficient in developing and allowing a voice to develop. Once again, I rely on my own devices to generate an approach to my newest problem.

Here is what I decided. To develop your unique style, you need to realize who you are. I am a numbers person who appreciates facts and logic. Concise, pointed writing resonates with me. I also enjoy surprising descriptions and singing words that embed themselves in your head like an ear-worm. My daily practice is a joy, and it doesn’t qualify as work per se. Those qualities must seep into my stories.

Sharing your creations to gain feedback is another necessary step. Good critiques can confirm when your message hits the mark and identify where it falls short. When you internalize additional information or write a new piece, it gives you knowledge, experience, maturity, and it changes you. As you change, your method of expression changes too. In time, you connect more deeply with the inner you.

Does your writing reflect your values?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Everyone knows how a writer creates a masterpiece. They hibernate in secluded woodsy cabins, channeling Thoreau, as they cuddle next to a roaring fire, penning profound theories and communing with nature. Some writers become recluses, hoarding poetry in self-bound volumes, and sharing their creations with select friends and family members. Writer’s block frustrations dissolve in alcohol and abdicate their importance in the face of inappropriate behavior. Today’s modern incarnations frequent coffee shop drive-throughs, with laptops and earbuds, they compose caffeinated diatribes while sitting in their cars.

There is no perfect writing space. The challenge of putting words, sentences, and thoughts on a page is also what makes the process so rewarding. I scribble ideas on napkins, sales receipts, and the back of parking tickets. I pound my fingers on the keyboard while sitting in hospital rooms, doctor’s offices, and waiting areas. Notes appear on my phone when the mechanic repairs my car and in the quiet moments of mundane Zoom calls.

I have found a little difficulty, a bit of a struggle to overcome, helps hone my resolve and forces me to dig deeper, concentrate on my assigned task, and do the work. Some days I perch on my milk crate, with my laptop balanced on my knees, content with my makeshift desk. None of it matters when the narrative flows. Time stops, reality recedes, and for a while, I live in my fantasy world.

Do you have a favorite place to write?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Gretchen’s quote is brilliant. There are days I don’t want to write, or the day has been cray-cray, and it is late, and I want nothing more than to go to sleep. The magic happens as I write my one sentence, and suddenly I have written a paragraph or a few hundred words. They add up, fast.

Even if it is late, I try to make time to write. Sometimes I nod off and wake hours later with a glowing laptop screen and my face bearing the impression of the keyboard. It is a good thing I love writing.

How do you keep your writing habit strong?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Waking each morning represents my day’s primary challenge. Hitting the snooze button, and snuggling in my warm cocoon longer than I should, exacerbates my problems and creates additional challenges. I hate when mornings become afternoons, and I have accomplished nothing on my list. I have fallen into bad habits, going to bed past my reasonable hour and then using that to rationalize my late rising. This scenario is coloring my entire day, putting me in a foul mood, and hindering my progress on my goals.

Experience has revealed my prime productivity period is between 9 A.M. and 2 P.M. I’m fresher, more creative, and more likely to pursue my personal-passion projects during my sweet spot. It presumes I am awake, alert, and ready to work. A morning routine required to get me to that stage takes two or three hours. I need a change.

I am planning on adopting the schedule of extreme early risers, with a 6 A.M. target. I intend to address the things I have been neglecting, reviewing my scheduled daily tasks, and enjoying my yoga workout before it gets bumped for more urgent responsibilities. But first, I need my coffee.

Do you have a set wake-up time?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

As an introvert, I spend hours in my head, but I am rarely alone. Not by a long shot. Novel characters appear with fascinating stories to tell while my muse whispers charming prose, and inspirational music plays in the background. I write in self-defense. Composing fiction is my exercise, a method of quieting the voices, and as I surrender to the writing process, I lose myself. Time travel is real. The tales transport me to different eras, unique and provocative lives, and singular universes.

Once, I believed the act of transcribing the narratives I hear would silence them. It hasn’t worked that way. Instead, it has generated additional protagonists with risky adventures, enormous demands, and they possess an unrelenting urgency for me to retell their epic sagas.

Writing is an absolute privilege that lets me connect with others in ways I could never imagine. It provides me an avenue to explore what other people might feel or experience, and it opens doors to conversations. Through writing, we discover like-minded individuals and gain the knowledge that we humans have many things in common.

How has writing changed your life?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

My family loves cookies, and I love baking. I may have missed my calling. In an alternate timeline, I run a popular bakery and confection shop with daily lines that stretch out the door and around the block. Top on my holiday list are Springerle, Pfeffernüsse, Linzer Tarts, and Lebkuchen made with homemade candied citrus peel. There are the perennial favorites, and overall crowd-pleasers like chewy Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, soft Ginger cookies, traditional spicy Gingerbread Men, and the versatile Sugar cookie decorated with Royal Icing.

Chocolate Crinkle cookies get dressed up and transform into Red Velvet Crinkles. Hazelnut Biscotti dipped in dark chocolate are a must with Christmas brunch coffee. On the adults-only table are special laced treats. Do you want a Chocolate Rum Ball or a Bourbon-Spiked Eggnog cookie? Or perhaps you prefer a Kahlua Creme Brule cookie?

Grandma’s Icebox cookies are a household tradition, along with Grandpa’s famous Date bars. The little ones enjoy Candy cane cookies sprinkled with peppermint or the gooey raspberry and almond Shortbread Thumbprints. Uncle Arthur picks the Buckeye Balls, while Aunt Sue lays claim to every Coconut Macaroon she can find. Dad will deny he has a favorite, but the Chocolate-covered cherry cookies seem to disappear when he is near.

As much I adore creating and tasting each batch as they emerge from the oven, my friends and family miss the sweet simplicity of Lemon Butter cookies.

What cookie does your Santa crave?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I thrive in organized and systematic environments. I consider efficiency, speed, and precision, the primary indicators of the ultimate success and satisfaction of every endeavor I undertake. Having the proper tool for the job is paramount. As a planner, my first step before launching a project is a well-conceived plan. I gather my supplies before I set to work. When everything is ready, the conductor steps to his podium raises his baton, and the music swells.

That is how I orchestrate my life under normal circumstances, but all bets are off with a house remodel that complicates my everyday routine. They pack my possessions into neatly labeled boxes and stacked row upon row, from the floor to the ceiling. I am displaced, living where nothing is in its familiar, assigned space. Kitchen gadgets, once taken for granted, are not accessible. Basic tasks that once required only muscle memory to accomplish now demand attention, though, and extra time. While I expected obstacles, I was unprepared for the difficulties associated with the simple stuff.

I take comfort in knowing the day approaches when I can sift through the cartons, return my tools to their homes, and resume practiced dances with my intimate friends.

How do you cope with unexpected challenges?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

It happens. Wednesday morning brushing your teeth, you realize you don’t recognize the face reflected in the mirror. Questions pour through the opened floodgate. Who are you? How did I get here? What have I become? How is this my life? Some people perceive deep feelings of emptiness and a sense of surreal dissociation. Others experience debilitating depression, which threatens to consume the remains of a shattered soul. What do I do now? How do I fix this?

There are no simple answers. One size doesn’t fit everyone. I know we possess the unlimited capacity and remarkable creativity to identify the root issues and devise brilliant solutions. For me, conflict often arises from real-world necessities that feed our dreaded “should” lists. The word “should” has been responsible for condemning me to countless thoughts and actions which didn’t align with my core beliefs. It requires courage to examine the pile, choosing whether to keep or discard the attached command.

It is a time-consuming, soul-searching process, and deciding which principles matter doesn’t happen overnight. Karen Moning says, “The most confused we ever get is when we try to convince our heads of something that we know in our hearts is a lie.” We must press past fear, stop avoiding the tough questions, and answer them from our hearts. No matter how scared we are, moving forward means heeding our intuition, trusting we will recognize our truth.

How do you find your authentic self?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer