I don’t know if it is OCD, but I like it when things are immaculate and ordered. There is something satisfying about having a place for everything, and everything lives in its assigned spot. Clean house, sparkling windows and mirrors, freshly folded towels, spotless floors, and warm homemade cookies are my idea of a comfortable abode. My writing rituals are no less rigorous.

I set specific, time-sensitive and writing goals, which I scheduled and then analyze my progress. I demand high standards. Expecting perfection, my results are often less than gratifying, and yet better than I hoped. A clutter-free desk and a blank document allow my mind to concentrate on writing without distraction. When my writing session is complete, I reward myself with a cup of coffee and one of those home-baked cookies.

What is your perfect writing environment?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I suspect we are all experiencing abnormal sleep patterns. Stress, uncertainty, altered schedules, and worry contribute to insomnia. Add unprecedented layoffs, furloughs, or reduced hours for some, and overtime requests and increased exposure concerns for others, and you might wonder how anyone is sleeping at night. Whether you are working from home, home without work, or are an essential worker, any tenuous grasp on normalcy has been severed. Then there are the kids.

We need a firm schedule, sunshine, exercise, and elusive sleep. Experts recommend waking at the same time every morning and indulging in at least 30 minutes of sunlight to regulate our circadian rhythms. They suggest gentle workouts help mitigate anxiety, and they advise against using devices leading up to your normal bedtime. The trouble is, when the room goes dark, irrational fears creep from under the bed, and threaten to drag you down the rabbit hole of one more sleepless night.

My bag of tricks includes nice long baths, deep breathing and relaxation exercises, meditative music, and an almost boring book. Collections of inspirational short stories, books on poetry, and essays live on my nightstand. Page-turners I reserve for early morning reading sessions. As I turn the page, sleep closes the book on another day, and I dream of a better tomorrow.

How do you ensure a good night’s sleep?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Spring allergies have hit. Stuffy head, red watery eyes, sneezing, and sinus pressure takes their toll when you are running full speed ahead. While allergy medication can relieve the pressure and ease congestion, it messes with my ability to concentrate and form coherent thoughts. My mind starts swirling, dreaming up countless improbable conjectures. Although none of the symptoms align, you wonder if you have coronavirus. It is crazy, reactionary thinking not supported by facts. Experience says sleep will help.

Ah, sweet sleep. It is a commodity as rare as toilet paper these days. We, humans, are hardwired to worry in the dark of night. We spend hours staring at the ceiling, tossing, turning, and entertaining concerns about the lack of shut-eye. The spinning wheels make matters worse. Sleeping during the daytime is a luxury I cannot afford. Coping mechanism number two is multiple cups of coffee. My hot brew helps ease sinus pressure while the caffeine combats a throbbing headache, and viola, no fuzzy brain. Step aside, I have work to do and I need another cuppa Joe.

What comforts you and makes you feel better?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Happy April Fool’s Day? I think? Wouldn’t it be nice if Q1 2020 was the setup for today’s punch line? I can imagine a fool jumping from a box to tell everyone this has been an awful dream. Alack, and alas, we are where we are. When planning and setting my schedule for this first quarter, I expected trouble reaching my normal word count goals. None the less, I set aside time for writing every day and tried to write even a few minutes.

For three months, I was discouraged. Thoughts of “I have gotten little done,” and “I am so far behind where I should be,” were a recurring theme. But my fingers hit the keyboard as often as I could manage, and I didn’t abandon my commitment. Moving slowly isn’t sexy. We admire the overnight successes, the fastest runner, the first to publish, and those who hustle at lighting speed.

Today I sat to review my results and plot my course for the next ninety days. Running my numbers, it shocked me to discover I am only a small percentage below my normal word count target. Without realizing it, I was making slow and steady progress. The key was daily persistence and unwavering dedication to writing every day. That’s an April Fool’s surprise I and glad to experience.

Are you moving closer to achieving your goals?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Even when we know where we are going, the path can be circuitous. Detours, roadblocks, washouts, and fallen bridges block the direct path. The going isn’t easy. We find ourselves unprepared, short on supplies, lacking the right password, and despair threatens to consume the last of our resolve.  We cling to hope’s faint light and push forward.

Having goals is imperative. I compare the path to Joseph Campbell’s structure of the hero’s journey. The goal is set, we answer the Call to Adventure, travel the Road of Trials, descend into the Abyss, experience the Supreme Ordeal. I know the story isn’t complete, everyone is waiting for our hero to prevail against the odds.

Where are you on your hero’s journey?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Focus and my ability to concentrate is in short supply. Uncertainty messes with my brain, but world events needn’t derail my desire to be productive. Easier said than done, right? Focus behaves like a muscle. The more I exercise it, the stronger and less painful concentrating becomes. The problem is starting.

When life gets stressful, I resort to Warren Buffett’s Two-List strategy. His directions say to create a detail list of 25 things I wish to accomplish. Long-term goals are proving too difficult to consider, so I fixate on this week. Completing the list is challenging, but I won’t be dissuaded. Eventually, my paper details a wide variety of tasks from housework, to writing posts.

With my twenty-five complied, I narrow the field to my five most important desires. Buffet says to set aside the remaining twenty, and he forbids dabbling with List 2 tasks until List 1 is done. On this Monday morning, even five things are overwhelming. I take Buffet’s instructions a step further and select one task. That means if I’m in desperate need of clean yoga pants, and it is on my leading five, laundry is my focus for today.

Sure, I still must fix lunch, and see to the normal day-to-day necessities, but I must do my wash before I allow myself to pick the next item from my list. But with a distracted mind, it may be my only success. And that’s okay. Tomorrow I promise to tackle another goal.

What will you accomplish today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

We are all links in a chain. No link is unimportant, each link, every individual, is completely essential. Together we play a role in achieving a greater purpose. My friends and family are health care workers and law enforcement officers. They are on the frontline, working long hours for our health and protection. Daily they see, handle, and resolve issues so we can live in comfort. Yet, they rely on us for comfort, too.

The frontline workers depend on their support systems for things like childcare, senior care, appropriate equipment, food, and emotional care. When they are secure, when they know their families are safe in their absence, they commit and focus on their jobs. When they have needed equipment, and we remind them of the simple functions of eating and sleeping, they work at peak levels with confidence. And when they have seen and experienced more than any human should, they need a shoulder to lean on, and a reminder we appreciate, love, and honor them.

I applaud as businesses pivot from their normal production to manufacture hand sanitizer, face shields, acrylic screens, masks, and other necessary equipment. Restaurants deliver meals to hospitals, fire and police stations, and homeless shelters. Often, they donate or supply these items at cost. Other critical organizations are working to keep the lights on, water running, and the infrastructure humming without interruption.

Even as we isolate, we still perform a vital role. We are the curve flatteners, the smiling faces, the sustainers of positive attitudes, the reminders they are not alone, and their flame of hope.

Are you an aware and strong link?

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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 charges your body with dopamine, endorphin, and serotonin, chemicals shown to lower your blood pressure, decreases your heart rate, and even ease your pain. Smiling elevates your mood and boosts your immune system. Studies show when we smile, others perceive us as looking younger, thinner and more intelligent.  Yep, that’s right, smiling makes people think you are smart. And thin.

But those wonderful benefits are only the beginning. When your friends see you smile, they smile back. They receive those same feel-good chemicals, predisposing them to smile at the next person they see. Your beaming face can start an epidemic, the good kind.

Remember that when you sign in to your next Zoom, GoToMeeting, Facetime, or Slack meeting. Smile when you send a text or connect the old-fashioned way—on the phone. Seriously. Smiling when you talk causes a physiological change and helps your voice to sound friendly, warm, and receptive.

Whose day will you brighten?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

From Sonya’s 3LineTales at Only100Words.
You can find the original prompt here. Thank you, Sonya.

photo by NASA via Unsplash

Controlled explosions, deafening noise, fear, silent prayers, trust, and courage give way to silence.

The burdens of life, high expectations, and unyielding demands give way to weightlessness.

A unique perspective, a quieted mind, and challenges met give way to peace.

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

There is a Spanish saying, “No hay rosa sin espinas.” The translation is, “There are no roses without thorns. Life is rampant with contradictions. Life, death, light, dark, good, evil, ancient, modern, ying, and yang.  Many believe our purpose is to find happiness, become rich, or attain enlightenment. But what if the actual reason is to experience and appreciate everything the world offers? Do we not welcome the warmth of the summer sun after the frigid temperatures of winter? Drought sweetens a thunderstorm, navigating rough waters heightens the joy of smooth sailing, and the coronavirus creates gratitude for our health.

There is evidence suggesting when we face challenges, we improve our existence. You know the adage, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Weightlifting tones muscles, solving problems strengthens confidence. Devising creative solutions keeps your mind nimble and amplifies your sense of achievement. When we look at difficulties in a unique light, we can see them as opportunities. They are the catalysts of growth, and a reminder to live to the fullest, experiencing the exhilaration of the highest highs, and even the despair the lowest lows.

It also increases your compassion for others. You can’t walk in someone else’s shoes, but your path may have exposed you to similar situations, which enhances your empathy. Empathy produces better people. Shared experiences unite humans in a common cause against a mutual adversary. Maybe this virus is not the scourge it seems. By fighting a microscopic enemy we are developing closer relationships with family and friends, helping strangers, and finding innovative ways to manufacture needed supplies.

Will you embrace today’s challenges?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer