It is a secretive club. The members rarely advertise their affiliation in public, but when two of them meet, something passes between them, a nod, a smile, a bond. We are people who read. Research seems to support the conclusion that brilliant individuals, the ones who impact the world, read. They expose their minds to diverse subjects, and submerge themselves deep into a topic, knowing the exercise will propel them to higher levels of personal and professional excellence.

When avid readers recognize a peer, their conversations move easily covering their preferred genres, recent reads, classics, good books, great books, and the hallowed ground of life-changing books. Details aren’t necessary. We know the feeling of reading a story that alters our chemistry, changing us from the inside out. Words lift our mood by confirming we are not alone. Memorable characters have lofty aspirations, and impossible dreams, they struggle to do the right thing and become better humans.

Good books are mirrors reflecting our inner truths and revealing the pathways which connect our past and present to our hopes for a brighter future. As we turn the pages, we laugh, cry, tremble in fear, and rejoiced in the protagonists’ victories. We increase our knowledge, develop our brain, improve our imagination, and boost levels of concentration and focus. If we are lucky, reading changes not just our life, but the lives of those around us.

Have you read any great books lately?

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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. But studies show the individuals who are the most innovative, are also more 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

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 certain 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

If I’m being honest, I don’t understand the love/hate titles assigned to Friday afternoon and Monday mornings. Sure, I look forward to certain weekend activities, eager for the experience, but I find a brand spanking new week equally thrilling. Many individuals slip into a depression on Sunday, dreading the next morning’s alarm.  Maybe they just require a slight shift in thinking.

Researchers tell us a part of our brain seeks pleasure. What gets lost in translation is, you activate that section when you expect pleasure, not the actual pleasure itself. We can leverage this. It needn’t be an extravagance, overly complicated, or time-consuming. Queuing your prized playlist, wearing a favorite shirt, or planning lunch with a friend, may create sufficient excitement for your pleasure-seeking brain.

There are obvious recommendations about getting enough sleep, creating a plan, and preparing specific tasks over the weekend. Consider starting your day early, avoiding those who complain about Monday, or catching ten minutes of something motivational, like a podcast, or a video. See Monday like a fresh opportunity. Listen to your inner voice telling you, “Get up.  Stop stalling, Get a move on. What’s taking you so long?”

What special touch will you add to your Monday?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I love decadent Sunday mornings. The luxury of spending just one more minute snuggled under a warm, fluffy, duvet is a rare gift. I like to keep my morning simple, and my first order of business is a cup of steamy, strong, black coffee. Adding to my self-indulgence is a regal, weekend-only treat.

I am a croissant connoisseur. A croissant snob. They must be delicate, flaky, light, and oh so buttery.  I prefer them gently warmed. Few things are more extravagant than a homemade, perfectly baked, golden moon, plucked directly from the oven. You can hold the chocolate, almonds, powdered sugar, whipped cream, pastry cream, figs, raspberries, apples, bananas, the Nutella, and even that extra pat of butter.

The idea croissants are fait maison, and eaten immediately is a dream, and I resort to my neighborhood bakery.  Set on a plain white plate, essential for containing the flaky crumb fallout, I alternate a delirious bite with a sip of earthy coffee. My morning explodes into ascending levels of pleasure.  One is never enough. Three, however, is far too many.

What is your favorite breakfast ritual?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

They predict a storm this weekend. The forecast calls for precipitation, freezing rain, sleet, and snow with projected accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. They won’t rule out hail, tornados, thundersnow, flooding, high winds, and streets covered with ice. I am waiting for locusts, snowmageddon, and the four horsemen.

I drive home, racing past packed grocery store parking lots without stopping. At my house, a full freezer, a stocked pantry, and the aroma of a simmering crockpot greet me. I have plans, and the impending assault helps set the mood. Fog obscures the view from my window, and a misty drizzle falls.

I have scheduled a long writing session, and the inclement conditions suit me. My characters are on the run, fleeing their evil tormentors. Biting wind gusts blow fallen leaves into their path. Tree limbs crack like whips, and lightening scratches angry marks across the midnight sky. Bram Stoker trembles in his grave as the pursuers gain on our intrepid heroes.

Temperatures plummet, the torrent solidifies, snowflakes fall, sticking to every surface. Jon Snow adjusts his Night’s Watchman cloak. “Winter is coming.” Can my protagonists escape? Will the hunters captured them, or do they succumb, becoming victims of the elements? There is no way to foretell the tempest’s fury.

Does the weather influence your work?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Today we are 10 days into 2020. That is 240 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 party 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 your analysis holds you hostage. Your stack of self-help books grows daily 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. 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

We are creatures of habit, comforted by familiar routines, and driven by homeostatic responses to maintain equilibrium. The world changes, we change, and what once brought a sense of security stops working. We must question our beliefs, values, goals, duties, obligations, hobbies, commitments, possessions, and even our relationships, when they don’t deliver.

How do we handle old stuff? How do we release what no longer holds value, as we reach for the new, the improved and updated, and the innovative?  Items received as gifts can create feelings of guilt when we contemplate disposing of them. Things we grew up with, cause nostalgia to rear its ugly head. Then there are the hard decisions. We bought the perfect piece they guaranteed would change our life until it didn’t. Dumping the item means admitting we made a mistake.

We carry baggage, burdens collected through the years we can’t seem to relinquish. My grandmother said we should use it up, wear it out, or pass it along. If something is not helping you move forward and attain your goals, it is hindering your progress. Letting reminders of the past go takes strength, as we struggle to summon the courage to face a brighter future.

What weight are you carrying that is holding you back?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The experts disagree on how many works Leonardo created. There are generally fifteen paintings experts agree were done by Leonardo along with and a handful of others that are disputed. It is believed there are many more works that have been lost through the years or remain unidentified. Then there are his manuscripts. Volumes of notebooks filled with his writing span the whole of his adult life.

Learning and understanding are important, but nothing exists without doing. It is a slow steady process. The work we do every day adds up to a legacy. The act of doing keeps us alive.

What will you do today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I drive in the fast lane. The open road beacons, I shift through the gears, ready for an exhilarating ride, when traffic slows, and I find myself in bumper to bumper, not-getting-anywhere-soon, gridlock. Thankfully, rush hour is predictable, and I try to arrange my schedule to avoid those times whenever it is possible. I plot and plan my daily commute and my weekly errands. I see no reason to spend forty minutes on a trip I can finish in twenty by leaving earlier, or waiting for a better window.

My overall strategy is to complete every task with a similar methodology. If I notice the internet connection bogs down between six and ten, I opt to upload files at a different time. When I write, and the words are flowing, I continue writing past my scheduled stopping point. For group projects, I ensure communications with other team members sets clear expectations and deadlines.  Reducing wait times, eliminating the need to make corrections, or rework jobs helps keep me from feeling frantic. Using those wasted hours in more productive pursuits means I accomplish more, reduce my stress, and maybe discover a few more minutes for sleep.

What traffic jams are slowing your progress?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer