The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – May 11

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 132 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?  We get knocked down sometimes. Current events have done an excellent job of destroying normal. There is a silver lining. These times have granted us an opportunity to reexamine life, priorities, and what happiness really means.  I am determined, and I refuse to stay stuck in a mess. Today, I stand up, regroup, reset my intentions, and recommit to attaining my dreams.

An ongoing topic of exploration is Cal Newport’s concept of deep work, “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” Newport advocates approaching and completing challenging tasks by eliminating distractions, committing to block scheduling, and adhering to your intentions.

What are your intentions? Unlike goals that concentrate on achievement, intentions emphasize awareness. They are essential elements necessary to effect lasting change and establishing meaningful habits. Acting intentionally probes the root of your “why.” Examples of an intention may include creating space for writing and creativity. Do you hope to bring light to others, develop your skills, or gain strength? Perhaps your aim is to commit yourself to hard work and following through, regardless of the outcome. Does your purpose require you to face your fear and resolve to move forward, anyway?

Will identifying your intentions and reviewing them daily help you find your voice? Does it compel you to open your laptop or a notebook, grab a pen, and record the words and stories that are begging to be told?

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Happy Mother’s Day – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 9 Comments

a-mothers-happiness-is-like-a-beacon-lighting-up-the-future-but-reflected-also-on-the-past-in-the-guise-of-fond-memories.honore-de-balzac

Anna Jarvis was born May 1, 1864, in Webster, West Virginia, to Granville and Ann Reeves Jarvis. Anna was the tenth of fourteen children, and only one of four Jarvis babies to survive to adulthood. I like to imagine that Ann and Anna shared a special mother-daughter bond. The elder Ann was a peace activist during the American Civil War, and she cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

In an era where few women worked outside of the home, Anna became the first female stenographer at the Edison Electric Company after moving to Philadelphia in 1892. She later became the first literary and advertising editor at Fidelity Mutual Life Insurance. Did Ann push her daughter to defy cultural norms, or did she support Anna in her quest to pursue a fulfilling career? Mothers have a way of knowing when to comfort and soothe, and when to apply pressure to their offspring’s backside.

Ann died on May 10, 1905, and Anna began a campaign to honor her mother by establishing a Mother’s Day. Anna trademarked the words “Mother’s Day,” “The Second Sunday in May,” and a white carnation emblem when she incorporated her association in 1912. She said she wanted everyone to celebrate “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world.” She attended the first celebration of Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 10, 1908. Anna held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation making Mother’s Day a national holiday in 1914. Anna spent the rest of her life fighting the commercialism and “anti-mother propagandist” who sought to exploit the day for their own gain. It seems nothing really changes.

How will you commemorate Mother’s Day?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – May 10

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 131 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?  We get knocked down sometimes. Current events have done an excellent job of destroying normal. There is a silver lining. These times have granted us an opportunity to reexamine life, priorities, and what happiness really means.  I am determined, and I refuse to stay stuck in a mess. Today, I stand up, regroup, reset my intentions, and recommit to attaining my dreams.

An ongoing topic of exploration is Cal Newport’s concept of deep work, “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” Newport advocates approaching and completing challenging tasks by eliminating distractions, committing to block scheduling, and adhering to your intentions.

What are your intentions? Unlike goals that concentrate on achievement, intentions emphasize awareness. They are essential elements necessary to effect lasting change and establishing meaningful habits. Acting intentionally probes the root of your “why.” Examples of an intention may include creating space for writing and creativity. Do you hope to bring light to others, develop your skills, or gain strength? Perhaps your aim is to commit yourself to hard work and following through, regardless of the outcome. Does your purpose require you to face your fear and resolve to move forward, anyway?

Will identifying your intentions and reviewing them daily help you find your voice? Does it compel you to open your laptop or a notebook, grab a pen, and record the words and stories that are begging to be told?

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Memory Lane – Weekend Writing Prompt

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 22 Comments

Title: Memory Lane
Source:  Weekend Writing Prompt # 156 – Home
Objective: Write a poem or piece of prose in exactly 114 words

snow covered house on gray lake with lights on in the window

Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

The night’s darkness hid his destination until he arrived. He didn’t feel nostalgia, hope, or even curiosity. He’d burned those bridges years ago. The freak spring snowstorm stirred forgotten habits, guided his car to a faraway country he could no longer call home.

Black snowfall accumulated. Cold hardened him, and he waited.

A light punched back grey edges of a lonely dawn, a harbinger of her brighter day.

A man moved through the house toward the kitchen. He pulled filters from the drawer, measured coffee, and retrieved her favorite mug nestled in the cabinet next to the sink.

Bitter regret stained his face as he started his car, resigned to being the one departed.

__________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Pulling the Plug – Friday Fictioneers

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 18 Comments

Title: Pulling the Plug
Source:  Friday Fictioneers sponsored by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple
Word count: 100 words

abandoned refrigerator laying in the weeds at the side of the road

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Terri’s bare knee touched cold linoleum. The distinct aroma of disinfectant, liberally applied over thirty years, was strong in this corner. She fumbled with the cord and wrinkled her nose.

“Is this no other way?” she asked.

“No, I’m afraid not.”

Terri yanked, but the plug and outlet refused to end their embrace. She wiggled and pulled until she broke the bond. The whirring compressor grew silent. The familiar vibration faded in Terri’s heart along with memories of late-night bottles, birthday cakes, spilled milk, and Sunday dinners.

“You’ll love the new fridge. It pairs with your phone. There’s an app.”

________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The Difficult Road to the Easy Path – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 7 Comments

the-easiest-thing-to-be-in-the-world-is-you.-the-most-difficult-thing-to-be-is-what-other-people-want-you-to-be.-dont-let-them-put-you-in-that-position.-leo-buscaglia.

Often the most difficult tasks to achieve, appear to be the easiest. As we struggle to succeed, it is easy to compare our skills and our progress with everyone else. We listen to advise from teachers, family members, and friends, without realizing their advice represents their choices. If we neglect to choose our path in favor of a consensus, we lose ourselves. Doubts cloud our judgment, and we succumb to our insecurities and fears.

Honoring our authentic selves means determining what matters most. We must place less reliance on the opinions of those around us, since trying to satisfy everyone is a guaranteed way to please no one and to make ourselves miserable in the process. Regardless of our choices, we will never gain everyone’s approval. Releasing the need to subjugate our genuine desires is an important step towards discovering who we really are.

How will you be true to yourself today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – May 9

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 130 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?  We get knocked down sometimes. Current events have done an excellent job of destroying normal. There is a silver lining. These times have granted us an opportunity to reexamine life, priorities, and what happiness really means.  I am determined, and I refuse to stay stuck in a mess. Today, I stand up, regroup, reset my intentions, and recommit to attaining my dreams.

An ongoing topic of exploration is Cal Newport’s concept of deep work, “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” Newport advocates approaching and completing challenging tasks by eliminating distractions, committing to block scheduling, and adhering to your intentions.

What are your intentions? Unlike goals that concentrate on achievement, intentions emphasize awareness. They are essential elements necessary to effect lasting change and establishing meaningful habits. Acting intentionally probes the root of your “why.” Examples of an intention may include creating space for writing and creativity. Do you hope to bring light to others, develop your skills, or gain strength? Perhaps your aim is to commit yourself to hard work and following through, regardless of the outcome. Does your purpose require you to face your fear and resolve to move forward, anyway?

Will identifying your intentions and reviewing them daily help you find your voice? Does it compel you to open your laptop or a notebook, grab a pen, and record the words and stories that are begging to be told?

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

when-the-going-gets-weird-the-weird-turn-pro.-hunter-s.-thompson

They filed the first reports in mid-December. Through January, residents of eastern Colorado and western Nebraska claimed they saw swarms of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). The objects flew in groups and grid patterns in the night sky. Reports described large drones with blinking lights and six-foot wingspans flying over farms, towns, and open fields. Unexplained sightings, unverifiable flight plans conducted by unknown operators prompted a federal investigation and rampant speculation.

“Aliens,” some declared. Others blamed the military, oil and gas companies, Uber, Amazon, private aerospace corporations, and mischievous hobbyists. No one is claiming responsibility. Investigations revealed nothing. Law enforcement did confirm four cases where they encountered something “unidentified” flying overhead. The remaining sightings they chalked up to atmospheric conditions, planets, stars, and commercial aircraft.

Last week, the Department of Defense released three Navy videos. They said, “the aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as ‘unidentified’.” It makes me wonder. Highly trained U.S. Navy fighter pilots can’t identify the objects on their displays. Weird? Right?

They instruct fantasy and science fiction writers to tell believable stories. We must ground our tales in fact and plausibility. If I were an alien with the capability of zooming around another planet, I would. Imagine observing and studying a sentient being’s evolution. History is full of cultural myths of life among the stars. I think the sea of credible facts has just expanded my storytelling possibilities. Maybe I’ll create an invasion of murder hornets. Oh, wait. That has already happened.

What weird ideas are you exploring?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – May 8

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments

2020 Daily Writing Challenge

Writing is like driving at night in the fog.
You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.
– E. L. Doctorow

Today is Day 129 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday?  We get knocked down sometimes. Current events have done an excellent job of destroying normal. There is a silver lining. These times have granted us an opportunity to reexamine life, priorities, and what happiness really means.  I am determined, and I refuse to stay stuck in a mess. Today, I stand up, regroup, reset my intentions, and recommit to attaining my dreams.

An ongoing topic of exploration is Cal Newport’s concept of deep work, “the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.” Newport advocates approaching and completing challenging tasks by eliminating distractions, committing to block scheduling, and adhering to your intentions.

What are your intentions? Unlike goals that concentrate on achievement, intentions emphasize awareness. They are essential elements necessary to effect lasting change and establishing meaningful habits. Acting intentionally probes the root of your “why.” Examples of an intention may include creating space for writing and creativity. Do you hope to bring light to others, develop your skills, or gain strength? Perhaps your aim is to commit yourself to hard work and following through, regardless of the outcome. Does your purpose require you to face your fear and resolve to move forward, anyway?

Will identifying your intentions and reviewing them daily help you find your voice? Does it compel you to open your laptop or a notebook, grab a pen, and record the words and stories that are begging to be told?

Try it and let us know how you did in the comments below.

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Slow Is A Matter of Perspective – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 10 Comments

it-does-not-matter-how-slowly-you-go-as-long-as-you-do-not-stop.-confucius

I’m not a patient person. My modus operandi is setting huge goals and compiling long to-do lists as I schedule my daily and weekly tasks.  Friends and family tell me I am too optimistic, too unrealistic, and too driven. They caution me to decrease my breakneck speed, saying I will burn out and quit. But that only makes things worse. They don’t understand, and with them standing in my way, they make my job more difficult.

I admit I am very Type A and prone to adopting an “I’ll-just-do-it-myself” mentality. But it helps me accomplish my projects without wasting time. I do my best not to roll my eyes when others tell meandering stories. I don’t tap my foot when they can’t decide, and I don’t blow a gasket when they arrive twenty minutes late. The explosion happened at the appointed hour when they were officially late. Spending even two minutes ranting to myself exasperates the issue. Better to complete classwork, send emails, or write on my phone’s note-taking app.

I can appreciate slow. Sometimes I downshift into low gear. They say it is necessary and healthy to disengage and relax. I take days away from work. I can do nothing—for a while. Extended periods of rest and relaxation increases my stress, it grates on my nerves, my anxiety escalates, and I can’t sit still. I pace the floors, roaming from room to room, desperate to find an activity to keep my hands and mind engaged.  I know I will attain my goals because I cannot stop.

How do you relax?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer