Gathering Breathtaking Roses In Unlikely Seasons – Daily Quote

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Fall is the only season when I need not gather bouquets for myself.  Instead, Mother Nature collects them for me. Yesterday, the daily offerings began. Running late, as usual, I rushed to my car, slipped behind the steering wheel, tossed my bag on the passenger seat, strapped on my seatbelt, and put my key in the ignition. Ready to go, I glanced through the windshield and paused. Staring at me was a sea of tiny, shining treasures.

The sunburst locust is the first to don her beautiful foliage and begin my new morning ritual. As days shorten, other gems will greet me each morning. Red maple, sugar maple, river birch, beech, and sweet gum, will each cover my car. Today’s spectacular leaflets make me smile, and I back onto the street with care. I don’t want to disturb them too soon. What comes next is the adult version of flying through the yard and diving into a humongous pile raked from the leaf-strewn lawn.

I shift into drive and stomp on the gas pedal. A golden veil trails behind me, dancing on a slipstream. They become my magical tail, and I know it is going to be a wonderful day.

What is your favorite fall activity?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 10

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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 284 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

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

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Supervising Your Gremlins, Listening to Your Angels, and the Quest for a Quiet Weekend – Daily Quote 

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oh-i-just-want-what-we-all-want_-a-comfortable-couch-a-nice-beverage-a-weekend-of-no-distractions-and-a-book-that-will-stop-time-lift-me-out-of-my-quotidian-existence-and-alter-my-thinki

I knew I was biting off more than I could chew, but I did it anyway. By nature, I am optimistic, confident in my abilities, and a confirmed workaholic. I routinely accomplish more than most people. Others have chided me warning me to slow down, so I don’t make them look bad. On Sunday evening, when I complete my weekly calendar, I ignored the sweet little cherub who begged me to exercise caution. My pen coaxed my fingers to run amok, and they gleefully filled in every hour of every day. When they finished, I had five days scheduled back to back, morning, noon, and night. For good measure, I added additional jobs in the margins.

Surprise, I didn’t get everything done. Repotting my plants, finding the correct replacement part for the broken oven ignitor, and installing the new kitchen garbage/recycling system are outstanding items. For several undertakings, I am waiting on, ahem, someone else to supply the requested information. I love highlighting the completed tasks. This week the color is an obnoxious neon pink. Looking at my planner, you would assume I must have sat eating bonbons yesterday, but my sore muscles would tell you otherwise.

I want nothing more than a quiet weekend of sleeping late, enjoying a great cup of coffee, and reading a delightful book. Another voice reminds me I hate transferring uncompleted projects onto next week’s schedule. I know which side will win. This Sunday, the first task on my list is to rein in my gremlin.

What’s on your weekend agenda?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 9

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 4 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 283 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

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

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Clearing Away Yesterday’s Debris to Reveal New Possibilities – Daily Quote

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we-know-what-we-are-but-know-not-what-we-may-be.-william-shakespeare

Everyone thinks spring is a busy time for Mother Nature and her gardening friends. I find fall is a much more demanding season. There are seeds to harvest, sort, and save, debris and dead vegetation to clear, compost piles to turn, vacationing house plants to move indoors, and cold-tolerant vegetables to pick and store. Trees and shrubs planted now establish strong roots, and there are hundreds of tulip bulbs to bury in their loamy beds. There are hoses to drain, birdbaths to winterize, fallen leaves to rake, and firewood to cut and stack.

As I perform all these tasks, I remember what worked well in the yard this year. I analyze areas that could use improvement and formulate ideas for fresh garden features as the earth’s fertile fields settle in for a bedtime story, ready for a deep winter’s sleep. There will be blowing snow, icy gales, and long winter evenings huddled in front of a roaring fire, to consider what may be.

Potential lies dormant in seeds, bulbs, soil, and our creativity. October is ripe for productivity and is suited to making changes and creating and completing projects. Autumn winds sweep aside distractions, revealing bare bones and underlying structures. The crisp air encourages movement for warmth, and the need to prepare for cold, lean times energizes us. Mother Nature’s gusty breezes impart a sense of urgency as we clean away the old and imagine unlimited possibilities. 

What opportunities do you see?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 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 282 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

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

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Facing Your Fears and Taming Scary Paper Tigers – Daily Quote

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the-most-difficult-thing-is-the-decision-to-act-the-rest-is-merely-tenacity.-the-fears-are-paper-tigers.-you-can-do-anything-you-decide-to-do.-you-can-act-to-change-and-control-your-life.

We waste precious time and energy worrying about events that never happen, opinions that don’t matter, approvals we don’t need. Our imagined fears are a dog pile of a thousand tiny terrors and a hoard of gargantuan doubts. They stop us before we begin. We must confront our paper tigers, name them for what they are if we want to succeed.

Fear is a mechanism that evolved to keep us safe. But Saber-toothed tigers and Mastodons became extinct ten thousand years ago. To move forward, we need to determine if our concerns have any validity. What would happen if our worst thought stood manifest before us? When we consider them, most worries are dismissible, while a handful may require mitigation. Then we are free to grab our heart’s desire and prepare for an amazing ride.

Is fear stopping you?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 7

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 5 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 281 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

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

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Refuse Inevitable Failure and Explore an Exciting New Path to Success – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 14 Comments
if-you-want-to-succeed-you-should-strike-out-on-new-paths-rather-than-travel-the-worn-paths-of-accepted-success.-john-d.-rockefeller.

This year has not gone to plan. The unexpected backward jerk, the forceful forward jolt, followed by a sudden stop, reminds me of when another driver rear-ended me. Whiplash, the doctor said. The accident extended my muscles and ligaments beyond their normal range of motion. Immediately after the collision, I didn’t feel too bad. Then the pain and stiffness began, accompanied by headaches, dizziness, and difficulty focusing. The worst part was how tired I was, regardless of how long I slept.

In January, I had charted a well-worn track. It was tested, proven, and guaranteed to end with my goals completed. For the first time, my formula hasn’t worked. I tweaked and adjusted, prodded and probed, and as the familiar saying goes, I kept beating a dead horse, expecting a miracle. My reward culminated with extreme self-doubt and desperation. At last, I tossed my old ways aside and opted to forge an alternative path.

Going off-trail has made me painfully aware of my need to stay oriented. I am mindful of keeping my bearings, determining my precise position, and checking for obstacles that might complicate a straight-ahead course. While my progress has been slower than expected, I have discovered a delightful mosaic of unseen places and glimpses into wondrous and unfamiliar worlds. I’m blazing through an unexplored landscape, and it seems to be just what the doctor ordered.

What course corrections are you exploring?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – October 6

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 7 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 280 of the 2020 Daily Writing Challenge.

Did you write yesterday? Half of the year is in our rear-view mirror, and I am drawing a line in the sand. The targets I missed, the stories I didn’t compose, they no longer matter. These last six months are history. Done. I won’t lie, 2020 kicked me in the head, leaving me stunned, unsteady, and incapable of completing anything beyond basic tasks. I bet I am not alone, but don’t count me out yet. They say what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right? I am confident I will discover I am more capable than I have ever been. I dug deep, reevaluated my annual goals, and I decided to double down. Can I get a year’s worth of work accomplished by Christmas? We will find out.

My turning point happened when I remembered reading somewhere that anxiety and excitement create similar emotional responses in the body. Anxiety raises your heart rate, your cortisol level increases, and your nerves prepare you for action. Most often, we respond by stress-eating a late-night pint of chocolate ice cream. The only difference between the two emotions is anxiety has a negative connotation, while we view excitement as positive. The answer seemed clear. I needed to reframe the context of my emotions and proceed as if my success lies on the horizon.

All that remains is for me to divide my workload into bite-size pieces, and do the next right thing. I am aligning my creative endeavors to focus on writing, editing, and creating a brighter future.

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

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer