A Zombie’s Morning Ritual, Reveals A New Day With Expanding Options – Daily Quote 

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you-cant-cross-the-sea-merely-by-standing-and-staring-at-the-water.-rabindranath-tagore

Each morning a zombie rises, moaning, and groaning it stumbles downstairs to its laboratory. The zombie staggers to the coffeepot. Flailing arms create splashing water, and coffee grounds litter the countertop like confetti on New Year’s Eve. It grumbles and waits, then fills a cup with wake-up juice.

A sip of the black witch’s brew and the transformation begins. My eyelids separate, the world comes into focus, and I see my goals on the horizon.

I consider my options. I could swim, build a boat, rent a wave runner, find a ferry, or book a seat on a private jet. The exact method is whichever one moves me forward, advancing me closer to my goal. I know I must act because I am not content to stand on the shore and dream.

How will you cross the sea?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 30

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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 274 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

Dare to Nurture Emptiness and Discover Your Well of Creativity – Daily Quote

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social-media-has-colonized-what-was-once-a-sacred-space-occupied-by-emptiness_-the-space-reserved-for-thought-and-creativity.-mahershala-ali-

I remember playing as a kid. It was a magical time. Apple trees magically transformed into space stations, and a sandbox set the stage for a town with a moat. The bare spot under a row of pines was a deep, dank dungeon below a giant castle. Epic adventures to distant lands filled with mystical creatures were only a heartbeat away. Inspiration floated on the breeze, shadows created villains, and dappled sunlight illuminated the path to a happy ending.

Today social media encroaches on the wellspring of ideas. Our minds are seldom allowed the freedom of downtime. The minute we disconnect, we grow anxious. We fear we will miss something important. We are uncomfortable, no longer friends with silence. Our hands shake, we break out in cold sweats, and we hallucinate, thinking we hear our phone beep. We are strung out on technology’s constant stimulation and in need of intervention. When we unplug, when we allow our mind the quiet it craves, creativity comes out to play.

How will you nurture your imagination today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 29

/ 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 273 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

Today’s Crappy Writing Becomes Compost for Tomorrow’s Polished Stories – Daily Quote

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i-can-always-write.-sometimes-to-be-sure-what-i-write-is-crap-but-its-words-on-the-page-and-therefore-it-is-something-to-work-with.-geraldine-brooks-

The practice of creating every day teaches many lessons. Sometimes your sessions are loaded with wonder. You look forward to the writing time, words flow onto the page, and the process seems effortless. Other days you don’t want to sit at your desk, but as you type, the concepts fall into place, and you produce more than you would have imagined. Sometimes despite your best efforts, it is nothing but crap.

Discipline makes you tenacious in your resolve to hit your goal, and you battle through, working, and composing until you attain the target. The chances are, when you analyze those hard-won victories, you discover gems you didn’t recognize as you were writing.

The truth is, even the words you wrote on a good day may need resuscitation. Regardless, there are pages filled with words. Words you can edit. Words you can polish and shine to reflect a story that once only lived in your imagination.

How is your writing discipline developing?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 28

/ 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 272 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

Adopt Shinrin-Yoku, Wash Away Your Daily Stress, and Awaken Your Muse – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 12 Comments
my-favourite-season-is-autumn-and-i-love-walking-through-woods.-lucy-davis

There is something magical about walking in an autumn wood, and recently, I discovered there is a name for what I have been doing. They call it forest bathing, forest therapy, or Shinrin-Yoku in Japanese. It doesn’t involve actual “bathing,” it is more about “taking in the forest.” They say forest bathing has multiple benefits, including reducing stress, elevating mood, lowering blood pressure, and increasing feelings of connection. Apparently, some doctors are writing prescriptions to take walks, and groups are meeting for guided hikes.

I don’t know if any of those reports are true, but strolling among trees, inhaling the aromas of an herb garden, noticing developing rose hips, I feel the day’s pressures fade away. My focus extends beyond the range of my screen, and I breathe deeper. My steps lighten, and soon, I find I am kicking leaves and smiling like a fool. The best thing about trekking through the woods is, when I get home, the muse finds my fingers and the words flow.

How do you inspire your muse?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 27

/ 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 271 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

Question Your Work Addicted Logical Thoughts and Trust in Magic’s Wonderful Gifts – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments
i-have-always-been-delighted-at-the-prospect-of-a-new-day-a-fresh-try-one-more-start-with-perhaps-a-bit-of-magic-waiting-somewhere-behind-the-morning.-j.-b.-priestley

Everyone is so serious. Acting mature is a prerequisite if you want to call yourself an adult. We dismiss childish notions, eschew the joy of playing, and abandon a realm of wonder and magic. Instead, we focus on work, maximize our productivity, accept the inevitable side hustle, and concentrate on attaining our goals. Work. Work. Work.

The need to pay bills, cover the rent, and maintain reliable transportation, sets the pace of our days. Desiring independence and self-reliance, we struggle to decode the formula that leads us to success. We embrace philosophy, critical thinking, analytical analysis, and statistical probabilities. We view the world as a machine, a system of cogs, gears, and programing we must decipher and dominate.

The term “magical thinking” is used in a derogatory manner to describe flaws in logic and denotes incorrect thought processes. We eradicate the possibility of chance and deem adults who entertain those ideas as borderline pathological.

Where children acknowledge magic’s existence in everyday events, grownups fail to consider the thought of serendipity entering their life. I think we are better served by allowing a little magic to seep into our days and granting ourselves the freedom to follow its call.

Where will you find magic today?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 26

/ 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 270 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