Bewitched by Fairy Tales Worlds that Make Your Real Life Livable – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
obsessed-by-a-fairy-tale-we-spend-our-lives-searching-for-a-magic-door-and-a-lost-kingdom-of-peace.-eugene-oneill.

My childhood included a steady diet of fairy tales. I remember a thick volume of The Brothers Grimm Complete Fairy Tales Collection, and another of Aesop’s Fables. They fueled my love of reading and introduced me to the mystical power words possess to whisk me to fantastical, far-away lands. Devouring those books, I graduated to The Secret Garden, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Hobbit. In high school, The Iliad and The Odyssey curated my foray into Greek Mythology, while The Once and Future King left me spellbound.

I am under no illusions that Prince Charming is racing to my rescue, and to this day, no magical forest animals have materialized to help clean the house or create a couture ballgown. The darker aspects of “Once upon a time,” is common adult knowledge. Yet, I search for not just one fantasy story, but an entire series. Fantasy offers a refuge from life’s stress, and they let me root for the hero and condemn the villain.

At their best, they explore real-life issues and provide a platform for discussions while they entertain. They offer universal lessons and make us reflect on ways to improve our world.

What stories influence your reading choices?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 5

/ 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 249 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

Happy Labor Day – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments
if-all-the-cars-in-the-united-states-were-placed-end-to-end-it-would-probably-be-labor-day-weekend.-doug-larson

Labor Day Weekend has always been an annual pivotal marker. It delineates summer’s end, signals a return to school, and heralds shorter days and cooler nights. It reminds us we must return to the business of work… tomorrow. Traditionally, this weekend is a national tribute dedicated to the American worker’s achievements. We honor everyday men and women whose daily contributions enrich everyone’s lives. This Labor Day promises to be a tremendous departure from past festivities.

The traditional last splash at the water park isn’t possible when the attraction never opened. The backyard BBQ with lawn games, friends, and family will undergo significant changes. The new guest list is limited to your bubble of safety. Required face masks make eating corn on the cob more awkward than usual, and you eye your favorite sloppy sauce with suspicion rather than lip-smacking anticipation. Villages, towns, and municipalities everywhere have canceled the annual parades, concerts, and fireworks.

While the activities may be different, I have already noticed an uptick in traffic as people hop in their cars with plans to get out of town. Friends are opting to travel in RVs or to rent a place at the edge of a secluded lake. As a pre-COVID introvert, I try to avoid crowds. I’ve stocked the kitchen pantry. The weathermen predict pleasant weather, and I plan to work on getting some writing accomplished.

What are your new Labor Day plans?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 4

/ 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 248 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

Hacking Past Performance to Discover A Strategy for the Win – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 6 Comments
nothing-in-the-universe-can-stop-you-from-letting-go-and-starting-over.-guy-finley.

I have a ritual I invoke at the beginning of each month. I evaluate my progress, review my accomplishments, and congratulate myself on what worked. That’s the easy part. Next, I determine where I fell short and devise ways to fix underperforming areas. Then I sweep it away.

Turning the calendar means a clean slate and an opportunity to start again. But a do-over isn’t a free pass. I hold myself accountable and reschedule unfinished tasks. By letting my failures guide me, I have learned valuable lessons. My mistakes point out miscalculations.

Dissecting the errors allows me to make course corrections, adjust my workflow, and I get another chance to be better. The one thing I keep in mind as I establish my new schedule is: my past performance is not an indicator of future outcomes. Instead, I set myself up to outperform last month’s wins.

How do you approach a new month?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 3

/ 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 247 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

Trust the Sun to Light Your Path and Rely on the Stars to Chart Your Course – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 5 Comments
i-will-love-the-light-for-it-shows-me-the-way-yet-i-will-endure-the-darkness-because-it-shows-me-the-stars.-og-mandino

I remember laying in the grass with deep darkness painting the sky. Millions and trillions of lights stud the canopy. I oriented the heaven’s guidebook above my head and located Ursa Major. There I identify the Big Dipper. Using the bowl’s pointer stars, I trace their alignment to the North Star, Polaris, at the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. It is a pulsing yellow supergiant, and while its intensity varies, I can locate its position with ease.

Letting the stars point me in the right direction, I turn to find Cassiopeia, Perseus, Pegasus, Lyra, Hercules, and Draco snaking its way between the bears. The fall and winter skies are my favorite. Orion hunts just outside my bedroom window. He and his dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, stand guard keeping me safe. Now I live in a large metropolitan region, where bright light obstructs the view of celestial objects. I sense their presence even if I rarely see them. I have lost the lesser-known stars as they fade, masked by the glare.

Tonight, I wonder if my inability to see every star in the sky limits my options and prevents me from seeing the whole array of opportunities. Do the limited choices force me to choose? Compel me to act? Light pollution has blotted out dim alternatives, and the pool of possibilities is smaller. Orion’s call is constant, and it gives me strength. I know he has my back. He protects me, guarding me, as I ignore everything else and focus on my North Star. When morning sunlight streams through my window, my path forward is unmistakable.

Are you following your true North?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 2

/ 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 246 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

Furthering Your Progress Towards Your Goals by Sailing into the Wind – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter / 3 Comments
i-cant-change-the-direction-of-the-wind-but-i-can-adjust-my-sails-to-always-reach-my-destination.-jimmy-dean

I love being in the spray, speeding across the lake’s surface with waves crashing into the hull. The boat slams into the trough, bouncing hard, water sprays, the motor turns, and the propeller spins, driving us forward. I am anxious, exhilarated, and aware of the dangers lurking in each swell. If we capsize, chances are, I will drown because I cannot swim. I don’t let it stop me. I take precautions.

Sailing fascinates me. It is intuitive that sailboats, with the wind at their backs, can easily reach their destination. But how do they return when it blows straight at them? Shooting into the wind is a misnomer that requires physics. You place the boat’s centerline at an angle to the wind, catching the sail, while the wind’s force and the water act on the keel to send the boat racing forward diagonally to the desired harbor. Alternating from a port tack to a starboard tack sends the vessel in a zig-zag course home.

I see similarities in reaching my goals. Some days I run with the wind, moving faster than the gale with little effort on my part. Then the winds change, and my progress demands tacking and jibing to advance toward my target. I could blame the air currents for my shortfall, or I can work with what I have, set my course, and adjust my sails.

How are you doing on your goals?

_________________________________________

Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

The 2020 Daily Writing Challenge – September 1

/ JoHawkTheWriter

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 245 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