#HappyNewYear2021

Posted on January 20, 2021 by R. Richardsson

We all make new years resolutions, but how many of us follow through with them? I’m willing to bet that the percentage, should we do the math, is fairly small. And yet, every year, we make the same promises.

I would be a liar if I said that I wasn’t guilty of following through with my own. I’ve always made the same promises, and every year, I fail to follow through.

Lose weight
Get in shape
Tone that bod
Eat Healthier
Improve my self Discipline
Be kind(er), in general
Reconnect with long lost friends, family
Make more money
Find ways to make more money, within my means
Finish writing that book I’m working on
Start writing new stories

The list goes on. By the way, does anything on my list sound familiar? Are you currently working on some of the same things?

They are all great goals. My own, and the ones you may be working on, or thinking of working on, but, why don’t we follow through? Why do we make excuses to not follow through?

The question can be answered by one of my very own goals, working on my own, number five. Easier said than done, right? Yes, but I have learned, over the years, that you don’t have to be a master from day one. Sure, that would be ideal. I mean, who wants to put in the time and effort…

Oh, yeah. You do. That’s why you (we) made those resolutions in the first place. But without the discipline to follow through with it, you’re not going to ever succeed. I’m sorry to say, but it is the bold-faced truth.

But, that doesn’t mean it’s hopeless!

You see; self-discipline, like a toddler, or a puppy, or a long-desired lover, has to be chased.

When your son/daughter, niece/nephew, grandson/granddaughter, (etc.) wanders off, do you let them get very far?

How about your doggo? When that little pupper darts off on an ornery journey, do you just sit back and let it?

Finally, what about the most beautiful/handsome, smart/interesting, funny/entertaining person you’ve every met? Do you just say “screw it,” and let them exit your life? Or do you find some way to bring them in?

To all of these questions, most of you will pursue them in one way or the other. You’re driven to do so, by the need to keep the child safe, the loyal doggo entertained, and the desire to be loved by a significant other.

So what does this have to do with self-discipline, you may ask?

Simple. You know the feelings I mentioned in the previous questions? Those feelings that pushed you do find the positive outcome in each scenario? Those are the feelings you need to harness in order to reach the goals, those afore-mentioned resolutions, that I previously spoke about.

Seem impossible? I get it. At one point, I thought so as well.

“But it’s so hard!”

“I’ll never get the things I want, anyway.”

“Why bother. I mean, it’s been a week, and I still don’t see results.”

Sound familiar? It should. I’ll wager you’ve said something like that, at one point or another, right? But, how often do you tell yourself that nothing easy comes for free? Probably not enough, right?

The trick is not to think of things in weekly, monthly goals, but rather, in daily.

“What can I do, today, that will get me what I want the most?”

That is the question you need to pose to yourself most often.

If you work on your self, a little at a time, every day, (AND YOU STICK WITH IT!), you’ll grow accustomed to the new routine. I’ll even bet that you’ll begin to enjoy it, look forward to it, and miss it when you ‘miss’ it.

It doesn’t have to be much.

Seriously.

Take a brisk ten minute walk every morning, until you get used to it. Soon, you’ll want to push for longer.

Replace one helping of unhealthy food, each day, with something that’s more healthy for you. This one’s tough, I’m not gonna lie, but if you experiment with cooking styles and different options, you’ll get used to the new, healthier you, much quicker that you’d think!

Say or do one (more) nice thing every day, even if it’s out of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be sickeningly sweet, by any means! There are ways to do this, and still be who you are, you just have to figure out what works best for you!

So you see; working on yourself a little at a time? That’s how you are going to increase your self-discipline. It’s a work in progress, and it always will be! Just like you! We’re always improving ourselves in different ways, right? So it shouldn’t be all that difficult to improve yourself in DIFFERENT ways! If I can do it, so too, can you!

This is me, with my youngest son, nine years ago. This was how I had always been, and who I was used to being. I didn’t believe in myself, or that change would ever be possible.

Three years ago, I underwent a transformation. I followed through with my resolutions, a little each day. November 7, 2020, at the Wheat State Nationals in Wichita KS, I took first place in traditional (Karate) Kata, and second in non-traditional Kata, along with my oldest son, who took second for weapons Kata.

Three years ago, I would have never believed it possible. But, I worked a little bit each day. I walked a little further. I ate a little healthier, and before I knew it, I become the man in the second picture. Fit, happy, and a champion in more ways than pictured.

If I did it, if I COULD do it, so, too, can YOU! Trust me. It’s possible.

A little bit goes a long way.

So, are you still thinking about your new year’s resolutions? It’s not to late to start! Start first thing in the morning. Start at your next meal. Hell, start right now! I believe in you!

Me?

This year, I am going to finish my next book.

It’s time. And if you’ll excuse me, I have some (more) writing to do.

Inspiration, Like a River…

Posted on February 13, 2020 by R. Richardsson

…courses through my veins. Even in the dead of night, within the coldest of Winter’s embrace, I still find myself dreaming of other worlds. I awaken, sometimes restless, agitated, as if I know I should be doing anything but lazing beneath cover of sleep. Voices whisper from the recesses of my imagination, telling me of things I should already know, pushing me to create timeless records of their words, worlds, that they may live eternally in the vast white void that is Word..

I’m helpless to their call, drawn by the power they hold over me, to the power I hold because of them. I must confess; it’s maddening. I’m often spiraling out of control, a hopeless, weak, romantic to the idea of being their god. For are we not, gods? Writers, creators of worlds, of countless lives, races, creatures, and the rules by which they live? How far are we, truly, from what it means to bear such their title?

And, for that matter, what if we are the characters of someone else’s story? Would we know? Should we care? Even if the story was once scripted, do we not hold the power to change the next the direction of each chapter? Even if it’s just the tiniest bit, it’s more than what is given to those whose story WE write.

Or, is it? I no longer know. I’m writing of worlds that live within my mind, deep inside of my dreams, of lives that seemingly exist without any of my input. Alternate realities? Personalities? They do not control me, with the exception of pushing me to pen and key. The only harm they cause to me is through the loss of time, time which is stolen from me as I am driven to tell their tales.

The question remains; are they in control, or am I? Does it matter? If we are able to control the direction of our stories, is it not plausible that they exist because they force me to tell theirs?

I often think of the stories I record as those that have already happened, as if they are in the past. That, perhaps, they may have once been in sync with our OWN time, at the moment I first thought of them, but as my life continued to put them on hold, they continued from the point I last left them. It’s through this line of reasoning which I have convinced myself of how I know where the story will go, from the very beginning, to the final end.

So then, it exists. Or, rather, it existed, and those who are the focus of the story demand me to share it through my loved labors of words, and their structures, in the best way I am able.

Sometimes I am away from them for too long. Life has a funny way of demanding one’s attention, doesn’t it? And, if I’m not careful, I may find myself forgetting some of the details. Maybe I forgot to take notes about where I last wrote, or perhaps I have spent more time working on another’s story, and the lines have become blurred.

In these instances, it takes a little longer to return to them, to their stories, and I often find myself stuck, glued in to sticky mire that is often mistaken as an impassible block. However, like anything that has become trapped in the depths, the trick is knowing that there is always a way out. One must search, one must use a little ingenuity, and with perseverance, freedom is but a few words away.

I find myself inspired, but not by my life around me. I am drawn into the the stories within me.

Even now they are calling my name, whispering fervently for my attention, a plea I shall no longer ignore.

I can feel them clawing at my consciousness.

The desire to let them in, to write, is…

…it’s…

…intoxicating!

My Friend, My Love, My Creation

Posted on March 16, 2015 by R. Richardsson

Most times, new characters are born rather beautifully. They come with rich back-stories and have a deep family history. They speak to me for hours about who they are, where they live, what they do for a living, etc. Other times, they burst forth kicking and screaming.

They’re wearing straight-jackets and slamming themselves madly against my psyche. They’re roughly cut from raw emotion, they know very little about who they are, where they came from, or who their families are. The only thing they know is their desire to have the same chance at life as the aforementioned.

While I do so enjoy the company of my more ‘fleshed’ out characters, mainly because they are familiar to me, like family or good friends, I find myself oddly drawn to these new beings. They want the same things that we all have, that which has come so easily to their cousins; a life of their own. They are like children, in a way. They don’t know what’s behind them, nor do they have a clue what’s ahead of them. They must learn, through my guidance, of course, what they like or do not like.

Sometimes I can control the process. Sometimes, I can even help form them into something appropriate enough to tell a story about. This isn’t always the case, however, and any writer can tell you that it isn’t always going to be a good thing.

You’re not always going to have a ‘good’ character. Every so often, as I am helping this character come to life, we discover that he or she isn’t so savory a person. Maybe said character is a villain? Or maybe, something much, much, worse. I don’t always like telling the story of these characters, but again, as a writer I don’t always have a choice. They desire a chance at life. They demand that their story be heard. And as a storyteller, I am compelled to share.

Perhaps what awaits in the end is poetic? Or, perhaps not. It isn’t for me to decide. You see, much like the character types I have described, so too do the stories exist as well. Some lay in wait, ready to pounce my thoughts without a moment’s notice. Other times, they are a rough gem that needs worked into something you may or may not appreciate.

Just as is the case of the character, some stories may be beautiful designs that inspire you to continue turning the page. Others might be an atrocious train-wreck that forces you to turn the pages until you reach the end. This isn’t to say that they aren’t very good.

It’s a tricky subject; horror.

What one person may consider good, might be another’s kryptonite. I may have written the most descriptive decapitation in such a way that you have never seen before, but what may make one jump out of his/her seat in excitement, might have another turning their head in disgust.

Such is life.

By now, I hope that my readers have come to expect a certain style to my writing. You’ve survived the first two tales of John Rizzerio and are eagerly waiting the finale, or you have been keeping up with my webseries and are looking for the next post to appear. You know that I don’t always pull the punches.

Some of my characters may seem like somebody you could run into on the street. Others, a friendly neighbor or work acquaintance. Then there are those, like the protagonists of ‘She Has A Pretty Face Though’, and ‘The Box’, who each have their own issues to resolve. In the end, was their story worth it? Was it poetic, or did you enjoy following their journey?

Of course, you’ll have your own opinions that I would LOVE to hear! But, in the end, I will still continue to tell the stories as they demand to be told, in their own entireties. While I depend upon you, my faithful readers, to help guide me down the path of your interests, I hope that you continue to stick with me as I share with you my creations. They are a labor of love, a part of myself in much the same way that my children are, and it gives me great pleasure to be able to introduce you to them.

They are family, after all.