Personal Courage

Personal CourageTruth and myth are part of the duality that's in the life of the author; in his misunderstanding, love and struggle to find himself. Writing a memoir can be as much about destroying self-made mythology as it is to creating a brand new one. Truth has to do with our ability to discern between reality and fantasy, between self-imagined creations and the realities of those who created them.An over-arching theme of the book of Isaiah is freedom from ignorant fear; how a naïve self-help author leads him down a path of falling into oblivion and death. I do believe in this passage, and I have not personally experienced either. As I read the passage, I was reminded of my first novel, Infidel, which features a character that is fearful of walking through an airport and thinking for themselves.Those who do choose to change their lives by thinking for themselves and exercising self-determination have the courage to break free from ignorance, lies, imagination and subversion in t he writing of memoir and that is what Isaiah sees when he looks up and faces the truth of the illusion that has been created around him. The fear and doubt and confusion of the ignorant are revealed by the power of personal courage.What's really amazing about personal courage is the effect it has on others. I remember an experience in the mid-90s where I was involved in an Internet community forum and discussing the topic of past traumas. One of the women talked about how she had been tormented in the past by the idea that she was worthless and deserving of what was coming her way. It was the kind of response that made me laugh and shake my head, realizing that the person who spoke about her traumatic childhood was herself.Another aspect of personal courage is the challenge of breathing new life into what we've done in the past. As I read the passage of Isaiah about personal courage, I was reminded of something that was said in another book, called by the same title:'Author, writer, and public figure. You are yourself your greatest tool, your own worst enemy. Use it well. And above all, use it you like you use your spirit.'This passage comes from an individual author and public figure who take ownership of who they are and what they do. While it may sound trite, the author is not afraid to say that she is self-created by the writer and publisher and authors who created her. I think this is quite a daring position for a mainstream author to take. Sometimes the more courageous and outspoken we are the more we must be heard, and that includes writing about our personal journeys and transformation.For personal courage to happen, we need to create, identify and share with others. From this piece of writing, one of the first things I have seen is that it was the braveness of the author to write the book and to share it with all of us. My hope is that this article has helped create awareness about this subject matter.