My Life Is Art

"Who owns your mind?" Beginning with this provocative question, Emmanuel Jal invites readers to claim ownership over the narratives that define their lives in order to become a force for good in the world.As a child growing up in South Sudan, Jal witnessed atrocities perpetrated against his family and community. These actions drove him to become a child soldier in a vicious civil war. Hunger, isolation, and the ever-present specter of death in battle attended his every moment. Yet his greatest challenge did not come from outside; it arose from within, from the corrosive nature of hopelessness, trauma, and narratives of victimization.Rather than succumb to these forces of negativity, Jal turned his life's challenges into opportunities by utilizing a comprehensive framework he developed around eleven pillars of support:MeditationYearningLeadingIdeasFocusEnduranceIntuitionSagaciousnessActionReadTrainThese pillars can be utilized individually or as a unit to help build a durable internal structure that allows anyone to overcome adversity, regain joy and gratitude, and live a life of purpose that enriches the greater community.