Writing The Rights & Wrongs Of Life

Are you as fed up with the negative concept of society as I am? Every day we’re bombarded with news about failing governments, education, health and housing services, marriages, families and kids – and that’s without all the heartbreak of drug and alcohol abuse, and 3 million children starving to death worldwide. Do you feel it’s enough to make you despair? Then read on . . .

FEELING HELPLESS?  WRONG!

It does make you feel helpless, doesn’t it? I know that’s what I experienced when my marriage fell apart for the umpteenth time and ended in divorce. And it was certainly the case when my daughter decided that the best escape from the misery at home was to embark on a teenage drug addiction. And then I discovered that all the sincere but equally helpless support agencies and drug addiction clinics had little or nothing to offer me in the way of help. Almost without exception, they were either under-resourced or politically hamstrung. You might think I’d have caved in. Especially when my daughter died in suspicious circumstances.

But I have a stubborn streak, and a faith. I don’t believe that we’ve been put on this earth just to give up on life. We only have one shot at it, and it’s a pretty short one at that. So when I was going through all the heartache that life threw at me, I made up my mind to learn from each and every experience, every mistake (and there were plenty) every bit of advice that could be seen to work, and every prayer that was answered.

LEARNING LESSONS?  RIGHT!

It drives me mad when government officials, caught out in some debacle or other, tell you, earnestly, that “lessons will be learnt”. When? I want to ask. But actually, I’ve found that we all have a choice: a choice about our mindset. We can choose to look for the good in life. I don’t mean escapism. Being in denial. Pretending that the bad doesn’t exist. What I mean is looking up, instead of down. Looking outward instead of inward. Making our circumstances a footstool instead of a punch-bag.

It is so empowering! Forget all the negative thoughts you’ve ever had about church and religion. Don’t allow yourself to believe that any of the sciences have all of the answers. If you open your mind to the concept that there is a Power outside yourself, you find that you start thinking about and tackling problems in an entirely different way.

WRITING THE RIGHTS & WRONGS

And that, really, is the purpose behind every book and every article I write, and every talk that I give. I’m passionate about giving hope to people who are hurting. Parents whose teenagers have gone off the rails. Or worse, whose lives have come to an abrupt end in shocking – sometimes suspicious – circumstances. And people who’ve suffered none of those things but still find society frightening and alienating. I want to offer them practical solutions. Help and hope to understand that there is always something they can do. Something that will enable them to change the circumstances they’re in. Or if not that, then to change their perceptions about themselves and others. To change their coping mechanisms so that they can have peace despite the circumstances.

But I want to help in more ways than that. That’s why I set up Cumcaritas Books (cum = Latin for ‘with’; caritas = ‘love’ or ‘charity’). For every book sale made from this website (UK customers click here) ALL proceeds will be going to charities. Depending upon the book, these will be Care for the Family for their project in ‘drug-proofing’ teenagers; and Tearfund for their worldwide aim in helping people out of poverty and – for my latest book, Picked For A Purpose – The Prince's Trust, King Charles' charity which has helped more than a million young people find purpose in life. The amount of money I raise may only be a drop in the ocean. But with enough drops, we could all make a difference. What do you think?

So read my books, then write your own. You'll soon see how therapeutic the art of writing, and sharing with others can be.  You might begin with just a diary, but if you want to know more about writing a book, take a look at the posts I've put up on Creative Writing Techniques.