Manny Wolfe believes that changing yourself will probably be the hardest thing you ever do…especially if you grew up in a cult in one of the most violent cities in America like he did. If you want to change, you have to take to it like a drowning man taking to a life preserver.

Cult + Violence = Tough Childhood

Highlights from the interview:

• Just because you’re born into something – in this case, a cult – doesn’t mean you can’t get out of it. And it doesn’t have to take you looking at an untraceable gun – in your own hand – to have the moment of clarity you need to do it.
• It also doesn’t mean you can’t someday be an example – a good example. To your son, daughter, and whoever else.
• And being an example, striving to be an example – that will fill you with purpose and joy.
• Writing can be the single biggest healing thing you ever engage in. You might need to do some other stuff to get you to the point of writing it all down, but once you get there, you will heal even more.
• If you do change, remember that your family – the people closest to you – will likely adjust the slowest, because they’re used to who you used to be.
• Any relationship that’s toxic will take more out of you than you’re aware of.
• Be warned: once you find your voice, you might not be able to stay away from the keyboard.

Listen to the episode for the full story.

Stacy’s Journal

Welcome to Stacy’s Journal! In this segment, I let you peek into my journal as I share my thoughts on a topic or resilience resource. Today, let’s talk about your origin story. As Manny shows, just because you’re born into a bad situation doesn’t mean you have to drag that baggage with you the rest of your life. Changing yourself like Manny did is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever do. In order to change, you have to get clear on where you are and where you’ve been. In other words, your origin story. How do you discover your origin story? You start with your life theme.

Think back to the milestones in your life and the desires you’ve had in your life. Where do those intersect with some conflicts you’ve had in your life? It might be beneficial to get those down in black and white – either computer or paper. Maybe spend some time reflecting back on your life. What…or who…has defined your life? How have you made decisions in your life? What…or who…influenced those decisions? Start writing that down. Those are the seeds of your origin story that you’ll use to change your future.

That’s all we have for today. Last episode, Kamala Chambers discussed writing about love found and lost – so if you’ve ever had to move on in any relationship, you might want to go back and have a listen. Next week, we’ll interview Kathy Gruver who helps us conquer stress through writing.

I love interacting with our listeners on social media. We’re on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and just about anywhere you can hold a great virtual conversation. Plus, I answer all my emails personally, so feel free to email me: stacy{at}stacybrookman{dot}com.

100+ Most Important Memoirs of the Past 200 Years

This week’s memoir is: Walden by Henry David Thoreau written in 1854

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About: Manny Wolfe

Links:

Facebook Page: Manny Wolfe

Twitter: @manny_wolfe

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