My Essay Blog

“There is the known, and there is the unknown, and in between is the doors.” &ndash Jim Morrison

“Break on through to the other side…Where the day destroys the night and night divides the day…Break on through to the other side.” These were the famous haunting words sung by the American poet, rock artist, Jim Morrison of The Doors. With these words, he electrified an entire generation. And with these words, he began his own destruction. Morrison was talking about the great hero quest that he longed to take: to break on through to the other side, the dark side, the spiritual side, the unknown, and beyond. To penetrate the deepest darkness of his soul, enter on to the other side of pure light, and return with a vision to heal himself and his people. But Jim Morrison never returned from the dark side.

Jim was not prepared to enter into the dark side. He did not understand the psychology of the hero soul, and did not have the capacity to deal with the horror of his inner demons. Instead of slaying the dragon, his ego, he fed his ego with more fire and hatred. He set out to kiss the serpent, to ride the snake to the end of time and beginning of eternity, but he was swallowed by it. He was consumed by his own darkness.

The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They got stuck in the dark side. By using artificial means, massive quantities of drugs and alcohol, they were able to shut the spinning wheels of their mind and receive a small glimpse of the other side. In their drug-induced trances, they caught the occasional beams of light on ‘the other side’ that penetrated their darkness with visions of poetic expression.

But they did so at a great cost to themselves and people around them. These visions may have electrified their generation, but they did not heal. They simply entertained people, and at best, during their peak, may have satisfied a small yearning inside. But their music did not elevate people to a higher level of understanding like Mozart, Beethoven, or John Lennon.

Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, beautifully illustrates the path of the hero: “the birth, life, and death of the individual may be regarded as a descent into unconsciousness and return. The hero is the one who, while still alive, knows and represents the claims of the super consciousness which throughout creation is…unconscious. The adventure of the hero represents the moment when, while still alive, he found and opened the road to the light beyond the dark walls of our living death.”

The penultimate hero is able to enter into the unconscious realm and beyond, still awake, and bring back the boons that elevate entire civilizations and create the titan works that give birth to cultural enlightenment. He or she has the strength, will, courage, and inner capacity to defeat the dark demons of the other side. Heroes also survive the cruel impact of the world. They learn to effectively deal with the initial, furious scorn and ridicule from people that don’t understand them upon their return. They learn to shatter the ego, and return transformed, offering people the life elixir to renew and transform themselves as well. They cause the illumination of the collective soul and liberation of the mind. The highest purpose of the hero is to provide a vision that heals our tribe called humanity.

Can we all aspire to become like this in our lifetime? This is a question that I cannot answer, because I have no authority to decide what is possible and what is not. The important thing to remember is that this work is a composite of the universal hero in a state of perfection. We only need to access a small fraction of this power to experience a new life with new power and new blood.” [Excerpted from "Psychology of the Hero Soul," by Sharif Khan, Chapter 1.]

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and rekindling people’s passion for greatness. It is based on author, Sharif Khan’s ten years research in the field of human development. The Hero Soul is availble to order in most major bookstores including Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores. To order online visit: .herosoul.com

Psychology of the Hero Soul, by Sharif Khan, ISBN 0973192208, Diamond Mind Books, 160 pages, $14.95 US, trade-paperback, Self-help/Inspirational, distributed by Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and University of Toronto Press.

For more information on special quantity discounts call (416) 417-1259 or email: inspireherosoul.com

Writing is a solitary task.

Writing needs concentration and quiet.

Writing requires absolute commitment.

Are all there scary statements true?

What is more, is it possible to balance your writing career and family without turning yourself into a zombie?

Everything is feasible; I am the living example of it.

There is only one secret: TIME PLAN.

This is step one for the aspiring writer’s success. Without it, nothing can be achieved. How can you do it?

Simply make a rough plan of the time allowed to your writing project every day. It is highly important for the writer to know exactly WHEN he /she is going to settle down and write, feeling free of all the other responsibilities that he has.

I have made a simple schedule. You can work out yours according to your family needs.

Every morning just after breakfast, and as soon as the family have gone, I allow myself to work on my PC for one to two hours, depending on the workload of the day. Then I go on with the house chores and all the rest of the family tasks till noon. At 2 o’ clock everybody is back so I serve lunch, but after that I have 2-3 hours free to work on my morning assignment. Thus, there is plenty of time to care for the family , while in the afternoons I still have time to go to my part time job in time , feeling satisfied I have worked at home on my project.

In the evening I sometimes find an hour or so , when the family watch TV . This time I sit with them in the living room , having pre arranged to do the easiest tasks for my writing job, such as note taking or layout planning of new stories or articles. I use pen to paper and I don’t bother if I make mistakes. Next morning, there is plenty of time to revise them and complete them.

If this plan has been working perfectly for me, why not for you as well?

You only have to calculate when and how long you need to write every day. Of course , you must stick to your plan and never give it up , apart from very urgent cases. Remember that your work is also urgent, so never skip it.

If you respect your writing job, the others will do so too. What is more, they won’t feel neglected as you will give them your care and attention at the time they are around. Furthermore, your house chores will be done in time and you won’t feel overworked. Many a times I used to end up with half burned meals and I felt extremely stressed trying to catch up with all the house chores before the family was back home. So, telling yourself ‘I’ll do it later’, it’s not the solution. ‘Later’ will come in no time and you will find yourself in a very difficult situation. Yet, no one will believe your excuses as you have been in the house the whole morning , and you will feel inefficient for no reason at all! “A little every day” is my motto, and, in the long run, everything is done and everybody is happy. Keeping your writing and family under control will make you feel satisfied and everyone, including you, will be happy.

Also, keep in mind that there is nothing odd if you work in unconventional places.

I sometimes find it stimulating to work in the living room with all the family around. Noise does not bother me, on the contrary, it brings me more ideas. This article was outlined last evening while we were all watching a football match. Well, the truth is I did not watch much of it! I was absorbed in my new article, but that’s how this idea sprang out. I can perfectly work in a chatty setting. Have you tried it? You may come up with fresh ideas and great articles.

Finally, who says that writing can turn you into a zombie? Shatter the myth! It’s up to you to enjoy both your family and your writing career. Simply make a time plan!

Ends

711 words