Yes it's the old cliche. The pen is mightier than the sword. How long it often takes before we realise or rediscover this truism and apply it to our own lives.

For so long I had tried to prove myself by the sword. I believe this is a trap that many of us fall into. The sword is portrayed in our society as being the master of all; if we cannot rule by it then there is something inherently flawed inside us, and we must be put to death.

Oh, the irony.

So a month ago I picked up the pen. What a great day for civilisation. Yes, it was just another day like any other. The sun came up and set in the usual manner. Nothing out of the ordinary there – but something had changed.

The world had ceased to be one where Michael Nunn tried to prove himself by the sword. Just like the young Arthur pulling the sword from the rock, Michael had picked up the pen. Shiver and quake, world.

Now, I do not hold myself above other men; on the contrary, I am a very humble and quiet person. But the important thing to realise is that for so long I had bought into the world's image of what a great man should be: a gun-slinging, smack-talking gangster wannabe; a President and a drug pusher.

A person's need to be recognised as a big, strong man is a purely ego-driven delusion. How much better is it that we should decide for ourselves what kind of man we should be? I say that it is unfathomably better. Discovering what and who you truly are is critical if you want to be truly successful, whatever your definition of success may be.

I remember years ago joking to friends about this very topic. I told them that I took drugs to give the rest of the world a chance.

Again, the irony. All I did was give the world a chance to screw me over, which it will do if you let it. From that day forward I had locked that negative thought into my mind, and its effects dominated my destiny for years to come.

My reliance on drugs ruined my marriage, stole my dreams, and destroyed my chance at having a normal life. Of course, I should have been smarter: I lost a sister to drugs at an early age and I should have heeded the warnings.

So I chose to live with drug addicts, gangsters and fighters. Men who lived by the sword. And I sought acceptance among them, hoping to someday prove myself by the sword so they would respect me. How foolish I was.

Article Author: Michael Nunn

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