“I found myself unable to have my own freedom and my own voice,” said Charles K. Poole, whose compilation of popular blogs recently became his first literary contribution, I Am My Own Cause. “But the more I wrote, the more cleansed I became.”
Now Poole hopes that his spurts of self-expression will help readers empower themselves.
“I thought to myself, ‘how in the heck am I going to make it through these changes,’” Poole admitted. “It took a toll on me physically.”
In 2008 his company moved him from his hometown of St. Louis to the Los Angeles area, only to request that he uproot again – to the other side of the country in the Washington D.C. area nine months later.
As he picked up his life and carried it from coast to coast, his well-being was lost along the way.
It sounds so simple when you say it, but he decided to take care of himself mentally and emotionally by being open to who he was and loving and appreciating that to boot.
And he wore it on his sleeve …literally.
Poole had neoprene bands – like the ones made popular by Lance Armstrong’s ‘Live Strong’ campaign. Similar to the individuals who displayed/advertised what they personally deemed worthy causes – Poole’s bracelet read ‘I Am My Own Cause.’ He kept that in mind has he came to terms with the transitions in his life.
“In my world, the one thing I needed to be passionate about at that time was me,” Poole said in one of those ‘ah-ha moment’ tones. “And in my imperfection I saw my greatest sense of purpose.”
Poole’s blogging – potpourri of thoughts, views, epiphanies created over the course of his journey to self-appreciation – began shortly afterward.
His writings featured topics ranging from pop culture, to politics and practical common sense.
“It gave me a voice to say ‘you may not get it, but this is what I have to say.’” said Poole. “That ‘I’m a part of the world but not driven by what the world thinks is acceptable.’”
His friends and followers not only got it – they encouraged him to continue.
“It was a give and get type of thing,” Poole said. “The more I wrote, the more people started writing back offering their perspectives support.”
It was obvious that Poole was on to something with his ‘Cause.’
The readers multiplied and he began getting more than a few nudges to turn them into a book. The fact that he was making a difference in the lives of his readers was undeniable, so he obliged.
He compiled the best of his ‘Cause’ to distribute to the masses in the attempt to
“What moves me in terms of the book is the fact in saying my truth, someone can hopefully take the way I’m looking at the world and get their stuff together and come out okay,” Poole said. “I want people to be strong enough to make it in this world, that’s what I want people to take away.”
For more information or to view Poole’s blog, visit www.iammyowncause.blogspot.com. I am My Own Cause is available for purchase at www.causebook.net, www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.
