Then faced with trials and challenges in our lives we have the choice to either allow it to consume us or the experience to refine us. It's not an easy decision, but it is one that has lasting effects not just for us but those who learn of our journey.
Individuals like Lucian A. Sperta are making the right choice, and it is paying off in ways he couldn't even have imagined.
I was first introduced to the poet through Facebook, and it became obvious to me early on that he was not just a prolific writer but one who was using the power of the proverbial pen to not only help others but heal himself as well.
In an exclusive radio interview on Conversations LIVE he discussed the path to healing and the search for self that gives him courage to share his story without shame.
"It really started some 15 years ago," Lucian told me as we discussed when he realized the gift that was words. He discovered poetry and published it. "I saw there was a format for me to express my grief and anger," he explained. After publishing a great deal around 1996 the darkness of the past surrounded him, forcing him to turn inward. "It became a little overwhelming," he says, but this year he realized that what he had been given was larger than him. "This past January I decided to start sharing and speaking not just for me but others." It is that path that has kept him going.
Like many others Lucian knows what its like to be abused and humiliated. Because of the work he is doing to help others in their lives, he is sharing what is possible for them by revealing much about his own. "I spent a lifetime running from it, trying create an image that would move me away from my past," he told me. It wasn't that easy, though. "My past kept revisiting me in my work. I wasn't escaping, so I used my story with clients." By doing so he is helping them to appreciate what is possible in their lives. "I walked that journey, and I want them to know it is possible for them as well."
Having written several titles since he began to reveal himself through prose, Lucian has found not only a safe way to chronicle the experience but a form of liberation in the process. "Writing helped me," he explained. "It was my freedom. I grew up in fear, but writing didn't betray me."
Lucian is also using social media as a place to share his story and meet those who are also dealing with the darkness from their past. "For me it's been a great experience," he says. "I am able to use my words and my survival as an example. There are people who are struggling. I am here to show them that they can share without shame. Because of what we've been through there is a sense of connection there. A lot of people feel isolated because of their pain. I want them to know they are not alone."
Though he is brave in many respects there are still moments when being the face of survival is not an easy thing. Because of the abuse he suffered and the ways he would eventually attempt to dull the pain and the feelings of unworthiness, Lucian appreciates that someone has to step forward and let others know what is possible. "There is a lot of shame attached to it," he told me. "I knew that I had to put my face out there. I'm just as human as they are. I'm not just a half a person anymore." Sharing his story, he explains, "puts the whole person out there."
Like Lucian, we can all tap into our inner greatness and motivate others to do that as well. His faith has also been a great asset to him as it pertains to his gift. "I am still struggling with the gift part," he explained. "I pray to give me the words to help others. I reach deep into my heart and soul, and I want to be able to translate that into words." It is a part of his recovery and the healing. "I push myself. If I touch one person and can give them hope then I've done something."
Lucian's message for you is the same for himself: "Dream loudly. Pray softly. Listen deeply."
To find out more about his book online visit http://amazon.com/author/luciansperta. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter under "Lucian A. Sperta".
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