Warmest greetings, dear friend and reader!
This is my first regular weekly newsletter, and I sincerely hope it finds you well.
My aim is that in each of my newsletters I touch upon a subject which is of importance to me, as a writer and a human being, as well as to you, as a reader and a human being.
I guess an appropriate subject for this first newsletter would be discussing the answer to the question: why do I write? And since everything in this universe (at least as long as we are in the realm of manifest reality) comes with a flip side, I would invite you, as you go through my answer to this question, to simultaneously ponder on the following question for yourself: why do you read?
A more specific question, that my big writer’s ego would feverishly want to answer on your behalf, would be: why would you want to read what I write? But, of course, this is a question which in reality you can only answer for yourself; one could even go so far as to argue that you must have already answered it, at least for as long as you keep on reading this newsletter and refrain from pushing the “unsubscribe” button found at its tail end… 😉
So, let’s focus on the question I can provide an answer to: why do I write?
The shortest answer to that question would be: because I don’t have a choice; “it’s either this or prison”, as Morrissey, one of the last rock stars (in the truest sense of this term, with all its connotations) still alive, would proclaim.
A slightly more expanded version of my answer to such question would be: I write to express my true self, so that I can understand my true self, so that I can break free from the current constraints of my true self, so that I can become the next greatest version of who I can truly be / who I truly am.
(Please read carefully every word of the preceding sentence, the one highlighted in bold fonts. And particularly contemplate on why in its first three phrases I use the word “self”, and why I then proceed with dropping it in its final phrase).
If you are attentive enough, you will notice that what is not mentioned in the reasons for which I write is that I write to be read. And this is not by mistake. I haven’t included this because: a) every time I write I know I will be read, if at least by one person; that is myself in his capacity as a reader; and b) it’s completely out of my control if I will be read by even one single person other than myself.
Yep. That’s right. Completely out of my control. Simple and sometimes tough to digest; yet also, powerfully and undeniably, true.
Take yourself as an example. Is there anything I could do to force you to read anything I write?
The answer is a flat-out, no asterisks or strings attached, NO. Even if I were to come there and place a gun on your temple and order you to read everything I’ve ever written; even if I were to restrain you in a chair, bind your eyelids so that they remain open at all times and project in a screen placed two meters in front of you each word of everything I’ve ever scribbled [like the gruesome torture that the protagonist of Stanley Kubrick’s motion picture “A Clockwork Orange” (with whom I happen to share the first name, Alex) was subjected to in one of the movie’s most (in)famous scenes], you would still have a choice on whether to read or not read.
Yes, there would probably be severe consequences for you and your well-being if you chose not to read under these extreme circumstances; yet, even so, even then, the choice on what to do would still be there and would be all yours.
As it is with you at all times.
In the paragraphs above, I provided you with the most liberating message I can think of. I repeat it, now a bit more explicitly: The choice of what to do in your life, with your life, at every moment of your life was, is, and will forever remain with you and nobody else but you. Again, there are always consequences to each and every of your actions or inactions, but within the given circumstantial frame you find yourself at each passing moment, you are the absolute ruler when it comes to you being the Actor (in all the meanings one can ascribe to this word) of your life.
You are no puppet and you cannot be manipulated by anyone else. Sure, external parties or forces may attempt to influence you or brainwash you, but it is impossible that you hand over the responsibility for yourself at anybody or anything outside of you. It’s physically impossible.
If you find these statements provocative or even obnoxious, it’s understandable. However, I would still urge you to just reflect on them, as detachedly and dispassionately as you can. See if that brings any value to you. If it does, excellent. If not, splendid.
Alright, my attempt to answer to my initial question has already taken us to deep waters. So it’s maybe better I stop for now. We may pick this up again in a future newsletter.
However, what has submerged into deep waters is our mind, really. Or, if you like, our typically limited perception of who we are and what our room for maneuver in our life is.
Not who we truly are. Who we truly are is themselves these deep waters I was referring to…
. . .
Let me conclude this newsletter by reminding you that, as you are reading these lines, my three new books are now available, both in electronic as well as paperback format (you can find more information on how to get them by clicking on the respective links which follow):
- «White City», a neo-noir mystery / speculative science fiction / psychological thriller novel of some 600 pages;
- «WHO ARE YOU?», an 18-step self-knowledge guide, based on some of the most powerfully transformational teachings of ancient Greek mythology and philosophy;
- «Manifesto», an unconventional socio-political treatise, which is underpinned by a strong metaphysical undercurrent and is a pertinent call for action to any independently thinking human being still out there.
Happy and enjoyable reads!
Very final thing: should you do me the honor of purchasing one or more of my books, please don’t forget to rate and review them in Amazon!
Until next time, keep safe and remain alert!
