What you believe, think you know, your thoughts, feelings, attitudes and philosophy of life are components of the body of myths that make you who you are and who you are becoming. You cannot avoid the presence of myths in life but you can avoid allowing them, regardless of their past or potential negative impact, to control you. You have the power to make your myths work for you. This requires having awareness of your identity, direction and purpose.

1. Identity. Who am I? Know yourself, accept yourself, just as you are, and be open to ever-present self-discovery. You are what you believe, think, are committed to, love, dislike, fear, and  your spirit. If you don't know your own identity, who is going to identify you?

2. Direction. Where am I going? You have not reached your destination. You are a person of destiny. You are on a journey and sometimes there are two, three or more roads from which to choose the one that may be the road less traveled. Choosing it may cause you to be able to say as did Robert Frost, "And I took the road less traveled and that has made all the difference."  Allow the Spirit to be your guide. The Spirit will enable you to know what direction to take, with the same certainty that you know that you are going to die. Knowing where you are going is essential if you are to go in the right direction and fulfill your purpose.

Myths can make are break, save or destroy a person. A common mistake made in seeking to reject the power of myths is to "throw out the baby with the bath water." Myths are important. Instead, demythologize myths and find the core truths they contain. Myths survived because they contain truths. What is true in any myth is in the myth because it is true ; it is not true because it is in the myth. Truth is eternal. To be successful you need to know the truths contained in your personal mythology.

Your personal mythology is singularly your mythology regardless of the sources from which it originated. Embrace it and be empowered by it.

Copyright 2010 by Uriah J. Fields

Note: Be sure to read my prose poem, "I Am America." This may be the real hope of America.