COPYRIGHT 1999 DOREENE CLEMENT Taken from THE 5 YEAR JOURNAL

Doreene Clement, a cancer victor and author of The 5 Year Journal, is currently writing a new book, Blessed, about her life and her cancer experience. For more information www.the5yearjournal.com 480.423.8095 Copyright 2005 OMDC, LLC All Rights Reserved

I heard myself talking on Radio Shows. I saw myself getting a warm hug from Oprah Winfrey on her show. I sat on her cream cushion as I got all entire audience applauding. I sat leg crossed, talking excitedly about my book when I got a back slap. It was my poet friend. I jolted out of my limbo, hating him for cutting short my daydream.

But something had happened to me. Some adrenalin had pumped through my whole system, motivating me to dare for success. A force had been released, devouring my worst enemy. It all came from a picture most readers simply flipped over. Do you think I’m crazy?

I’m not. I’m just like a little boy who jumped down a stairway and cracked three ribs, after watching Superman. (May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. I mean Christopher Reeves.) It is not funny, little boy did what he had imagined of himself. He did, at least for once in his lifetime, flew like his friend from Krypton. He did kill his worst enemy. It all came from a movie most viewers simply enjoyed.

It’s okay when you laugh at little boy’s ignorance. It’s okay when you think I’m stupid to have wasted my time concentrating on a cover page. But it not okay when you hide behind your real self. It’s not okay when you live in shadow of reality. It’s not okay when you settle for less, avoiding risks. It’s not okay when you shelve your dreams because you don’t want to hurt your worst enemy, fear. It can never be okay when fear rules your life.

I do not say child in you that turns pales when it comes to taking giant strides should cease to exist, but I’m saying you have to be one in charge. Like Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mostly of fear—not absence of fear.”

Mark Twain, like you and me, once had his fear, but he broke away from its manacles. He mastered it. He placed it in chains and dragged it like a tamed dog as he goes about his journey to success.

Coming soon, “Haiku with love” An inspiring poetry collection by A.Z. Alfred. To be published by Author House, USA. www.writesight.com/blackzeal101

A.Z. Alfred is a writer and a motivational speaker whose greatest pleasure is observing the world through a window while listening to inspirational songs.