I Am My Own Cause

I Am My Own Cause P O O L E 2008 was a year of major change in Charles Pooles life. In the course of the year he: Moved from the Midwest to the West Coast without knowing a soul; Faced uncertainty about his professional future; Struggled with challenges ranging from body image and emotional eating, to recurringmedical issues; and Grew increasingly aware that Americas fixation on mindless conformity was devaluingits greatest assetindividual self acceptance. He looked inward when he decided not to let personal challenges and other turmoil break hisspirit. Writing became his coping mechanism and eventually took the form of a blog titled,I Am My Own Cause. For a year beginning in November of 2008, Poole shared his struggles, addressed personalissues, provided opinions about America, popular culture, and faith and couragevirtuallyanything he thought and felt, without a filter. It was his catharsis. In the months after he began writing, people he knew, as well as many he didnt, respondedto the messages they found on the blog and told him his posts reached them on very personallevels. They encouraged him to write more. I Am My Own Cause, conceived as a wayto help Poole find the means to live an abundant, hopeful life, became a rallying point forcommon sense, honesty and hope that connected people across race, age, sex and faith. This work is a collection of some of the more thought-provoking, inspiring and humorousposts he wrote during that year. Each entry, written in Pooles unique voice and based on hisbelief that every person has the power to change their lives, and the lives of others, is practicaland inspirational.