Words I Wish I Wrote: A Collection of Writing That Inspired My Ideas

The author had a graduate school assignment to write a credo -- a personal philosophy. He basically has maintained that documentation and compiles it for us. It is a great exercise for each of us to consider writing down and maintaining the basis of our beliefs. How to go about this? Well, here is a model to follow: topics ("Choose", "Play", :Believe", etc.) for chapters. Then, representational and key quotes, some with explanation. Each source is annotation, that is not just cited but put into autobiographical and developmental context.

Here is a sample quotation compiled here:

You risked your life, but what else have you ever risked? Have you ever risked disapproval? Have you ever risked economic security? Have you ever risked a

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belief? I see nothing particularly courageous in risking one's life. So you lose it, you go to your hero's heaven and everything is milk and honey 'til the end of time. Right? You get your reward and suffer no earthly consequences. That's not courage. Real courage is risking something you have to keep on living with, real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness. Real courage is risking one's clichés.

- TOM ROBBINS, Another Roadside Attraction show less