The Literacy of Belief:
An Autoethnography on Strategies for Steering Your Mind
The Literacy of Belief
An Autoethnography on Strategies for Steering Your Mind
Uju C. Ukwuoma
REGENT PRESS
Berkeley, California
Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Uju C. Ukwuoma
[Paperback]
ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-486-8
ISBN 10: 1-58790-486-1
[Hardback]
ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-535-3
ISBN 10: 1-58790-535-3
[E-Book]
ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-488-2
ISBN 10: 1-58790-488-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019957018
Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data
Names: Ukwuoma, Uju C., author.
Title: The literacy of belief : an autoethnography on strategies for steering your mind / Uju C. Ukwuoma.
Description: First Edition. | Berkeley, California : Regent Press, [2020]
Identifiers: ISBN 9781587904868 (paperback) | ISBN 1587904861 (paperback) | ISBN 9781587904882 (ebook) | ISBN 1587904888 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Belief and doubt. | Self-actualization (Psychology) | Self-consciousness (Awareness) | Cultural awareness.
Classification: LCC BD215 .U39 2020 (print) | LCC BD215 (ebook) | DDC 121.6--dc23
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
While the stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals, groups, and other legal entities.
Cover Design: Mark Weiman
Images: Uju Ukwuoma
First Edition
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Manufactured in the U.S.A.
REGENT PRESS
Berkeley, California
www.regentpress.net
Dedication
I have put almost my entire life into studying belief. The truth is that it has not been easy. Now, my goal is to break the process into smaller, more manageable pieces. I have seen that the circumstances we create and those that are not of our making contribute to the outcomes we experience. Some believe that humans should go with the motion and accept whatever life brings. Others think we should influence the movement to shape the aftermath of life. Many people do not care about life and what it brings. However, their lack of care does not preclude life from bringing what it brings. Some people do not worry about life because they believe that a higher power is in control. In spite of where they stand, many people of different beliefs are exercising their power to think. They are also using their innate ability to believe. Their thoughts and beliefs guide their behavior to determine the direction their lives take. Such people are literate in the art of living. Thus, I dedicate this book to all thinkers and believers who are knowingly and unknowingly modeling the Literacy of Belief every day.
Table of Contents
Ancestral Worship of Uncle Bryan
What we see contributes to the shaping process of our future
Our Behavior Reflects Our Beliefs
What humans believe shows up in human actions, even when humanity does not understand their beliefs
The Irony of Belief: Victimhood Spurring Creativity