From now on, Your Name is Mufasa
The reading this week was terrific. King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft and Steven Pressfield’s War of Art are both full of nuggets for anyone willing to take a rip of faith and grow their potential against all odds. Pressfield, in War of Art, speaks of our two lives and the internal demon of resistance that stands between the two lives.
“Most of us have two lives, Pressfield says, the life we live and the unlived life within us, between the two stands resistance.”[1] On the other hand, King describes these demons in his colorful language; I got an audible version of On Writing and could not stop laughing as I listened to the book. Steven’s Colorful language and the details he includes in his book are simply unheard-of, yet the book is a treasure, a wealth of insights for any writing, whether fiction or nonfiction. He is a master of his craft, sharing great wisdom in a short and easy-to-listen or read book.
I will attempt to share my takeaways and wisdom from Pressfield and King and will surely return to these books for more than an hour of summary and nuggets.
Nugget number one: Drawing inspiration out of adversity
Speaking about his rejections, “King became passionate about writing his stories; he would pin each of these rejections onto his bedroom wall. However, the number of rejections became so extensive that the nail fell out under the weight. After receiving many rejections, King studied writing markets in the Writer’s Digest.”[2]
King’s colorful language should not discourage readers from mining the gold out of his book. Everyone has a story, which can be a great source of inspiration, even when very painful; his story includes the struggles with drugs and alcohol.
King described his addictions as equivalent to some of the murderous characters in his novels. King’s challenges with drug and alcohol addiction did not become an end in his writing, but he kept on regardless of his challenges. He mentions that he does not even remember writing some of his books since he wrote drunk. [3]
Nugget number two: Don’t simply work; seek intimacy.
“Steven King describes the best writing as being intimate. This intimacy must apply to both the easy and the hard work. Therefore, King does not recommend stopping work just because you find it emotionally or creatively challenging.”[4] While reading On writing, I was reminded of my challenges joining the United States Navy and my introduction to the colorful language of Sailors and later marines onboard Naval ships. After I enlisted in the United States Navy and left for my basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Station in Illinois, I thought I was in a different world. The little English I understood vanished, and I was left in dismay, wondering between adding to my language toolbox with these colorful expressions or simply maintaining my Ugandan refugee-born again clean English language.
In his book To Swear Like a Sailor, Paul A. Gilje helped show me more about the culture of cursing. Anyone could swear like a sailor! Within the larger culture, sailors had pride of place in swearing. But how they swore and the reasons for their bad language were not strictly wedded to maritime things. Instead, sailor swearing, indeed all swearing in this period, was connected to more significant developments.[5] Gilje reveals that “Sailor culture was connected to the public sphere through language, writing, and imaginary that were understood, embraced, and altered by shore society.”[6]
From now on, Your Name is Mufasa.
I had only been in America for a short time. A Naval recruiter met me at the Community College and narrated the wonderful benefits of joining the United States Navy. Descending from the full bus with other recruits, the Navy Chief in charge of my division screamed in my face what’s your Name, recruit and I responded Jean de Dieu Mutabaruka Ndahiriwe. She shouted and mumbled my names but could not pronounce them. Out of frustration, she asked, do you know Mufasa? As you can imagine from the refugee camp of Western Uganda, I had not watched many movies and had never heard of the Lion King before. I responded, buy shaking my head in disagreement. She now shouted so loud in my face, from now on, Your Name is Mufasa; I could only respond Yes, Mom, and all the recruits laughed! I had no idea what I agreed to! But would later learn much more about the nickname; this was the first of many peculiar incidents that I can never forget. As King and Pressfield encourage, consistently pressing through challenges of all kinds will yield inevitable success. I will treasure these fun resources in my resource toolbox.
[1] Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle, 1st ed. ([New York, NY: Rugged Land, 2002).
[2] STORYSHOTS, “On Writing Summary Review Audiobook | Stephen King,” STORYSHOTS (September 2, 2021), https://www.getstoryshots.com/books/on-writing-summary/.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Paul A. Gilje, To Swear like a Sailor: Maritime Culture in America, 1750-1850 (New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2016).
[6] Ibid.
About the Author
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe is a Clinical Correctional Chaplain and former Child Refugee from War-torn Rwanda. A member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, Jean is passionate about Servant Leadership and looks forward to seeing more leaders that inspire Lasting Peace and Justice for all, especially "the least of these".10 responses to “From now on, Your Name is Mufasa”
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Mufasa!
I love this Jean! Thank you for sharing about your sailor days! What an adjustment…culturally, communication, and more!
I hope you have positive associations with the name Mufasa! In my home it is considered a beloved name as it is a Disney character from a loved movie.
And, thank you for your positive assessment of the book. I loved how direct the author was but some of his style and stories were a little abrasive to my ears. I am glad you liked it. I think you made a good choice-listening to it on audio.
Thanks, Kristy – Yes, the name is a reminder of an interesting chapter in my life, it brings joy looking back and appreciating the journey and growth.
And yes, the author’s expression is quite interesting but loaded with great information and guidance, especially for aspiring writers.
Hey Jean,
Nugget number one caused me to think about the work you’re doing on your NPO around trauma. What are some of the applications from this nugget?
Take care Jean!
Yes, David,
Perseverance and Determination amidst challenges, and not giving up can be rewarding. Rejection is a tough pill to swallow especially when you have been through trauma. Learning from King, pushing forward unhindered regardless of those rejections can lead to amazing success.
Jean, Thank you for your post! I was struck by and really appreciated the way you wove nuggets from our reading together with stories from your life, humor, and lessons learned. I was especially interested in the second nugget you mentioned, “don’t simply work, seek intimacy.” Are there ways in which you are applying this to your doctoral work or to the creative work you are currently doing in your work place?
Thanks, Jean!
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the comment and for the question. Yes, I do agree with this nugget 100%. My current job as a Correctional Chaplain gives me an opportunity to share faith with guys behind bars, supporting them and encouraging growth in their Christian walk. There is no better place to work for me than serving Jesus. It must be Mark Twain who said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Indeed once you become intimate with what you do, It is not work but joy.
Jean, thank you for a great post and analysis of King and Pressfield. I appreciate you sharing about your experience with the Navy. I can only imagine how intimidating that must have been.
The sure-fire way to grab my attention is to make a Disney reference! I love the character Mufasa and think the name suits you – he is strong but gentle, loving, and steadfast. I think names are important and have found that nicknames often speak a truth about us. So my random question for you is how does this nickname speak to you?
Thanks, Becca – God works in unique ways. The truth is, I had no idea at the time. Later, I had to find it and watch it. I love the nickname Mufasa, but more so the story of the song and “unsung” heroes that sang its original version (Mbube) in Zulu South Africa. it speaks courage, strength, and resilience to Solomon Linda and the team. The struggles and challenges they went through did not hinder their God-given creativity.
Great job Jean!
The piece about drawing inspiration out of adversity really spoke to me about what I know about your story so far: How can a writer draw inspiration from adversity and use obstacles as a catalyst to reach their potential?
Good question Alana,
I speak from a position of a believer. Trusting in the Lord who has promised us everlasting help and presence is my response, knowing “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” Anyone can choose to trust and grow in their faith. I pray that I continue to grow.