My Life Is Art 11 Pillars for a Positive and Purposeful Life

Drawing on lessons from his remarkable life, former child soldier turned activist, author, entrepreneur, and international recording artist Emmanuel Jal provides 11 pillars for overcoming adversity and living a life of purpose

As a child growing up in South Sudan, Emmanuel Jal witnessed atrocities perpetrated against his family and community. These actions drove him to become a child soldier in a vicious civil war. Hunger, isolation, and the ever-present specter of death in battle attended his every moment. Yet his greatest challenge did not come from the outside; it arose from within, from the corrosive nature of hopelessness, trauma, and narratives of victimization. 

Rather than succumb to these forces of negativity, Jal turned his life’s challenges into opportunities by utilizing a comprehensive framework developed around 11 pillars of support. Each of these pillars can be used singularly or as a unit to help build an internal structure and solidarity that will allow anyone to overcome adversity, regain joy, gratitude, and peace of mind, and live a life of purpose that enriches those around us.

EMMANUEL JAL started his life as a child soldier in the war-torn region of Southern Sudan. He is an activist, author, entrepreneur, and recording artist. He is the subject of the full-length award-winning documentary Warchild and the author of the book by the same title. He now lives in Toronto, Canada.