Facing Our Fears

In this new part memoir, part self-help book, Darryl Duke invites readers along on his personal journey from fear to belief in himself.

Darryl experienced a lot of uncertainty as a child and used his imagination to escape the fears he felt. As he grew into a shy and insecure teenager, he often acted out in vain and pretentious behaviors as a way to overlook his fears and feel better about himself-something he would continue to do into his adulthood.

He would also find that alcohol made him feel better about himself. And although he didn't drink every day, it would eventually become a problem for him. Finally, after many unsuccessful attempts to quit drinking on his own, he went to Alcoholics Anonymous.

For several years, AA and the Twelve Steps helped Darryl face his fears and grow more confident, and he also began to love himself. But when he longed for answers that AA couldn't give him, he searched elsewhere.

It was during this search that he started to believe more in himself, and the possibility that something created life for a reason. A combination that finally enabled him to be happy with who he was and filled him with a sense of purpose.