Mirrors: Reclaiming An Imprisoned Mind

By Cory Johnson

Hardened survivor and critical thinker, Cory Johnson offers a new alternative to the way many of us go about living our lives. Here he will present some tried-and-true, firsthand techniques he utilized to ensure that his past circumstances never again became his present reality. Although he is coming from a vantage point of someone incarcerated or recently thereof, these techniques can be used preemptively or for someone who just wants to get the best out of their life. He emphasizes the importance of mental fortitude as an actionable muscle we can either choose to strengthen or allow to grow feeble. He outlines the actions he took to build his mental toughness in hopes that these techniques would be useful to you as well, whether by actually putting them into practice or by sparking you to implement your own regimen. This book examines the power of self-discipline, the rewards of delayed gratification, and the strength of perseverance. He urges everyone to understand the importance of starting right now. Wherever you are in your life, the moment to begin bettering yourself is at this very moment. There's no better time than the present, so why wait! If you want to open the doors to a new you, this book should be your constant companion!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888516218

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Introduction

Time

1: Finding Your Inner Peace

2: Evolve Your Thinking

3: Fortifying Your Being

4: Dream Big

5: Close Ranks

6: Plan, Plan, Plan

7: Pivot

8: Bad Habits

9: Teach Them

10: Believe Them

11: Now Is the Time

12: Meet No Strangers

13: Get Your Hustle On

14: You vs. You

15: Master Your Light

References

About the Author

cover.jpg

Mirrors: Reclaiming An Imprisoned Mind

Cory Johnson

ISBN 979-8-88851-620-1 (Paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88851-621-8 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Cory Johnson

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Introduction

From the moment you were conceived, a miracle of lust and passion, before you inhaled your first breath or loosed that first cry, you were in limited supply of this and with every second more so! You shall never make a deposit into this account nor hope for handsome dividends to be paid out. You get what you get. This account is for withdrawals only. Take, take, take! But beware. Monies expended from this account are best spent on loved ones, perfectly imperfect moments, and the dreams that make legends, things that bring us childlike joy and nourish the soul. It should not be trifled away on nonsensical conversations or petty revenges. If today should be the day we cease to exist, it is undoubtedly that one thing we will all surely be bankrupt of. It cannot be passed down from generation to generation nor placed in a trust for later dates. And as truly as I breathe, the man or woman who wastes it will undoubtedly regret it for all eternity!

Time

This is a book about redemption in the face of insurmountable odds, a testament that until we reach our deathbed and take our final breath, there's always hope. In the Bible, it speaks on having the faith of a mustard seed. Well, I believe that hope operates in that same arena. And as long as there's that tiniest bit gleaming like a beacon, pushing us forward, all is not lost. It's a fact that we have all had dissimilar lives, traveled different paths on our journeys of life, but we, as the human race, virtually share similar desires and basic needs. We all suffer with the same temptations and shortcomings. Simply put, it just takes what it takes! However, I choose to believe that at some point, we all reach our breaking point. Some come to this realization early; some come to this realization later. More than likely, if you're reading this, then you have reached that breaking point. You're tired!——tired of not having control of your life, tired of losing loved ones, tired of missing out on precious memories, tired of being dehumanized, tired of having to start over, tired of watching your children grow up without you being a part of their lives, tired of letting loved ones down, tired of jailhouse politics, just plain tired! If you share in any of these frustrations, then you are 100 percent who I wrote this book for. You're my people! And it's time!

In the United States alone, there are approximately two million people incarcerated. That is a 500 percent increase over the last forty years. In the entire world, there are over ten million people incarcerated with recidivism, mostly declining only when people hit their thirties and forties. This makes me sad because it basically means that those of us who experience incarceration are literally throwing away our youth. And this is at any given time. This doesn't include those who have been incarcerated and have since been released. This is a tragedy! However, this gives me hope because I know there are at least ten million people who will sympathize with my plight and could possibly find my words encouraging, if not downright helpful.

Look, I'm no expert on anything. All I know is that this is something I went through, and I didn't know where to go or even how to articulate what I was experiencing. I felt compelled to write this book because it is my therapy. Everything I mention in this book, I am still currently battling. I am right here in the trenches with you. So many of us think that the keys to staying out of prison are the things we do once we finally touch the streets, and I would agree but only partially because there's so much more to it. I say partially because, yes, ultimately the decisions we make once we touch the streets will determine the outcome of our future. But in all actuality, the decisions we've been making during our entire incarceration are really the ones that we hedge our futures on. You see, no one just wakes up one morning and decides that they're going to be a doctor that day. No, there are years of preparation and study that goes into becoming a doctor. This, I believe, is also what it takes to become a success in life. No one can go into prison one way, lie around, do nothing, and expect to come out a completely different person just because they're released. What will happen is you'll be released the exact same person you were the day you went in, if not worse. Because let's be real, the Department of Corrections aren't in the correction business, they're in the housing business. So that leaves the onus on you to guarantee that you come out a better person with a stronger work ethic, a more fortified being, and multiple fail-safe plans in place if you're ever gonna succeed at this thing called life. And remember, this all starts day one of our incarceration, not with one day left!

I know it sounds cliché, but this is a book about taking your destiny in your own hands! This is a book about taking lemons and making lemonade! This is a loose guide on one of the many ways you can make sure you never live through this nightmare again! As I said previously, I'm no expert on criminal justice or recidivism, and I haven't had any formal training or education on this matter except for hard-learned life lessons gained through many life-altering experiences!

My name is Cory