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    A Fight for Me
    A Fight for Me
    A Fight for Me
    Ebook122 pages1 hour

    A Fight for Me

    By Joshua T Berglan

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    About this ebook

    A Fight for Me: A Journey from Wreckage to Redemption" is a powerful and honest memoir adapted for young readers from the international bestseller "The Devil Inside Me" by Joshua T. Berglan. This gripping narrative chronicles the author's tumultuous journey through addiction, mental health struggles, and personal turmoil, ultimately leading to resilience, faith, and redemption. Berglan shares his raw and unfiltered story of overcoming immense challenges, including substance abuse, trauma, and the consequences of harmful choices. This book offers a message of hope and transformation, encouraging readers to confront their own struggles and find light in unexpected places. Suitable for young adults and anyone seeking a story of personal growth and overcoming adversity, "A Fight for Me" is a testament to the human spirit's ability to heal and find a path to a better future.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJoshua T Berglan
    Release dateApr 23, 2025
    ISBN9798231040162
    A Fight for Me
    Author

    Joshua T Berglan

    Joshua T. Berglan, globally known as "The World's Mayor," is a visionary advocate and educator who has turned his personal adversities into a lifelong mission to uplift and empower marginalized communities through media literacy. As someone living with HIV and a survivor of sexual abuse, physical abuse, and mental health issues, Berglan intimately understands the struggles faced by those communities. He is also a proud to be a part of the disabled community, committed to increasing accessibility and inclusion for all.   Berglan offers free one-on-one life and business coaching by utilizing his diversified expertise in media, production, broadcasting, and trauma-informed approaches. His services are designed to help underprivileged populations—such as at-risk kids, those with mental illnesses, those who have served time in jail or prison, victims of human trafficking, and people with disabilities—tell their stories, make money off of their skills, and move up the ladder of economic opportunity. Berglan is a U.S. Small Business Administration-backed Certified SCORE Mentor, #1 International best-selling author, and award-winning producer who provides extensive complimentary startup help to NGOs and entrepreneurs. His breakthrough "Media Company in a Box" book offers a step-by-step guide for creating ethically sound, creative multimedia (aka OmniMedia or transmedia) organizations.   Berglan makes this important information available to everyone through "The World's Mayor Experience," his ground-breaking digital platform that offers media literacy lessons, solo broadcasts, conversational shows, films, books, and educational content. The platform will soon combine virtual and real-world events with a worldwide humanitarian tour and VR debut. This paradigm-shifting initiative gives disadvantaged voices the ability to profit from, ethically teach, and amplify their experiences as a force for social change. Donations enable Berglan to continue his critical work helping the HIV, sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental health, and disability communities around the world of which he is a proud member, even though he offers his advocacy efforts free to ensure universal access.

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      Book preview

      A Fight for Me - Joshua T Berglan

      Introduction by the author, Joshua T Berglan

      A Note to the Reader:

      This book tells a true story about overcoming immense challenges. While adapted for young adult readers and focused on hope, it honestly depicts or references difficult life experiences based on the author's journey. Themes include:

      ●  Substance abuse and addiction (including cocaine, meth, alcohol)

      ●  Mental health struggles (including trauma, abuse survival, and experiences related to Dissociative Identity Disorder)

      ●  Serious health diagnoses (HIV)

      ●  Consequences of harmful choices (including jail time, homelessness, relationship breakdowns)

      ●  Difficult family dynamics and domestic conflict

      ●  Exploration of identity

      Please be aware that these topics may be sensitive or triggering for some readers. This story is ultimately one of resilience, faith, and redemption, but the path described involves navigating significant darkness. Please read with self-awareness and consider seeking support from a trusted adult or resource if needed.

      A Fight for Me

      Introduction by the author, Joshua T Berglan

      Hey there, reader. I’m Josh, and this book is my story—or at least, the heart of it, poured out in a way I hope you will connect with, maybe even see a bit of yourself in. It’s a toned-down version of my #1 International Best-Selling book, The Devil Inside Me, carefully reimagined for you—teens, dreamers, anyone who’s ever felt torn between who they are and who they want to be, caught in a war of internal turmoil. I’ve softened the edges, smoothed out the roughest parts, to keep it real and honest without being too heavy or overwhelming, but trust me, the soul of my journey, the fight and the hope, is pulsing in these pages.

      This book is split into episodes, snapshots or short films pulled directly from my life- each scene showing a crucial piece of the puzzle that makes up who I was, and who I am continuously evolving into. You’ll see me severely stumble, fall hard, and muster the strength to pull myself up again, learning tough but vital lessons along the way about love, forgiveness, trust, and figuring out what really, truly matters beyond the noise. Within these lines, I wish for you to laugh with – sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying, right? – and also cry with me in moments of joy and anguish. Hope permeates every chapter, a constant presence more significant than any other.

      A big part of my story involves the intense internal battle I constantly faced. There was a driving force I call the Dark Passenger—a real attention-grabber, always pushing me to chase the spotlight, take huge risks, and shine brightly, no matter the cost or consequences to myself or others. Countering that, often almost drowned out, was a quiet whisper—sometimes expressing doubt, but more often pointing out hard truths I didn’t want to face, urging caution, nudging me towards reflection, a guidance I often ignored. You’ll see this struggle between darkness and that quiet guidance play out along the way, influencing my choices. Maybe their battle will remind you of the familiar conflicts happening inside your own head. We all wrestle with conflicting parts, right?

      What you are about to read is my truth, filtered through the lens of transformative life lessons learned. In hindsight, I can see that I was running hard from deep-seated pain, chasing temporary highs—wild parties, the roar of applause, risky adventures, basically anything that could make me feel intensely alive and numb the turmoil and sorrow deep within my soul, even if only for a moment. In that frantic chase, I hurt people I cared for, lost opportunities and relationships, and I came dangerously close to losing myself entirely. But this story isn't just about exploring the dark moments or dwelling on mistakes. It’s fundamentally about finding light in unexpected places, about realizing that even when things feel impossibly broken, healing is attainable. Every chapter represents another step toward understanding who I truly am beneath the surface and reflects the ongoing, daily fight to be a better version of myself.

      I won’t lie—it’s a raw ride at times. Some moments, some feelings described within, will resonate with your emotions and your clash of inner voices. I encourage you to sit in your emotions and gently face your shadows. I promise you that in learning the how, where, and why of your feelings of fear, guilt, confusion, shame, and any other emotions you are battling, is exactly how you will grow stronger and learn to navigate your new and improved path. How do I know this? I know because that is how I began my own active evolution to becoming the man I strive to be. While I learn to make choices grounded in respect and kindness, my deepest hope is that sharing my imperfect story inspires and moves you to keep fighting your own important fight – the fight for you. So, grab a comfortable seat, maybe a snack (or tissues, just in case!), and let’s dive into this together. Here’s to the journey—yours and mine—messy, complicated, sometimes beautiful, and always, always worth every single step.

      ​Chapter 1: Burning Too Bright

      The first-class cabin was a bubble of luxury, hushed air and soft leather seats, but I was too tightly wound to soak it in and appreciate it. Flying from the sun-drenched coast of Newport Beach back to the flat plains of Oklahoma City, I gripped the small, clear vodka bottle—my sixth, maybe seventh flight-sized dose. Who cared? The number blurred, less important than the steady burn easing down my throat, fueling the electric buzz already humming under my skin. I smirked, a quick, tight twist of my lips, knocking back another sip. The sharp tang hit my tongue, chasing away the stale airplane taste. To epic nights, I toasted silently, the words forming in my head, aimed at the reflection staring back from the dark window beside me – a stranger with my face, eyes too bright, too restless. My mind was already miles ahead, racing toward home, toward Sarah, my girlfriend, and the wild, consuming ride we’d chase tonight.

      I pictured us vividly in our downtown apartment, the bass from the speakers vibrating through the floorboards, a familiar chaotic energy already building. Music pounding, dim lights casting long shadows, maybe those sharp, clean lines of cocaine laid out on the glass coffee table, gleaming, ready to kick things off. We’d call up friends – the usual crew, maybe a few new faces drawn into our orbit, guys eager to join the fray – and dive headfirst into the kind of party that deliberately blurred lines, erased boundaries. Sarah and I, tangled up with others, a kaleidoscope of limbs and laughter and urgent whispers, chasing that raw, almost painful thrill. Three or four nights a week, we’d lose ourselves like that, high on coke, high on the frantic energy of each other, consumed by the moment. But coming back from a trip? Those nights burned hotter, fiercer, infused with the desperation of reunion, like the world outside could end, could crumble to dust, and we’d still be dancing in the eye of our self-made storm.

      My thoughts spun, frantic and disorganized, trying to latch onto logistics amidst the mental chaos. A mental checklist formed: more vodka, premium stuff this time, definitely coke—two bags, minimum—enough to keep the party sharp, keep us flying high until dawn broke or we collapsed. I craved that immediate, powerful rush, the way it instantly lit up every nerve ending, made me feel sharp-edged, untouchable, invincible. Meth was in the back of my mind sometimes, too, a darker, deeper pull for the nights when I wanted to push further past exhaustion, past thought itself, though its jagged edge left me feeling frayed and ragged for days. Tonight had to be perfect, though. A homecoming. Sarah by my side, her laughter mixing with the music, all of us caught in that dizzy, sweaty, glorious chaos. The thought alone had my heart pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird, a frantic rhythm blending pure excitement with something darker, heavier – the uneasy feeling that I was chasing a wildfire that I had absolutely no power, much less a desire, to control.

      A quiet whisper, barely audible beneath the internal noise, broke through the static. Josh, where’s this really taking you? Where does this road end? It was that hesitant, questioning part of me, the one that sometimes surfaced right when the chaos

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