The How & Why of a Personal Manifesto

Manifestos are not strictly reserved for famous or super crazy people.  I think they are important for each of us to define for ourselves and the world who we are, what we believe and hold dear to us. I wrote mine 2 years ago as a blog post. It was interesting to revisit it. I have not wavered in what I stated at that time even though many things have changed since then. The manifesto goes beyond goals or whims and deals with the bigger picture of life,  how you view it and live it. It provides insight to our core being an what motivates us.
I am reposting this since it has been a long time and I am currently working on personal mission statements and manifestos with my WIne Women & Wisdom groups this week. I am encouraging them and you to write your own. 
What you think and believe matters. Take yourself seriously, consider where you stand on topics you think are important and value your own opinion. It does not have to be right for everyone,  just for you. Then use your manifesto as a guide to measure if you are living up to your own standards. You will enjoy much more peace and happiness when you are.

Personal Manifesto

Reprint from Oct 2013

 I was writing the other night on the subject of personal beliefs and how they influence and impact our daily lives yet we rarely truly consider them.  I stopped what I was working on and started writing a list of my own beliefs and have made a manifesto to contain them. I hope that I embody these beliefs, I hope to be remembered for them and I hope I will alter them when and if they need to be updated.

When was the last time you considered the beliefs that shape your values and views of the world?

If it has been a while rest assured you are in good company. I can safely assume that if you ask most people they do not have a ready list of their beliefs and likely not a written collection. Yet, I think it is a revealing and revolutionary exercise to invest in.

Most of us have underlying beliefs about ourselves and the world that we simply take for granted. They have always been there and we do not often think about them or if they are true and valid or where we even got the ideas in the first place.

Sometimes these beliefs are steadfast comforting guides, keys to our behavior that help us to navigate the world successfully.

But just as often these beliefs can undermine and limit us or our experience of life and cause us grief, guilt and suffering.

I encourage you to examine your own beliefs about who you are, how you live and what you think about others and the world. While you are doing this determine if these are true for you and if they serve to make you more or less happy and successful.

Give yourself the freedom and power to challenge your ideas and fully embrace what you believe to be true or let go of what you do not to make your own Manifesto.

I would love to see it!

I have included mine below

My Manifesto

• I believe that a core of real self acceptance and genuine confidence is the foundation of happiness and success.
• I believe the rampant lack of this is the root of most suffering, sadness, violence, dissatisfaction and mediocrity.
• I believe and embrace that all of life’s experiences are a valid opportunity to experience fully what is available to me. I also accept that it is perfectly ok that I am not always happy about that experience at the time it occurs but know I will eventually grow and become more because of it whether I like it or not.
• I believe life is good, but not only good things happen.
• I believe things that are difficult and horrific are part of life and not a result of bad karma, poor behavior or a failing on someone’s part.
• I believe that whatever happens in life is an opportunity to be more. That it often matters little the result or whether we win but how we showed up in the game
• I believe that sometimes bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people 
• I believe that we all get to define what is good or bad in our lives for ourselves.
• I believe everyone is created equal in worth and value yet completely unique.
• I believe that worth and value are intrinsic, not earned
• I believe humans are special in the world
• I believe and understand that we are not all given the same playing field or equipment to play with: that is life, it is not fair but it can be pretty damn good.
• I believe we all have the right to choose what we believe as well as how we want to think, behave and live and we should cherish and protect that freedom for all.
• I believe that with freedom comes responsibility first to ourselves and then to everyone else.
• I believe I am whole, complete and capable even when it appears or feels otherwise
• I believe that life is a treasure with more beauty and wonder than we can ever experience in just one lifetime but that we should give it a damn good shot.
• I believe more in using things up then in saving them
• I believe that less rules are better, at least for me.
• I believe the primary rule is do no harm
• I believe in living passionately and enjoying life as much as possible.
• I believe there is more than one true love and many soul mates, if you are open you may find one or two

Define who you are and what you believe in for for yourself. Be clear, then be honest if you are living in alignment to that. After all, who you are and how you live is up to you.  Take the time,  make the effort.  I believe you and your life is worth it.