Every change of season for me, has a mood attached. Fall holds a bit of sadness as the days grow shorter, but fall has also taken on a new meaning for me. It’s an anniversary, or perhaps a celebration of a gift received the first day of fall 2015. This is the day I chose to begin my sabbatical, My Year of No. I celebrate this day because I now see how the choice I made to stop, rest, heal and learn who I am, without associating myself with ‘what I do’ has profoundly impacted how I now walk through the world.
On that first day of fall 2015 an idea came to me to write a manifesto. My manifesto was full of my intention for the year ahead. But as I began writing this, I realized I don’t actually know the official definition of ‘manifesto’. Heck, maybe what I wrote wasn’t a manifesto at all.
Well, as it turns out manifesto couldn’t have been a better word to use (or as I like to say “manifest-o”) According to Merriam Webster, the Latin roots of manifesto is related to manifest, “manifesto is a statement in which someone makes his or her intentions or views easy for people to ascertain.” My manifesto made my intentions easy for me to understand and stay the course.
Saturday my husband said to me “I think today is the first day of fall.” I wasn’t sure, but a quick google search confirmed. Yes, today is the first day of fall and then the perfect circumstances lined up. My husband was heading to Seattle to watch his alma mater, the UW Husky’s football game, my son (aka, our renter) was gone for the day. The house was quiet, the sun was shining through the window and the idea of writing a new manifesto came to me.
Every word I wrote in my 2015 manifest-o has in fact manifested. I now have proof of the power of setting intention. In 2015 I was at a cross road in life. 2018 I have arrived at another cross road, entirely different than 2015 and so I sat down and let the words flow.
So here we are, entering the first week of fall – plenty of time to write your own fall manifest-o. Here are a few thoughts to consider for creating magic with words.
#1: Remember the difference between goals and intentions. Goal setting helps to see the future and stay on track. But the downside is, if you don’t achieve your goal the focus is on what you haven’t done, instead of what you have. You know that saying, “it’s about the journey, not the destination?” Goals are good, as long as the mind is open to possibility along the way.
#2: Intention is expansive and allows room for mystery, curiosity and openness. You can set intention for the moment ahead, or for a conversation. Several years ago, I had to confront a staff member. I was not looking forward to this meeting at all. So, I set the intention for words to flow that would serve the highest and greatest good for all party’s concerned. It worked.
#3: The manifest part of manifesto, is not be confused with manifesting that snazzy red sports car. Writing a manifesto is launching to the universe a desired way of ‘being’. It’s about how you want to feel. It isn’t about goals or about acquiring things that may or may not be for your highest good.
#4: The process I used in 2015 and just a few days ago, goes like this –
Create quiet space. Take several deep breaths to center and ground. Close your eyes and begin writing (yes, with eyes closed) either on paper or keyboard and see what flows.You may be pleasantly surprised.
#5: Allow the nuances to emerge over the next few hours or days. You’ll know you’ve truly created a magical manifesto when you love to read what you wrote over and over.
#6: If nothing comes to you. No worries. I sat down last fall and nothing – not a single word flowed through and then I realized that my 2015 manifesto was still working its magic. Both my manifestos are paragraph length, but yours may be just one powerful sentence.
#7: The most important step of all! Read your manifesto daily. Out loud is even better. This act is like tossing magic dust to the universe and clicking your heels together – you’ve got the power!
Speaking of…the power of intention was scientifically proven, when Dr. Masuro Emoto discovered that the shape of water molecules changes by the energy directed at them. So, consider this – humans are 90 percent water. Need I say more?!
Happy Manifest-o writing!
PS. Here’s my manifest-o, written on the first day of fall 2015 at the beginning of my sabbatical year.
“To be present, open and clear. To let my intuition guide me and let my emotions lead me. To feel a richness and depth in every moment that has previously been glossed over with the whirl wind of life. My intention is to find pearls of wisdom within and polish those pearls and bring them to the world. I will create and grow by simply being me – being open, being vulnerable and being willing to feel the parts of me that also need polishing. No judgement, just awareness of what is. My purpose in being is to love myself, respect myself, trust myself, believe in myself – make no excuses, to not shrink from the world, but to step up and embrace every living, breathing, pulsating, juicy ounce of what being human is. I am here to lead, love and inspire.”
My 2018 manifest-o begins with “To trust deeper than I ever have before” Here I go…I hope you will join me!
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