Grief & Mighty Manifesto

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All sorts of emotions are coming up this week.

During our weekly calls, the marketing and promotion guru I hired to help with my book launch, Dan Blank, has repeatedly asked me: “How are you doing on the manifesto?” I have consistently hem-hawed around making excuses for why I have not worked on it.

As time went on, I began to wonder why wasn’t I working on it? What was getting in the way? Eventually, I slowed down, a feat that is difficult for me, and soon, clarity emerged. It was because when I heard the word manifesto, an image appeared. The image you see at the top of this post. An image of the office that I reactively closed when I was having a health crisis and didn’t know if I would be able to work anymore. A loss I am still grieving.

In my brain, the word manifesto was connected with being a practicing professional psychotherapist. Unconsciously I must have believed now that I am a writer, I didn’t deserve a manifesto. Once I made this connection, I asked myself whether or not that was true.

Almost instantly I realized that writers can have manifestos! I’m going to write me a new manifesto!

The creative process was moving fast now and suddenly I recalled writing manifestos in the past so I looked them up. Would they still fit for me as a writer?

With very little revision, I came up with this manifesto:

  • I believe that anything deep and meaningful takes time to create and intimately know.
  • I believe that the past is in the present.
  • I believe it takes courage in order to let go of dysfunctional ways of being.
  • I believe that we need support to thrive.
  • I believe that each person needs to become acquainted with as many of their traits as possible, even the hidden ones.

Where does the Mighty come in?

Jill A. Stoddard, author of BE MIGHTY: A Woman’s Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry & Stress Using Mindfulness & Acceptance, a book I highly recommend, wagers that the most powerful and meaningful changes that have occurred in your life thus far have never sprung from you “chillin’ in you Comfort Zone.”

I’m not far enough into the book yet to know what she thinks about manifestos but it seems to me that her entire book is her manifesto!

I hope this post inspires you to think of what is important to you. Would you please take a moment to think about what matters most to you as we begin the second half of 2020?

THEN…….

tell me ONE word – ONE word that could be your guidepost for the second half of 2020. This will be your personal manifesto! And we may string them all together to make a Mighty Manifesto!

Thanks for reading and for sharing your word!

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15 comments
  1. Dear Nicky,

    My word is “worthy”.

    Thank you for sharing your journey with me. I cannot wait to purchase your book. Even today I hear your voice guiding me through my life and cause me to pause before leaping into old behaviors.

    Be Blessed,

    1. Thank you for your kind words – they mean a lot to me! I love your word – worthy. Remember that you are worthy.
      I will try and do the same for myself.

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

  2. Acceptance

    Acceptance of this pandemic situation.

    Acceptance of my aging appearance.

    1. Oh my Nina – what great aspirations you have – I admire you and will kick up my efforts to accept what iw!

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

    1. Thanks Nolan – the older I get, the more I realize the importance of health. Without it, nothing matters that much.
      So I think you chose a great word!

      Thanks for so faithfully reading and commenting.

  3. Congratulations, Nicky, on an inspiring and beautiful manifesto! LOVE it!

    Action.

    We are at such a crossroads in our country. So many avenues to see our challenges as opportunities. I want to act on my beliefs–and that includes taking time for stillness. I want to make sure that my actions are strategic, not impulsive.

    1. Diane – what a stirring word! Seeing challenges as opportunities is a good plan, especially when you include stillness.
      We always have to touch on both sides don’t we?

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

    1. Jean – not my favorite word either but one I need to add nearly every day. I get in such a rush to get things settled
      and decided.

      Thanks for reading and commenting. I so appreciate it!

  4. Hi Nicky,
    Courage is my word for the last half of 2020. I wish I felt courageous. I have so many fears…….fears for my loved ones and fears for the future of our country. I fear too many people don’t appreciate their freedoms and how easily they could taken away. So, I need to have a LOT of courage.

    Good luck on your manifesto! It is so wonderful that you are writing a book!

    1. Thanks for writing Anon. I hope you can find some support to help you through the last part of this year.
      There is a lot to fear these days.

      Thanks for the kind words about my book!

  5. My word is Love! That’s what my book is about.
    I’m fascinated by your ‘manifesto’ word – I guess we live in different cultures, where the same word can have different meanings and flavours in the different places. To me it’s quite an ugly word that gets used in political contexts rather than positive personal ones. Well done for producing yours anyway!
    When I was at art school in 2004, we were told to produce our artist’s statement. I’m really not sure I’ve seen an equivalent phrase for writers. Maybe core values?

    1. Hi Trish, Thanks for your word! Eager to see your new book!
      Your comment about different cultures leads me to tell readers that you are in New Zealand.

      Thank you for reading and commenting!

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