Suzy Greaves’ column – create your life manifesto

Have you ever got to a major life crossroads/crisis/end of the year and thought – how on earth did I get here? If that’s the case, right now might be a fabulous time to create your life manifesto.

Yerwhat? A life manifesto is all about declaring who you are, what you stand for in life and what is important to you.

The benefits are huge. Having a life manifesto helps you really get clear about what you really feel and think so your internal guiding system is centred and consistent – which means you can take clearer decisions about what direction you want to take in life.

How do your create a life manifesto? Give yourself time to dig down and keep asking yourself – is that what I really think/feel? Often we are so brainwashed by others’ opinions – from our parents’ views on marriage to society’s views on recycling that we’re not in touch with what we actually think and feel so allow yourself a month to work on the exercises below. Buy yourself a ‘life manifesto’ notebook to keep all your notes together.

1. Firstly, decide on three or four adjectives you know describe the core of you. E.g. Enthusiastic? Kind? Feisty? Have fun and spend 3 minutes on each of these exercises: If you were a building, describe the building? If you were a party, what kind of party would you be? If you were a film – what kind of film would you be? Just write down the first things that come into your mind. Then put your notes away and look at them the next day – is there a theme forming?

2. Next – let’s figure out what you stand for? What is your ‘mission statement’? If you were given a microphone where you got to speak to the world for 10 minutes, what would you say? Allow yourself to rant, be passionate. What are the things you feel are most important? Write for 10 minutes without putting your pen off the paper. Leave in a drawer for a few days – what are the themes – what is really important to you?

3. Thirdly – If you were on your death bed – and had lived the ‘ultimate life’ – describe that life. Are you married, who are your friends, what kind of career have you had, what kind of adventures have you had? Write for 10 minutes without taking your pen off the paper. What do you really want to create in this life? It can be specific or it can be more general but make it heartfelt. Leave in a drawer and then read it back a few days later. What is your heart craving to create? A life of significance? To contribute? To simply be loved?

Once you have worked on all three exercises, and feel that you digging up some truths, complete these three sentences on the back page of your ‘life manifesto’ book. This is going to be your life manifesto declaration. My name is (leave space to answer)………I am (your three adjectives) I stand for……..         I create …………………in my life.

Here’s my life manifesto: My name is Suzy Greaves. I am brave, enthusiastic and like to laugh. I stand for the idea that anything is possible – if you can imagine it, you can create it. What am I creating in this life? a life of growth, learning and creation, full of love and hilarity.

My manifesto is my guiding system. When I’m at at crossroads or simply making daily decisions, I ask myself– am I going to have fun? Learn something? Will I be with the people I love?

It can take a while to dig down the layers of others’ opinions but once you know what is really important to you, you become consistent, more focussed, an unstoppable force!

Visit Suzy’s own sites:

www.thebig-leap.com

http://thebigpeace.com/