The Manifestation Manifesto

by GDiesel

In the abstract world of thoughts and ideas, spouting ideologies and philosophies with the lofty aim to inspire and enlighten, every so often, you lose touch. From the eagle’s nest on your mind’s mountaintop in the clouds, you forget. You lose sight of the luxury that it is to wrestle with existential crises and cultural conflict. For so many of us, there is a simple bottom line, one not that different than our evolutionary ancestors eons ago… Survival. Paycheck to paycheck, hand to mouth, keeping the lights on–survival alone can be an awesome accomplishment. All the more remarkable, when the survival of others depends on you.

So when folks tell me they don’t have the time or energy or inclination to donate the limited fucks they possess to shit like politics or social causes or other high-minded shit, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I get it. Life can be arduous, stressful and can feel like a battle every day, even for those among us grateful enough to count our blessings. Existence can be hard enough as it is, without the weight of the world yoked around your neck.

I can understand indifference, even if it is not in my nature. I can relate to hopelessness, even though I reject it at every opportunity. I can empathize with those who grow bitter, though optimism is one of the few resources I’ve ever had in surplus. But what I could never bring myself to abide was apathy. I can’t  undo my birth circumstances. I can’t change yesterday. But I can make tomorrow better, by working today.

On that note, I go back each morning to my roots. To that twelve-year-old’s bedroom. To late night conferences with my father. To the cold and dark of a windy Brigantine dusk, pounding the pavement. To that classic precept of working class American mythology bestowed with love and hope for generations from parent to child… You can be whatever you want to be, if you’re willing to work for it. To me, it was never a bill of goods. It was a religion. To become what you will, by your own hand. The creed of self-actualization. I am a preacher, a practitioner and a parishioner of this faith. And its most sacred sacrament is an enduring belief in yourself. And the understanding that what you believe is ultimately what you will become.

Instead of the Ten Commandments of Judeo-Christian antiquity, I will provide here, thirty tenets of self-actualization. Rules and thoughts to meditate on…. A manifesto of manifestation–where we can together become stronger in mind, body and soul, fan the flames of our dreams and inch closer to a better life, and by extension, a better world, one purposeful day at a time.

We will add daily to these #GCEMBER rules. Words and ideas elemental to The Code, with the aspiration of growing what we can’t see—the mind, the soul, the human spirit. The internal mechanisms that truly make us strong… That which makes the might of man more than mere machine.

 

1.Pay Dues Daily

Consistency is not sexy and it lacks swagger. It doesn’t look good on a t-shirt. No celebrities name their kid “Consistent”. But it may be the most important element in success. Work on your craft every day. Make small investments in your dream. Keep showing up. And learn to love the process of plotting and plodding practice. Over time it all adds up.

2. See The Future

Visualize your destiny. See your plan taking form in your head, in vivid colors. No one will ever understand your vision as intimately and intricately as you will, and that’s what makes it yours. Work relentlessly to make what is in your mind’s eye real. And one day they will all understand.

3. Get Your Hands Dirty

There is no glamour in the process of building something from the ground up. It is hard labor. You will be tired, hungry and sore. You will get dirt under your finger nails. And it will take a long time. But that’s exactly the price to be paid. If you’re not willing to do that thankless toil, what right do you ever have to expect your dream to come to fruition? Never be too good to get your hands dirty.

4. Be Kind

The world can be a cold and dark place. Make the decision each day to be a source of hope and caring for those who need it the most. Show empathy. Offer assistance. Give encouragement. There is tremendous strength to be found in charity and compassion. Be kind to your fellow man.

5. Do The Little Things

Your dream is in the details. And excellence is a habit, one often grounded in your ability to do the right thing, to do the hard thing, to go the extra mile, when you’re the only one watching. That extra set, that next effort, that tiny gesture, could be the difference between being a legend and being just like everybody else. Sweat the small stuff.

6. Always Be Training

You will never look back on your life and regret the sleep you didn’t get. Think about how lucky you are to open your eyes this morning, to be able to get out of bed and to stand on your own two feet, to have a purpose in this world. Start your day with the weights, break a sweat, feel the lactic acid burn, and give thanks for the blessing of a new day. Life is too short to stand still and stagnate. Always be training.

7. Reject the Status Quo

The old “that’s just the way it is”mindset simply doesn’t cut it for some of us. The next man’s “good enough” very well might not be good enough for you. What is right for some, might be antithetical to everything you believe. Do not live your life according to anyone’s standards but your own. Remember, your neighbor’s extreme excess might be your cowardly moderation. His ceiling might be your basement.

8. Stand Up for the Underdog

Have the courage to speak out against injustice. To stand up to the bully, to stick up for the underdog. There is no glory to be found in the safe anonymity of the majority mob. But it takes a special individual to align himself with the oppressed and voiceless. Be a champion to someone, simply by being an ally. Be a hero to someone, simply by being a friend.