I’ve written a manifesto that serves as a guide for my life. Think about it for a moment; aren’t you familiar with your own thoughts and feelings? No, I don’t suffer from dementia or a mental illness of any kind. I believe that as you get older, you begin to discover who you are. I summarised what I’ve learned in a graphic manifesto, which I originally made for personal use. My values and the way I want to live my life are brought back into focus. A great deal of one’s core values can be thrown out the window when times are tough. When things get tough, I tend to fall back on my default response of “I don’t give a shit.” However, the truth is that I care.
My manifesto serves as a reminder of who I want to be. “This is how I am” is a common refrain. That statement does not hold water with me. When we act a certain way, it’s our choice. It’s that simple. We choose who we want to be, and then we act in accordance with that identity. Each and every one of us is also a citizen of the United States. If we don’t, then we’re not being true to our role. In response to this, Epictetus makes the following observation: “Recall that you are the son of someone. What does it mean to play a social role in this way? In other words, everything you own should be treated as if it belonged to your father.”
“As a brother, know that you are loved. Respect, deference, and civility are also required in this position.”
Citizenry is defined by the Greek philosopher Epictetus as “a person who never acts in his own interest or thinks of himself alone (..) all its actions and desires aim at nothing but contributing to the common good.”
It is in my manifesto that I lay out who I am and what I believe. With the help of the Canva.com website (I’m not affiliated), I created it. If you haven’t done so already, I strongly advise you to draught a manifesto. Preferably one that you can display prominently on your desk or another work area. When we act out, we often need a gentle nudge in the direction of our ideal selves.
