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Write a Personal Manifesto
Write a Personal Manifesto setting
forth the principles and values that guide the choices you make in
your life. A Manifesto is a written statement declaring publicly
your intentions, motives, values, principles, and views. This
exercise encompasses how you accord yourself with respect to
addiction and recovery, but more generally with respect to how you
mean to conduct your life.
As you develop the ideas that you will include in your Manifesto, think about
how your values direct you to orient yourself in various domains in your life.
These domains include...
- Spiritual life
- Intimate relationships with family and friends
- Social life
- Community life
- Occupational or professional life
- Self-care including exercise, diet, drugs, alcohol, rest,
and relaxation
- Intellectual life
- Intuition
- Emotions
- Impulses
- Personal boundaries
- Personal goals
- There are many ways to frame your thoughts. Examples include
- I treat others and myself with respect and compassion.
- I acknowledge my needs and wants and strive to meet my needs
in ways that are healthy and appropriate for me and that do no
harm to others.
- I speak the truth.
- I listen openly to other people.
- I respect my feeling without believing that I must always
act on all of my feelings.
Each statement should be a clear, strong, unequivocal statement about how you
intend to live and direct your life.
When you have written your Manifesto, share it with someone who you trust and
who is involved in and supportive of your recovery. Listen to and accept that
person's responses and feedback. You may want to revise or expand your Manifesto
after taking this step.
After completing your Manifesto, consider sharing it with your group,
therapist, family, coworkers, and others who you impact in your life. In doing
so, remember to exercise good self-care in choosing who to share with. I also
recommend that you place a copy of your Manifesto somewhere where you will see
it regularly. You might also carry a copy with you in your wallet, purse, or
car. Your Personal Manifesto becomes yet another tool to help you stay on your
path of recovery and health.
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