Manifesto for a wild and free life

"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."  -Oscar Wilde

Manifesto for a wild and free life:

Choose to see life as an adventure.

Create mini adventures: they could be anything; changing the route you walk to work, trying a new coffee shop, making a point to go to a part of the city, or on a hike, where you have never been before. 

See your every day circumstances, places, and people through new eyes.

 Break up old habits and create new ones. Change up the neural pathways in your brain, make them work to create new, exciting beliefs and thoughts about your life and existence. 

Start somewhere. Take baby steps. Start before you’re ready (you will never be ready!) So just start. Do something new. Brainstorm ways you can live as a free spirit.

 Let loose and go for it. Let your hair down if you wear it up. Wear it up in an afro if you normally wear it down. Change things up. Go out dancing. Smile at strangers. Do something that scares you, something that will give you a thrill – something you’ve always wanted to try. Find someone to do it with you. (Safety in numbers – to take on that bully fear). Or do it with your own sweet self. (You are great company!)

Listen to your so-wise gut. Embrace your wild child. Find your wild voice. Stop caring what other people think. Life is too short for that. Care about what your heart thinks and feels. Start a small business. Travel to another country. Do something, anything, big or small, that you’ve always wanted to try. (Hip hop, cooking Italian food, hiking the west coast trail, a macha latte instead of a regular latte). It doesn’t matter what. It is simply the act of doing something different. Doing something that your heart is telling you would be great for you.

Insist on happiness. Show up 100% to your life, as it is now, not as you want it to be in the future. Every moment of now is creating your future. Embrace your quirkiness. Chances are it’s one of the best things about you! Find ways to be your authentic self, in every situation, no matter what it is. Stand confidently in your power. Be you! Ask yourself, honestly, what do I stand to lose? What will I gain? Find a way to do the things you dream of doing. Life is too short to limit yourself. There are too many people suffering, all around the world, every day, who would gladly switch shoes with you in a flash. Do it for them. Do it so they, too, can be free and happy.

Note: I think it is important for you to know that I do not do all of these things, all the time. Many times I just want to (and do) hide away at home – chalk it up to being an introvert, and trying to hide my wild, free spirit in that box. I am simply trying to put out what I want to learn here. It’s easy to write about it, not so easy to just do it! 

This brings us to the part where you say other people will say that you are selfish for doing all this. Let me ask you: 

Is it not an act of pure love to be the highest, most brilliant version of you that you can be? 

You, in all your power, beauty, freedom and greatness will impact the world more than you staying stuck and ‘unselfish’. Would you not be depriving the world of the gift of you if you lived your whole life tied to the conventions of others?

When you stop apologizing for being you, then you know you are really gaining ground. This unshakable confidence starts to creep into every nook and cranny of your body and being. 

You find yourself smiling to yourself. 

You catch yourself whispering to yourself  – I love you. You find yourself winking at your reflection in the mirror.  Grinning appreciatively at the curve of your hip or the flash of light in your eye as you catch a glimpse of it. This kind of love comes straight from the core of your being, not your ego. It feels light, and right and airy. Try it on for size.