I just happened to be scrolling my Instagram feed the other day and came across a post from a Feminist Zine which was a word search and called for its readers to nominate the first 3 words they saw and identify these as their mantra for 2023. I’m not usually a fan of these ‘positivity’ or change your mindset type posts but the 3 words that I immediately saw really resonated with me. These were: practice, manifest and imagine. I think the reason they hit so hard is because I have been really intentional of late, of trying to be more disciplined, to patiently and slowly working towards my goals.
As I’ve reflected more on these 3 concepts I’ve broken them down further in an attempt to turn these mantras into solid commitments and action plans in 2023. The ‘practice’ idea is one which really hits home. Over my lifetime I’m gone to see astrologists, tarot readers and psychics alike who have all told me the same thing. That I would achieve success in life but that it would take a while, come later in life and I would be required to toil very hard for long periods of time. I wonder whether hearing this has somehow subconsciously made me even more impatient and therefore meant that I don’t see things through to their entirety in my pursuit for greatness. In a way it’s made me believe that I’m owed something and if I wait long enough, without actually trying, that it will just drop into my life. Obviously this is an unrealistic expectation that will only deliver me the opposite of what is supposedly destined for me. So for this year, I commit to putting my head down and getting on with it. I commit to working hard consistently without expecting anything in return in the short term.
Next up, the manifest concept is not something that I have ever really intentionally put any of my effort into. I suppose it also falls into the practice of consistently conducting affirmations and being grateful, which I am incredibly poor at doing on a consistent basis. For those that are unclear on what ‘manifest’ actually means, its definition or the act of manifesting, means bringing a tangible desire or goal into reality, often by putting intentional energy into bringing this goal/s to life. The theme I keep coming across is the act of being intentional about all of these concepts. For me, this year I will commit to manifesting success in my career, to being in senior leadership in NGOs, to starting my own not for profit venture in Sri Lanka, to ending poverty, to achieving a more just and equitable world. I will focus on all of these things and put all of my energy not only into manifesting them but in bringing them to life.
Lastly, the imagine concept is something which I’m pretty adept at. It tends to be putting these imaginings into practice in which I find myself stumbling over. I’m definitely an ideas person and identify that I need help with the execution side of things. In any case, this year I will continue to imagine freely. These thoughts will know no bounds and I will not put any boundaries on the possibilities for success. I also commit to toiling when things get hard or the path to success resembles a dead end. I will not give up but instead pivot, reflect and plan another course. I promise to not get dispirited when I don’t see results immediately. I will draw on my resilience and be intentional about continuing the pursuit in spite of difficulties, roadblocks or hurdles which I encounter along the way.
I commit to all of these things with an open heart and mind this year. Even more important than all of this, I promise to practise gratitude, to breath through it all, to continue my pursuit of knowledge and to always challenge myself.
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