A New Year Manifesto

2016 was not a proud year for social media. Election opinion drudge, celebrity death priority and a general lack of new ideas clouded the medium. Some of it was sad and some of it frustrating, mostly the opinions that people are free to share separated us. It seems we are more intent to prove we are right than to accept an alternate way of thinking. So, we take in words intent on dispelling them. We'll learn nothing new and will fail to evolve.

What's The Point?

2016 taught us this:
1. It is more difficult to contribute than to hide out.
2. Negativity invokes participation.
3. New ideas are exceedingly hard to come by.

Our hope to emerge from the onslaught of propaganda lies not in the attainment of knowledge for the sake of winning an argument.

We need to find central grounding in our personal mission!

Foundation
It starts with reflecting on the things you have done well in your life: today, yesterday, this week, this month... last year. We must then progress to building each day's strategy based in the understanding of our peak ability while ignoring doubt.

Total awareness is grounded in acceptance that the inertia of the day is a tide you have to paddle into. Your goals will be lofty and seemingly impossible. With every positive movement against the tide we grow closer to pushing back the barriers (which may also extend the distance to the finish line).

Deconstruction
The greatest assault to one's confidence lies in the perception that there are only one set of rules and a certain assigned group of administrators who dictate progress.

You do not need to be an anarchist to challenge authority. You need not even be a non-conformist or a rule breaker. You will, however, need to challenge each directive with two questions in mind:
a. Why does this matter to me?
b. Who's ultimate progress am I serving by devoting my effort to this directive?

Re-Composition 
We live under the misconception that there are only artist and professionals. Two distinct groups of humans, one of which allows freedom to catapult their effort another which waits for instruction to act.

The truth is that you can have a rule breaker mentality while maintaining a spot within the system. All you have to do is understand why you act, who you are serving and the according priority you assign the day's directives.

Unzip Your Soul
Each day has one certainty: PEOPLE

Indeed, there will be opinions and feelings and ulterior motives and passive aggression and ignorance and forcefulness and inaction. You'll be asked to interpret emotions without hearing words and to be aware that one's confidence may be shrouded in doubt and to see through a person's motivation.

Once you fully discover yourself, you must brave the widespread frontier filled with opinionated Cows.

When you find the ability to approach every human interaction with compassion your evolution is nearly complete.

Don't Forget to Remember
You'll need to accept new challenges, try new things, use counter-intuitive thinking, and add to your lexicon of knowledge by feeding your brain new ideas.

~ Remember your greatness
~ Challenge rule structure
~ Find your place in the system while maintaining your individuality
~ Practice empathy
~ Repeat process

It's 2017. Let's Get After It!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave