Write a Personal Manifesto

Return to home

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.

Return to home