I’m going through this stage where I want to make my life better. I want to be in-tune with the world, my energy and the energy around me, you know all that cosmic stuff, that gives you peace of mind, heart and soul. So, I decided to sit and write what I consider to be the manifesto of my life (el manifesto de manzana / the manifesto of Apple) and hopefully a great life manifesto for others, if they choose to read. I’m on this journey of learning, self discovery and betterment, I don’t quite know what has happened to me. Maybe, I’m growing up, maybe, I want to view the world through different glasses – ‘cos these rust coloured fuckers I have on are giving me indigestion. Well on a lovely side note, I will tell you this…

Freaking out only makes the “bunk” – that’s my word for shit, worse, so STOP IT. In my head, buildings are falling, babies are running amok, dogs have risen up and taking over the world. Things are always worse in your head than they are in real life. It’s going to be OKAY, everything is going to be OKAY! This is the big one: When people see other people they tend to wish to want to be like that person, I learned to never wish to be like anyone, you never know what’s going on their life – you know that adage, be careful what you wish for listen to that, remember it every time you think someone else has a better life than yours. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. This is your life, start living it.

Step out and be more you, find yourself and be you.

Here’s the rub: being like everyone else is easy, especially in this society, you can dress like celebrities, haircuts, plastic surgery and everything in between. But, being you is what is the most difficult to grasp and once you do – It is a high like none other, the Freedom you’ll experience will give your step a-whole-new bounce. Find what inspires you and get inspired. Find what gets your blood pumping, hone in on it and harness it. Find what moves you, and move. Find what keeps you up all night, and stay up. Get worked up at being who you really are. FOCUS!  

Me saying FOCUS is the equivalent of trying to find fly shit in black pepper, but you’ve got to focus. Decide what’s ultimately the most important thing to you, and ignore everything else. Only do work that you believe is great work, work that fulfills you, work that makes your heart pound and gets your blood racing. If you feel lost, join something bigger than yourself, do something bigger than what you are used to or surrounded by. Appreciate being a part of something, instead of stressing to be the center of everything and ending up with nothing.

If you don’t know where to start, just start, get your ass moving and keep going. Get momentum going, that’ll keep you going. Take the biggest risk you can think of – for me, it’s relocating to Miami on a dime. Take another – is believing that I have something valuable enough to say that people will want to read it. And another, and another, and another. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have enough time, or enough money. You’ll never have “enough” if you sit around and wait for enough. You can sit and look for signs – like I did for 9 years – You can never have everything perfect, everything laid out, let yourself wander aimlessly among the details. You don’t need to wait for divine intervention, you just pick yourself up and start, and then make one good decision after another. It ain’t easy, but nothing worth anything comes easy.

Listen to the conversations that make you happy, pay attention to the moments in which you feel utter joy. Express gratitude, out loud and often. Stop checking your text messages in bed; there are way better ways to start the day. Sex. Read biographies. Read fiction. Read fantasy. Read magazines. Never stop reading. Go outside, even in bad weather, run through the rain barefoot, make snow angels. Buy yourself a present, even without an occasion. Wear bright red shoes and call them your Ruby Slippers, wear cool socks – even if they don’t match. You never need a reason to do what you truly feel like doing, that’ll make you smile from the inside out.

STRETCH!! your mind, your body, and your soul, look for spiritual awakening – I’m not an overly religious person, but I believe in an omnipitent being, whether it’s energy or a source I believe that there is something greater than me or you. Get active; be faster and stronger and healthier than you were yesterday. Pursue growth. Listen to all the reasons you shouldn’t go, and then go anyway.

Choose a personal anthem – in my head I go through Barry White, when I’m feeling sultry, Pitbull when I feel my swagga needing to rise, Britney Spears when I feel the need to be completely sexy and Yolanda Adams, Mahalia Jackson or Aretha Franklin when I need a tad bit more strength to get through the day –  give yourself a lapdance. Identify what you need to say, and say it. Be loud about the things that matter.

Set healthy/loving boundaries. Work with people you respect, not people you sort-a respect, not people you merely tolerate. Value! Value everything; your life, your time, your work and your energy. If you don’t know your worth, no one else will, so buck up and figure out what you are worth and don’t falter. Share more than you’re comfortable sharing. Write down your core beliefs and read them every day, create a Life List, add to it, mark things off. Find people that make you feel good and beautiful and completed. Treat them like they LIVE YOUR LIFE!!!

Find your people, the ones who make you feel good and beautiful and whole. Treat them like they matter, because they do. Treat yourself like you matter, because you do. Don’t be afraid to let people see that you are messy and flawed – I’m gonna let you in on a BIG secret – We’re allmessy, we’re all flawed.

Define life for yourself. Stop wanting what you don’t want. Decide what it means to you to be happy, dedicated and alive. Live by your own rules and definitions. Pick something to stop caring about, and refuse to give a shit. Pick something to perfect, and perfect it. Spend less time obsessing and more time actually doing. Forget about yesterday. Stop over-planning for tomorrow. Yesterday and tomorrow are just highly romanticized versions of today.