We are in for a lot in 2025 in the US. Trump has been elected President and there's a new speaker of the House in Congress.
All sorts of new laws, policies, acts, proposals, and other matters of the people will be on the floor of the federal Congress, state congresses, county commission boards, city councils, and communities. And I'm glad. Politics are messy, but I'm grateful to live in a country where we have at least some say in the policies that affect our lives.
At our nation's founding, two significant documents could have defined the direction America took and how the country would function: the Federalist Papers and the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were the first document to refer to the thirteen angry British colonies as the United States of America, a confederation of states, similar to the European Union today.However, it meant the government could have no standing army and was dependent on the states for defense. The government was also limited in regulating taxes, commerce, and other things.
The Articles of Confederation, a great idea then, would have been a big problem during the Revolutionary War and the subsequent War of 1812. The Federalist Papers, a collection of essays by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, addressed these issues and ultimately led to the Constitution we have today. And these documents wouldn't have come about without a document called The Declaration Of Independence!
These thoughts, ideas, and proposals shaped the fabric of the nation, its people, culture, and laws—and they created change! Just as America needed a substantial foundational document to guide its growth, we can create our founding documents to guide our personal lives and values. For people like you and me, we could call them Manifestos—or, in a way, personal policies, creeds, or mission statements. The word "Manifesto" comes from the Latin word "Manifestum." A manifesto is essentially a declaration of one's beliefs, motives, opinions, values, and intentions. It's a document that defines what a person or organization stands for and how it will operate or effect change!
This needs to detail a set of principles and a call to action. Here's how you can write yours!
1. Pick Your Topic:
What will this be about? Your finances? Your Work? Parenting or family? Relationships? Yourself in general? It's up to you!
2. Write Down Your Principles:
What are your intentions, beliefs, and motives for this topic? What do you believe in?
3. Detail Your Plan Of Attack:
What actions, steps, or moves will you make to support your principles for this topic? This could also be your SOP (standard operating procedure) but way less detailed in business
4. Share:
If you want accountability or someone to join you on your journey, share it with a friend or family member!
5. Amend and Change:
Change is inevitable, but it will be much easier to stay focused on your own "founding document." If you want to make things harder on yourself for positive personal growth, you create a process for "amending" your manifesto.
It's essentially your own "founding document" that you can read or refer to as needed or daily to help keep you mentally aligned and help you reach your goals.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, the kings of Israel were required to write out a copy of the Law and read it regularly:
And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this Law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this Law and these statutes, and doing them Deuteronomy 17: 18–20 HCSB
Thankfully, for those in Christ, the Holy Spirit "writes" the Law on our hearts and guides us into obedience to Christ.
Having your policy or manifesto will help you stay in control and allow you to move forward on the terms you set. It's like chipping a rock out of your own quarry and standing on it!
And that's one way you can live free!
Also, I've created a workbook to help you create a manifesto. Click Here to get it!