“We must elect to craft a life that thrives”. Maria Sirois, A Short Course In Happiness After Loss (and other dark, difficult times).
“Perhaps the creation of identity is man’s most essential task…it is our life’s work to create it”. Florida Scott-Maxwell, The Measure Of My Days.
As a young woman growing up in the 1950’s in Broken Hill, NSW I spent many an hour walking around and exploring my world and pondering the ‘meaning of life’. I was an intense young girl and woman (even recently I have still been described as ‘earnest’). With a solid education and many books devoured, I attempted to build the construct that would provide me with the way to make sense of what I encountered and which steered me in the direction I ‘must’ go.
Throughout my life’s unfolding, I have been confronted with many events which challenged my flimsy construct. On many occasions I found myself literally or figuratively crying out for a guide, a map, a blueprint that would assist me to take the next step in order to live truly. For me, this cri de coeur is still taking much of my lifetime to be fulfilled, and indeed if we listen to the 83 year old Florida Scott-Maxwell, perhaps that is what is intended as one’s ‘life work’.
In recent times I have wondered if I could help others to unravel their life’s meaning and discovery of their life’s purpose, to be that guide for others, that empathic companion who assists them uncover their answers?
This curiosity blossomed when Justin asked me to help him develop a vision of his own which has since grown into the concept of my manifesto. The kernel of his vision was to develop a service which helps people meet the urgency of Maria Sirois’ imperative, that ‘we must elect to craft a life that thrives’. What if we combined our skills and resources to extend a hand to those who, like that past me, would love and appreciate support in crafting their life statement, in expressing what matters to them, in a way that helps them thrive?
There is no doubt that we are all capable of crafting our own personal manifesto, but will we? Wouldn’t it be fun, encouraging, even comforting to do that important work together?