A Short Manifesto For 2020. 
I think 2020 has the potential to be the greatest year in the history of humanity.

But we have to show up. I believe in us and our ability to connect and support each other. I believe in our ability to hear the quiet of our hurt through the loudness of our anger. I believe in our ability to undo and redesign systems and ways of being. In this moment I am full of faith in us all.

If you can’t show up, take a break. Rest up and take care of yourself for brighter days soon come. Hold within you the knowledge that there are those working on your behalf that you can not see and do not know exist. All you have to focus on is getting yourself healed up to join the celebration. Pour your energy into filling the cracks of yourself, as you heal, we heal our individual brokeness, which is but a fragmentation of our oneness across humanity.

If you are doing alight, not even great, but if you are making it, then see who you can cheer on and learn from, that reciprocal mindset is the fuel for all our growth. Speak openly about your needs and be forthcoming with your assistance, because there is an infinitude of time and space and resource that connects us. Doing what is right for ourselves and others are not mutually exclusive acts but inextricably linked.

Each breath is a lifetime of possibility and worth. If we can show up to our fear and anger and breath into our frustration we will see that we are empowered with everything we need to face these forces in ourselves and others. When you have a moment, steal a blessing of a sun beam or your favorite song, a piece of fruit, or a kiss from a lover, let it baptise you in joy and if it powers you for only one more instant, cherish it. Hold love close if you can find it, if you have not, begin planting those seeds with new behaviors. You can do this, we can do this. When all else fails, get naked and cry!

Happy New Year.

Maceo Paisley is the Executive Director of Citizens Of Culture, a nonprofit dedicated to using art to develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

Join Citizens Of Culture Soft Skills course here.