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I have a little problem with believing in it until it manifests. How do I reconcile that with structural inequality, systemic racism, poverty? Is there a limit to the power of self-belief? Is there a limit to the power of the individual? What does manifesting mean in relation to Martin Luther King? This is not a facetious question. I genuinely find this idea challenging, even offensive dare I say it.

ANSWER

The first place I’ll coach you is to use your self-coaching model in this event. C: reading post. T: I find it offensive & I have a problem with manifestation. Do you like this T? Is it make you feel the way you want to?

Next, to find the answer to your questions, go back to the self-coaching model to understand how social oppressive systems play in people’s results.

Our thoughts created our feelings. Our feelings produce our actions which “manifests” aka create our result. Manifesting simply means creating your R line on your model.

Take the example of the two social systems of oppression all of us here are working against patriarchy and fatphobia. For women of colour, you can also add to this white supremacy. Our unintentional thoughts in our models are likely learned from these systems of oppression, past experiences, trauma, family of origin etc… Take the example of the T “being fat means you are lazy” that many of us have been raised to believe. As adults now, we have power over our own minds… we can choose to no longer think this oppressive thought. We can change our thoughts therefore our belief system to “all bodies are good bodies”.

We recognize that the systems of oppression are present and the cause of many of the thoughts we think but we also recognized that we have power over our minds, therefore, work toward liberating ourselves from it in our minds.

Your self beliefs are influenced by external elements (like oppressive systems, family of origin, trauma, etc…) but you have the power and tools now (because you are here learning self-coaching, intuitive eating and body neutrality) to liberate your mind from the learned beliefs and thoughts that do not serve you anymore.

Is there a limit to the power of the individual? You have the power over your own life… granted you accept the responsibility of it. Collectively, when we work together, we have some power over the system of oppression but it does require patience. This is what folks who do activism believe and why they show up to do their work. What is critical to our ability to dismantle the system of oppression (either personally or in collective) is the belief that we can. If we think we don’t… it will never change.

Let’s look at concrete examples: women’s right to vote in 30’s and 40’s. Women back in this time had no evidence that it could become possible for them to vote…but they knew it was the right thing to do so they held on to the belief. Today’s issue with non-binary and trans folks being denied access to sports or education… we have to hold the belief that we can change this.
C: system of oppression
T: we have no power over it
F: powerless
A’s: ruminate as to why we are oppressed/ ruminate on the injustice/ feel sorry for ourselves / give up / stop taking actions toward liberation /….
R: system of oppressive thrives

Martin Luther King created is R line of civil rights liberation and equal access to voting for black people. He had the evidence that it was possible because certain states had the right to vote already but not all.
C: us civil right
T: all people have equal rights to vote
F: hopeful
A’s: dedicate his preaching practice to black communities/ build a community of leaders to help him “manifest” his beliefs/ organize actions like walks and gathering to demonstrate / create strategies to gather help from US president / pressure US president to take action
R: August 6th, 1965 voting right act was signed by the US president.

Did white supremacy create more hurdles and difficulties for him? Hell yes! Did he let racism stop him from “manifesting” aka achieve his goal aka is R of equal access to voting for everyone: NO. He held on tight to his belief until it “manifested”. Had he lost and give up on believing he would have not “manifested “ equal access to vote.

Here’s another example closer to home: being in a fat body in western society. If fatphobia was factually limiting, then women like me would not be allowed to be confident in a non-conforming body aka a fat body. But I am. I wasn’t confident for most of my life because I thought I had no choice but to hate my body… and then I learned and accepted that I had a choice of the thoughts and beliefs I think in my own mind. I changed my thoughts and beliefs and I “manifested” the R in my model: confident in my large body.
I recently coached a black women student on system of oppression: of white supremacy and fatphobia on the July 11th coaching call. Go watch it.

Now back to you… Ask yourself some of these questions: Why do you think your brain created the T: it’s offending & I have a problem believing?
Why is your brain creating resistance in believing in your own power over your own life?
What is your brain protecting you from?
What do you think will happen if you believe you have the power over your own life?
Where in your own life are you giving away your own power? Where in your own life does your brain use the concept of limitation and lean on systematic oppression in order to stay in your comfort zone?

Finding the answer to this will be very insightful for you ❤️ We can coach you further on these questions.