Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Manifesto, by Alejandra Ureno, class of 2020


Social Change Manifesto

Emergent Strategy has helped remind me of the beauty that actually comes within the struggle. A gentle reminder that in life, there are different ways to respond to challenges and change, and the way that one chooses to adapt to the unexpected has great influence over the course of those events.

May this manifesto help remind me of these important core principles and serve as a personal guideline towards coming to peace with the obstacles I might face throughout the journey.


Change is Constant.

Inevitably, change will always occur throughout life – on all levels, in every aspect, realized, or not.

How Will You Choose to Cope with These Changes? Will You Allow Them to Intimidate Your Potential? Will You Let the Fear of Uncertainty Overshadow the Potential for Success and Undiscovered Blessings?

Adaptation: the process of changing to fit some purpose or situation.

Intention: the thing that you plan to do or achieve: an aim or a purpose.

“How we live and grow and stay purposeful in the face of constant change actually does determine both the quality of our lives, and the impact that we can have when we move into action together.”

It is not unusual to respond to change with feelings of fear or stress. Often this is because we aren’t clear or committed about our dream or destination, so instead of moving towards anything in particular, we are in nonstop reaction… We will adapt to that change or we will become irrelevant.

As an individual, developing your capacity for adaptation can mean assessing your default reactions to change, and whether those reactions create a space for opportunity, possibility, and continuing to move towards your vision.


Transformation does not happen in a linear way.

Growth is nonlinear – if we release the framework of failure, we can realize that we are in interative cycles.

Although we might pervasively associate growth as constant and linear, it does not always occur as such. Like a rollercoaster, life is full of ups and downs, and those downs are not to be correlated to failure. It is important to remember that the downs in our lives are sometimes the experiences that shape us into stronger, better abled, and resilient individuals from which to learn from our past mistakes from.
Sometimes a down is what catapults us forward at a higher speed.

Do not be discouraged when you feel as though your progression is not occurring in a constant, straight line.

Resilience: How We Recover and Transform

The ability to become strong, healthy or successful again after something bad happens; the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.

You can choose to allow negative experiences and emotions to overshadow the other aspects of our life, or we can choose to draw from our negative emotions and experiences, channeling that energy towards something positive.

Your ability to not only adapt, but bounce back with an armor made of steel – to successfully recover from any negative emotions or obstacles, and transform oneself into the idealized version of oneself.

Do not be discouraged or knocked-down by barriers in life, unexpected challenges, or unforeseen ‘failures.’ Instead, remember that you are strong, capable, and completely capable of bouncing back – with a vengeance!

Creating More Opportunities: How We Move Towards Life

To cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes.
“We have to collaborate on the process of dreaming and envisioning and implementing that world,”

Remove yourself from the framework of fear and hesitation; Remember that life is truly what you decide to make of it – thoughts, perceptions, actions, and energy all shape your reality and the forces that enable you to make decisions in life.

Once you realize your true potential, skills, and likeliness to be successful, you are abler to identify an opportunity and make it yours. Rid yourself of insecurities, fear of failure, and reluctance. Embrace your achievements and the aspects of yourself that have elevated those wins, envisioning a version of yourself that has shaped and claimed her own successes and is proud.

This activity has been a wonderful reminder of the fact that I already have all of the tools I need to be successful. Everything I am looking for, I have the ability to give myself if I am courageous and focused enough. I cannot allow momentary challenges and failures to get in the way of my future success. Emergent Strategy has been a beautiful reminder that as human beings, we all share similar fears and tribulations. It is our way of managing the stressors in life that really shape the paths our lives take.

To be an agent of change in the world means to lead by example – to be an individual that lives their life in the manner in which they expect will bring them their desired results. To be accepting of the things that happen to them, able to successfully adapt in times of tribulations, to spread love and positivity, and to help others realize their own potential and contributions.
I would hope to be the kind of change agent that is resilient in the face of adversity, and can learn to be optimistic while looking for the positive in every situation. I want to be sure of who I am and where I want to go – helping others realize their abilities to do the same for themselves and an anchor of support for others.

My hope is that throughout my journey towards the next steps in my life I will be able to look back at this manifesto and know that I am perfectly set up for success. If I decide to tap into every aspect of myself that embraces these core principles, the challenges I encounter will not weigh so heavily on my life. The trajectory of my life will be strongly determined by my ability to adapt, create, transform, and remain resilient, and for that I am very hopeful.  

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