The Evaristo Manifesto, I loved this powerful read. I have always believed in manifestation (even when I was younger and called it dreams) and I am interested in actually educating myself in manifestation in itself and I mean what better place than to start with Bernardine Evaristo’s Manifesto in which she manifested her Booker Prize win. (Not to discredit that she worked her a** off to get there).
It's a bio of how she got to where she is now and I loved reading all about her childhood her parents her siblings, her relationships, her rejections, and her wins. She also explores what it is like to be a Black woman who faced racism, and colourism. She explores feminism her relationships, ageing and her activism which she is so passionate about. I love that she also talks about giving others a hand when you have a foot in the door because it is so important. I love how she is so transparent about her journey, her family her background that her history is about people overcoming adversity. I love how connected she is to her roots and that she always includes them in her works. She talks about her rejections and her grades but how she didn’t let either define her instead she let them allow her to push on for bigger and better things. She talks about the power of it all and how to let it empower you. This book is about never giving up, the power of never giving up and being unstoppable. I love the message of this book, I love the story and I love how she doesn’t let age stop her from getting what she wants. She is inspiring and I found it so important of the discussion she raises about race, class and diversity in the British curriculum. Cannot recommend this enough.
Quotes/
‘A child needs to feel safe, to feel that they belong, but when you are prejudged before you even open your mouth to speak, you feel as if you don’t.’
‘You cannot divorce Britain’s imperialist history from its national identity, but this glaring and distorting omission from our education provision prevails.’
‘People who are victims of oppression can turn into oppressors’ themselves’.
‘Men and women live in the same world, but we experience it so differently.’
‘Writing became a room of my own; writing became my permanent home’.
‘We writers spend our lives learning how to manipulate language to express precisely what we wish to communicate.’
‘A Positive Mental Attitude' (PMA)
‘Need I say at this point that it's really important to keep your dreams to yourself, because once you move into ‘vision’ territory, plenty of people will impose their limitations on you, and it’s best not to give them the opportunity. We need to protect ourselves from the naysayers.’
‘I am first and foremost a writer; the written word is how I process everything – myself, life, society, history, politics. It’s not a job or a passion, but it is at the very heart of how I exist in the world, and I am addicted to the adventure of storytelling as my most powerful means of communication.’
Break Point is a documentary as it takes us behind the scenes with the players as they compete in Grand Slams and ATP/WTA events around the world. It shows footage both on and off courts and shows the highs and lows of winning matches. I think the point of this documentary was really to showcase the rising star players post Serena and Roger era and make tennis more popular however I found much more than this. Tennis is a solitary game and it really highlighted to me how much of a mind game it really is. It doesn't matter how much you have practiced or how good you are at the game if you are mentally not there on the day of the match then you could potentially loose against the opponent. It highlighted to me how important belief in yourself is but also how at your lowest you can turn it around. The documentary wasn't shy of sharing the mental health problems and I applaud them for this because I believe in transparency and I really liked this in Mardy Fish's Untitled Breaking Point which I also loved. It is crazy to watch all of the players backstory and how they got to where they are and even though you root for certain players you can't help but sympathize with those who loose because you know how much it took for them to get there. My favourite of the grand slams is Wimbledon because it was the one that got me into tennis and I am manifesting that one day I will get to to go to watch a match. I am really looking forward to Ons Jabeur who is smashing it out there and I loved her backstory and again her attitude of never giving up.
The documentary is inspiring and gripping and really wants me to channel my inner Carrie Soto and play (but I can't- maybe one day I will take up lessons) also Carrie is the queen of manifesting (fictional book by Taylor Jenkins Reid). Highly recommend you to watch it! It is incredible.
I have created my own vision board/manifestation board for this year check it out here:
A full post going through it is coming soon!
Comment below if you watched Break Point and your thoughts, or if you have any questions?
With Love and Dua's
Fiz @Every Page She Turns
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