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Thursday, October 26, 2006 |
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what's in a name? After performing an exhaustive search for people with his same first and last name, Alan Berliner invites all 12 of them over for dinner. Alan Berliner is one of my favorite filmmakers. Brilliant, obsessive, neurotic, and funny as hell. The Sweetest Sound is the only film by him available on Netflix. (His other one, Wide Awake, about his struggle with insomnia and how it connects to his creativity, is in the queue to be released) I personally could relate to his angst, because I was very upset to learn in my mid-20s that there are other people with both my first and last name. So much of me is wrapped up in my name, how could someone else have it??? How do they say their (my) name, who the hell were they, and why are they using *my* name!!!?? "Get over it" I remember my roommate at the time said, Of course, her name is Maria Smith. 1:56:55 PM comment []  |
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Manifest This In California, it's not uncommon to hear the advice to "manifest your reality." It is a philosophy which says you are in charge of your destiny, all you have to do is imagine it. Sounds good. It's also familiar, because it's basically a repackaging of the American dream myth. Yes, myth, because while this country has allowed a lot of people to re-invent themselves and some become very successful, the large majority are never able to realize their dreams (at minimum wage) no matter how hard they work. What I dislike the most about this "philosophy" is that it depoliticizes discussions by negating how class, gender, race, etc. impact our lives. No, I do not limit myself because of these categories, but I do face different challenges or privileges because of them. And depending on if something good or bad happened it's self-righteous or blaming. So in this line of thinking: if you are hit by a car or are raped, didn't get the job you wanted, you must have manifested it. If you get the house you dreamed of, you manifested it. It's so appealing to believe in because it gives the illusion of CONTROL. Here's what I believe: You can create a lot of your reality, both in your brain and external world. And the power of positive thinking can go a long ways. If you sound confident (whether you are or not) people are more likely to put their trust in you, thereby building your own confidence. And once you start setting your intentions in a certain direction, that can open the door to possibilities. There are also forces/energy outside your control in the outside world (ahhh, chaos, in turn brilliant or terrifying). For example, what if I was born in a part of the world with no access to drinking water? born with no legs? or born a woman in a fundamentalist islamic country? Despite my best manifesting, my reality would be *very* different than it is now.
Ultimately, this whole "manifest"-o is limiting and superficial: the world has so much more to offer than what any of us could ever imagine! |
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