Manifesting Your Main Character Energy

You’ve heard about Main Character Energy on social media, but have you manifested yours? We don’t think of Main Character Energy as stealing the spotlight or being a diva, even though that can be fun sometimes. It’s about owning and protecting our stories. It’s about finding the time, space, and stillness to clear away all the narratives and comparisons that prevent us from being our true selves and living our best lives. It’s about setting boundaries, taking care of ourselves, and embracing all the possibilities ahead of us.

If you sometimes feel like a supporting character in your own life or that the pages of the script are confusing and out of order, you’re not alone. All of us go through times in our lives when we’re not sure of the role we want to play.

But just like actors have techniques and tricks to inhabit their characters, there are things you can do to feel comfortable, grounded, and authentic in the starring role of your story.

Act 1: Disconnecting From the Noise and Connecting to Yourself

Have you ever watched a TV show or movie with so many characters and subplots that you find yourself asking questions like, “Wait, is that the brunette who stole the car or the cop?” Some days, real life can feel just as confusing, because we’re surrounded by all kinds of stories and dramas at any given time.

Life is like that all on its own, but social media adds even more layers. It can be hard to keep track of where you are in your story when you’re following so many other plotlines, especially when those stories are filtered highlight reels of someone else’s life and you’re comparing them to the most difficult moments in yours.

With all those conflicting plotlines about what matters, who we’re supposed to be, what we should look like, and the things we should have, it’s hard to know if we’re even in the right movie of our own lives. As we struggle to get our bearings and fit in, it can be really hard to get to know ourselves.

Breathe

First, you need to step out of the action for a minute and breathe. Our minds and perceptions don’t work as well when they are overloaded. Breathing calms our nervous systems, bodies, and minds so we can see people, situations, and ourselves more clearly. Check out these breathing practices that will help you slow down the action.

Meditation

Meditating isn’t about sitting still and trying to clear away thoughts. It’s the practice of working with and transforming your mind so you get in touch with what really matters in any given moment. Then you can show up authentically for yourself and others. Use these tips and tools to start or expand your practice.

Rituals

Lowering the volume on distracting storylines and connecting with yourself is not something you do once or every now and then. It’s something you practice consistently so it becomes part of your routine. That way, when things get busy, you’ll still make time to take care of yourself. You can integrate self-care rituals into or alongside other daily activities. Incorporate mantras or affirmations into your morning or evening beauty routines, use audio breathing exercises while you’re in the car or waiting in line, close your day by writing a few things you’re grateful for in a journal next to your bed, or build in a short walk every morning. Over time, you’ll do these activities automatically and notice when you miss a few days.

Act 2: Owning and Protecting Your Story

Getting to know ourselves better and rising above the noise helps us know ourselves and see our story more clearly. The next step is owning it.

Remember that movie you were really into for the first hour and then suddenly it veered off course and you left the theater asking, “WTF just happened?” Life can go left too. Our scripts are being written in real time. We have to be honest with ourselves about what we’re feeling and take steps to make sure other people’s storylines aren’t preventing us from taking care of ourselves and staying open to all the possibilities in front of us.

Journaling

We can’t script out every aspect of our lives, but by capturing parts of our stories through journaling, we can navigate more effectively and continually learn and grow. Making gratitude lists inspires us, keeps us grounded, and improves our perspective. Writing down lessons learned through our journey makes it more likely we’ll remember them and put them into action. And reflecting on the high and low moments in our days helps us know what we want more – and less – of in our lives.

Setting Boundaries

It’s not always easy to share what we need and expect from partners, friends or family members, walk away from relationships that don’t work for us, or simply say, “no.”. But if we don’t draw the line when something isn’t working for us, we can end up overextended, exhausted, and feeling unappreciated. On the other hand, when we take the time to think about what we want – and don’t want – and learn to ask for it, we end up with more of the good stuff in our lives and discover it’s not as scary as we thought it was going to be.

Speaking Up

Do you ever feel stuck in some part of your story or some plotline from the past that doesn’t really apply now, and you can’t figure out how to get to the next scene (you know, the happy montage part)? Sometimes we reach a point where just thinking about our past, present, or future makes us feel anxious or depressed, and a powerful way forward is to ask for help. That help could come from a good friend or close family member, but sometimes working with a trained mental health professional can help us heal, grow, and create practices that get us out of that writer’s block so our Main Character Energy can shine through.

Act 3: Opening Up to Your Next Chapter

The latest season of your favorite series ends on a cliffhanger. You stare at the screen amazed at what just happened and then immediately feel frustrated that you have to wait until the next season is out to find out what happens next. That can happen in our everyday lives too when the thrill of a good day or an accomplishment fades into worry about what’s around the corner. We can’t control every aspect of our future, but we can be open to what is to come with the knowledge that all these practices are giving us the skills to manage the sad or scary parts and celebrate the happy moments, taking all of them as they come. Here are tips and tools to help shift into that mindset.

Affirmations

We are all more inspiring, insightful, and capable than we know. One of our most important superpowers is opening up to just how powerful we are. Affirmations are a proven way to turn worry about the future into confidence and courage. Check out these tips for using affirmations in our daily lives.

Vision Board

You’re probably familiar with Vision Boards. These projects often focus on images of things we want to achieve or own in our lives. A Future Feelings Board is all about the feelings we want more of in our lives. Do we want to feel more love, connection, security or adventure? Are you looking to feel more confident, inspired, creative or patient? Take a piece of posterboard or cardboard and fill it with words and imagery that capture feelings or concepts you want more of in the next chapters of your journey. Hang it somewhere you look often, or take a picture and use it as your phone wallpaper, as a reminder of what really matters as you continue on your journey of being authentically you and living your best life.

Supporting Characters

We’re all the main characters in our own stories, but we are also supporting characters in the lives of the people around us. We often don’t dig into our true thoughts and feelings with friends and family members until we’re struggling. Check out some tips for proactively strengthening your support network.

Need Help Now?

If you or a friend are struggling and need to talk to someone, you are not alone. There are many free, confidential resources available 24/7.

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