are you ready to rebel?

thru the years, there's not much i've not rebelled against. i'm inclined to believe rebellion is an energy i'm addicted to. it's a powerful force of nature that can upend established games in a fell swoop.

i've been a rebel without cause, rebel without pause, and a rebel whose rebellions have often ended in a loss.

but i didn't relent to a life of conformity and i never will. and today when i write this, it's with an intent to initiate you into the ways of the rebel, to infuse you with the spirit of rebellion. welcome to my way 🙏🏽

why: rebel for a cause

it's easy and intoxicating to start a rebellion without knowing why (or to what end) and often the perfect recipe for a failed rebellion.

determine if your motivation stems from escaping something behind you or being drawn towards new experiences ahead. there isn't a right or wrong reason; however, recognizing which force propels you forward will help shape your path.

these questions help you understand the force that'll fuel your rebellion; is it a pushing or pulling energy?

they also provide ethical and moral clarity of the direction in which your rebellion is headed. with such an aggressive energy it's easy to get waylaid from your primary purpose and get played by the forces generated.

as i've mentioned before and probably will again, the energy of rebellion is intoxicating and once caught in it's throes, you'll find every pretext to taste that bitter sweet symphony ringing between your ears.

your rebellion will scale without doubt and that's when it gets easier to slip off your chosen path into a tangent you don't really agree with. will you be able to reign yourself back in your direction of choice?

whether shared with others or kept private, having a visible reminder of your manifesto can provide daily motivation when faced with challenges along the way. remember why you started and persevere even when things become more difficult than anticipated.

on the flip-side, remembering your why will also propel you further and farther, every single day, whether you're tired or wired.

when: rebel with a pause

but should you just keep ploughing ahead without concern for the collateral damage along the way, in pursuit of your glorious goal?

glad i used the word ploughing here as it's apt to describe when digging up the soil can be more fruitful than harmful.

pause and reflect on the outcome you seek.

leaders of the rebellion bear the burden of choice and the consequences of their decisions.

followers travel light, high on the frantic fervor raised by the leaders. even the blame of their actions can easily be shed on those that lead.

if you've chosen to be a rebel, you've chosen to be the leader who charts his own course regardless of who follows. which means there's no one to blame when things go awry.

so remember to pause often, think it over slow, think it thru deep, take your bearings, seek wise counsel, play it cool...

all while keeping that engine revving beneath, ready to race at the twist of your hand.

how: rebel without loss

it's not easy for a rebellion to win when outcomes are obscure, results are ambiguous, goal posts constantly shifting, or players leaving the team.

one way to be sure is to keep your before and after in mind. the ideal you're endeavoring toward and the past you're escaping from.

while exploring the land between these two landmarks, you'll be tempted to return. you'll be tempted to settle.

your rebellion losing steam is one way you can lose. you crashing and burning is yet another way. you setting fire to everything around you is also a distinct possibility.

go fast and break things is and isn't the best energy for a rebellion to succeed. one of ways i remember where i’m at is by comparing myself to the standard set by the conformist.

that traditional path is a constant reminder of the safe bet i could have played. regardless of the timeless principles of previous paths, i'd chosen to forge my own because i believed the context has changed. the map know longer holds true when the terrain has shifted.

but at any time if i find my way is causing more angst and harm to self or those that follow, it's wiser to camp with conformity until the winds of rebellion blow again. circumstances offer impetus to rebellions and can also impede them from growing.

He who fights and run away, may live to fight another day.

play the long game and understand that while rebellions are intended to be leaps they're still steps across the infinite timeline. a rebellion once successful, will eventually become the establishment. fruitful at first, it will rot over time and drop the seeds for yet another rebellion.

Fear doesn't go away. The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day. Steven Pressfield

reddy the rebel

as for me, i'm just a man who found it easier to risk his life than live life without risk.

i've always imagined death at my shoulder and been at peace with that presence, perhaps more than anyone else i know.

at some point, and to some extent, the inevitability of death denies it significance.

and the things that begin to matter are those that are not inevitable, those that we choose to create, to care for, and to cherish.

and the things we discover serendipitously, chance upon, that take us by surprise, that tease us mischievously.

i'm surrounded by death
i've surrendered to death
playing together every day
embracing every moment

i'm committed to passionately playing with life and death. my raging and rebelling has resulting in discovering playful possibilities in the present, without anger against the past or yearning for the future.

i'm here to remind you, inspire you, entice you, instigate you to love and live life as an adventure. to rebel against mediocrity, chase rabbit holes and play to your peak potential!

by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.