About the Revolution

What Revolution? Did I miss something?!

A wise man once said, “Learn to program your own mind, for if you don’t, the world will have no problem doing it for you”. Many of us are familiar with two movie franchises. The Matrix and Star Wars. In the Matrix we learn that people are plugged into a system that allows them to go through their daily lives in a dream state. In reality, they’re slaves for the machines. In Star Wars, we learn that there is a Light Side (Jedi) and a Dark Side (Sith) and how easy it is to fall from Light to Dark. However, it’s much harder to go from Dark to Light.

Both of these are symbolic stories of the life that each day we choose to live. We feel that life that can be better, but yet we struggle to get to that next step. Sometimes out of simply not knowing it’s there, other times just because we simply are not ready to take the step yet.

However, each day is a new day and we get better at things we continually practice. If you’re up for the battle of your life and to not lead it in auto-pilot as so many people do, then we’re glad to have you as a New Inceptions Renegade.

Renegade Rules of Engagement

#1: Unplug from The Machines – Take the Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

In the Matrix series, Neo and his friends were all once plugged into the dream world that the machines had created for them. After they got out, a couple of realities hit. One reality was that the machines wanted to keep them from helping others. Why? The more people that were free, the more potential threat there could be to their power. Another reality was that life got a whole lot more complex. There was no certain path of their life. They found out that the real world was not as pretty. So you had a choice, either plug back in and forget that the real world existed, or improve yourself using what you knew of the real world.

So the first question is, do you want to be really free? To be aware of what’s really going on around you? If so, let’s keep going.

#2: Everyone that takes the Red Pill is a Newbie – We Care About a Person’s Potential, Not Their Past

Just as in The Matrix, everyone that decides to be more aware of their surroundings is doing so for the first time. They’re like a newborn who is starting to see the world in a new way. Yes, they might still have their old beliefs, but they are now free to shed that baggage at their own rate.

We should not judge someone who’s just starting on their journey based on where they’ve been. In fact, the worse a person’s background was, the happier we should be for them. It could have been that much easier for them just to believe that the world was always going to be that way for them. Don’t bash the newbs – help them! You’ll be gaining future allies as opposed to enemies.

#3: When You’re Aware, You Can No Longer Be Unaware

As much as many people would like to think, Ignorance is Not Bliss. People who say that ignorance is bliss are typically those who don’t want to be responsible for their own actions. For me, the more I know, the more reasoning I have for making a thorough decision. I’d rather be aware of sharks in water so that I know not to swim in said water. I rather know about crime in a certain area so that I can choose to lock all doors on a regular basis. It’s important to know how cause and effect work.

However, on the other side of the coin, it’s also important to note that we’ll never be perfect. The world is a balance of Ying and Yang. You must learn to choose your battles. There will be some things in life that we won’t be able to change even though we have knowledge on what will happen. Those that we don’t have control on, we must not worry about.

As Yoda said, “You must unlearn what you have learned… Do. Or do not. There is no try“.

#4: Accountability is HUGE. Never Leave Anyone Behind.

One thing that I’ve had to learn the hard way is not to use people as stepping stones. Often we see other people as a means to get what we want. It’s ok to see this. However, it’s weather or not that we use that relationship as a one way street or two ways. A Narcissist will use it as a one way street. They could care less about the person as long as they get to the goal.

A person of value will use it as a two way street. They believe in the win-win. Why? Because they know that in the future they’ll be able to rely on that person again. A luxury the Narcissist will only gain through guilt. The trick is learning how to become a person of value and be supportive of our wingmen.

#5: To be a Rational Thinker You Must Always… ALWAYS ask “Why?“

What do you believe? Are they your own beliefs or those that have been passed on to you? Why do you believe in the religion that you do? Why do you believe that you can or can’t accomplish something? What makes you think you have a bad memory?

More often than not, the world tells us what to believe. Who gave the world the right to do that? Oh, that’s right, it started when we were infants and were just trying to understand what was going on around us. However, just because something is one of our oldest beliefs – does that make it right? Or do we just want to avoid being embarrassed if it was found out that we were wrong?

In Star Wars series, there’s a huge difference between Luke and Anakin in how they’re brought into the world of The Force. Anakin comes from a world where he must prove himself all the time. Through life he gains more and more confidence. Ultimately, however, this confidence blinds his ability to be rational. He assumes he’s always right based on how people make him feel. He goes by his gut instinct. That’s what ultimately leads him to the Dark Side. He wanted to be the one who has the ability to determine what’s right in the galaxy.

On the other hand, Luke comes from a background where he lacks confidence. Constantly saying, “I can’t do this. I don’t believe I can do this”. Eventually, thanks large in part to those around him, he grows out of that to someone who is very confident. In the beginning of Episode VI, it’s unclear which side he’s going to ultimately choose. It looks like he’s going to remain on the Light Side, but at any moment he could go Dark just as Anakin did. However, in the end he realizes that it’s his friends that got him to where he was. He was able to rationally make the right call in the end based on what he knew and what he was finding out about what happened to Anakin.

The opposite of being a rational thinker is to use your emotions to make all your decisions. Do you judge based on emotions or the actual evidence that is provided to you? Are you willing to accept new evidence that contradicts a decision you made 5, 10, or 20+ years ago? Become a sponge, never stop learning and applying that new knowledge!

#6: Take Pride in Yourself – Confidence Is Important!

You can accomplish anything you put your mind to might sound cliche. But in reality, it’s not. Everyone is born with a blank slate. Everyone has 24 hours a day. If someone has been able to achieve a goal, you can too!

What I have found is that most people don’t even know what goals they want. This has always been my case. Without having goals and having a schedule to get those goals done, most people don’t take action on a consistent basis. Confidence in obtaining those goals is just as important as setting the goals themselves. It’s not the government’s fault that you’re in the situation you’re in – nor are they the one’s that are ultimately going to get you to where you want to be. The same thing can be said about the weather, global warming, the economy, your parents… you get the idea.

Welcome the Challenge… (or as the military says “Embrace the Suck!”) The more daunting the task, the sweeter the victory will be. Enjoy being a Renegade.

#7: Don’t Sacrifice What Makes You Unique While Becoming a Better You!

Everyone is unique, and they should stay that way. What little things make you happy, should continue to make you happy. Just don’t let it get in the way of becoming a better you. If you’re a gamer like me, continue to be a gamer. If you’re into triathlons… get out there and do your thing. Everyone is a geek about something. But don’t let it take over the rest of your life. We don’t want to win a revolution with an army of automatons. Let’s each do our part to build an army of informed, empowered, and let’s not forget, AWESOME creators!