I’ve always been a good girl. When I was in high school, my parents let me take the Volvo station wagon out at night, but I was under strict instructions not to let anyone drink in the car. We’d go from house to house in a caravan of cars, all of them packed to the brim with teenagers. Then there was me, pulling up the back all by my lonesome in a huge station wagon. I was not a rebel.
That’s not always a good thing. Sometimes, you have to do the unexpected, and shake things up. Embracing discomfort and breaking established norms are sometimes the only way to get things done. And they’re often the best way to get things done. Francesca Gino has written an entire book on the topic, Rebel Talent, and in it she makes the case for being a rebel. On page 20 of her book, she discusses a study that shows we perceive people who interrupt others as more assertive than those who don’t interrupt, and those who express anger as mightier than those who express sadness. Perhaps you have to lose the halo. It gets heavy, it hurts your neck, and sometimes people see angels as boring. As one of my friends has often said, perfection isn’t sexy.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE–TRY TO REBEL. Be willing to question authority, especially if that authority is your pesky inner voice. Be willing to have disagreements, and to stand apart. Maybe even be willing to get in trouble, if that trouble is worth it.
How will you rebel today? What does rebellion even look like to you? Share your take on rebellion, and be sure to share the challenge as well. The entire challenge, every day (so far), is up on my website so it is never to late for someone to join. The more people discussing these ideas, the better. See you tomorrow!
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