I’ve tasked each and every one of you signed up for the current Rebel challenge to write a personal letter addressed to your future self 3 months from now to be turned in on Saturday, August 3rd. The goal is to author a time capsule of emotion, showcasing your fears and who you are NOW while addressing the person you envision yourself being 3 months from this point. Not only is the process very therapeutic but it can open up realms of your brain that have been holding you back for a long time… you’ve just never pulled enough courage together to run toward those things rather than running away from them. Here’s your chance. If realization of self worth and helping create an awesome experience for yourself isn’t enough incentive for ya, well then every letter turned in on Saturday is a dollar donated to CHOPS Teen Center. Jamboom.

I decided to share my own personal letter in the hopes that it will help some of you who might be in a rut about what to write about or are unclear on what is expected. Mine will be the only one shared. Once I get your letter I will lock it away for 3 months only to be brought back out on October 19th. I won’t read a single word of any of your letters. It’s for me, not you. There is no wrong way to write your letter as long as you are open and honest with yourself. These are MY fears along with my excitement and pride for where we are now. Thank you for your time :).

My Personal Letter: Part II

                Well, here you are big guy. Challenge number 13 is happening and like a freight train at full speed with no conductor there’s no stopping it now. That’s good though, that’s the goal. This train that is the Rebellion is a growing organism, pushing for survival beyond one person alone. You want to be lost among a sea of awesome people doing awesome things and this challenge will prove to be no different than the rest where that’s EXACTLY what will happen. It’s already happened. It’s happening!

                The last time you wrote one of these your biggest fear was that people won’t see it the way you see it and inevitably it will fail. The fall from Grace will always thrive quietly in the background of your circus brain but I think it’s safe to say that you can lay that fear to rest. Take pride in the fact that what keeps you up at night NOW is the excitement for where the Rebellion is going, not the fear of where it’s falling. I mean damn man… you got the biggest ballroom in Chicago to sound off and now you’ve been asked to lead a Rebellion chant for thousands on a Florida Island all because PEOPLE GET IT! The essence that makes this such a magical thing… the essence that you believe in to the depths of your soul and shout from the rooftops every chance you get… Well, it’s not just you anymore! the potential of the human spirit and what we all strive for as we steer the same boat only holding on to different oars is a beautiful struggle that not everyone gets the chance to experience as a tribe. This revolution has been a long time boiling and is bubbling over with the kind of organized chaos that only a ragtag group of bad news bears know how to lead. Simply put, the Rebellion cannot fail because you are no longer the only leader! That sea of awesome people bonding together and doing something legendary is no longer on the horizon, it’s here and NOW. The Rebellion and what it stands for has not merely left an imprint in its path, its Hulk smashed a crater and is growing every day.

                I’m proud of you. No matter how exhausting this journey gets, the hardships and tribulations that come with what you have chosen to dedicate your life to will always pale in comparison to the light that shines bright from positive seeds planted. To struggle is to learn and to pass on the knowledge of how to deal with that struggle is to help make the world a better place. Too many people are focused on how GIANT of an impact they can have and not enough people realize the impact we can have as individuals doing the best we can. The ripple effect that spreads from person to person has a greater impact than any individual ever could. Case in point if you were to try to wrap your arms around the world your reach only goes so far (your arm span roughly equaling your height according to Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man) but if every human being joined hands we could wrap around that baby roughly 300 times. I’m proud of you for doing everything you can do spread that message. You’ve been effective, and that’s not easy. If it were easy though…

                You really bit off quite the mouthful with this challenge. Not quite more than you can chew, but if you were playing a metaphorical game of “chubby bunny” there definitely wouldn’t be any room left for even half a mini marshmallow to squeeze in there. By the time you read this again though, that means it’s done. The key to the city, the “test” bracelets, donations to Chops and the succeeding celebration, themed workouts, team song presentations, the Anytime Fitness conference… it’s all over and you’re still standing baby. You set your own bar high and now it’s time to breathe a big sigh of relief. You and the rebels earned it. Rule #8; Never Quit Fighting.

                I leave you (me) with a song that has pulled me (you) out of darkness many a time and has given an injection of strength when there was thought to be none left. As I put the lyrics down they are a lion’s roar of motivation. When you read them on October 19^th, they will be the soundtrack to your victory lap.

There’s something in your heart
And it’s in your eyes
It’s the fire, inside you
Let it burn
You don’t say, “Good luck”
You say, “Don’t give up”
It’s the fire, inside you
Let it burn
 
Yeah, and if I’m ever at the crossroads
And start feeling mixed signals like Morse code
My soul start to grow colder than the North Pole
I try to focus on the hole of where the torch goes
In the tradition of these legendary sports pros
As far as I can see, I’ve made it to the threshold
Lord knows I’ve waited for this a lifetime
And I’m an icon when I let my light shine
Shine bright as an example of a champion
Taking the advantage, never copping out or cancelling
Burn like a chariot, learn how to carry it
Maverick, always above and beyond average
Fuel to the flame that I train with and travel with
Something in my eyes say I’m so close to having the prize
I realize I’m supposed to reach for the skies
Never let somebody try to tell you otherwise
 
One love, one game, one desire
One flame, one bonfire, let it burn higher
I never show signs of fatigue or turn tired
Cause I’m the definition of tragedy turned triumph
It’s David and Goliath, I made it to the eye of the storm
Feeling torn like they fed me to the lions
Before my time start to wind down like the Mayans
I show ’em how I got the grind down like a science
It sounds like a riot on hush, it’s so quiet
The only thing I hear is my heart
I’m inspired by the challenge
That I find myself standing eye to eye with
Then move like a wise warrior and not a coward
You can’t escape the history that you was meant to make
That’s why the highest victory is what I’m meant to take
You came to celebrate, I came to cerebrate
I hate losing, I refuse to make the same mistake

 – Rebel8, The Roots, & John Legend