Mel,
Today, one of my all-time dumbest moves.
A long time ago, my wife Laura wanted to sing in the church choir.
She asked: "Perry, will you set business aside one night a week so I can sing?"
She really wanted that.
I listened to the "hustle culture" voices in my head… and I shook my head. My answer was a firm "no."
She was begging for oxygen and I yanked away the air hose.
Then for the next couple of years, she just sort of existed. While I ran on caffeine and fumes and credit card debt. Wearing the midnight oil as perfume and running marathons in the sprint lane.
… And to add insult to injury, two years later I hadn't progressed the least bit further with my hustle.
A few years later, when life was a little better… "Hey Laura, you wanna sing?"
"Nah. Why would I want to do that?"
Her smoldering candle had gone out.
Man did I ever wish I could go back and change that decision.
For YEARS, I fully bought in:
The grind culture bros told me to wake up at 4am.
The hustle zealots demanded that I optimize every minute.
The productivity gurus insisted joy is a reward you haven't earned yet.
I set aside vacations, music, hobbies, outings, and pretty much everything fun.
We called it "delayed gratification."
Well here's the raw truth I can't shake:
The exact moment an entrepreneur stops apologizing for what lights them up... everything transforms.
I keep witnessing it. That pivot point where they finally trust their gut and their weird ideas. Follow their natural energy. Stop feeling guilty about what makes them come alive. That's when…
The impossible becomes obvious.
The stuck becomes unstoppable.
The complex becomes clear.
Not from working harder.
But from finally thinking for themselves.
Meanwhile….
Beneath our feet, the world has shifted from 80/20 to 90/10. A handful of titans hoard ungodly wealth while everyone else fights for scraps.
Another productivity app won't save you.
Another morning routine won't free you.
Another "proven system" won't solve this.
On January 27th, a small group of rebels will take the BACK DOOR approach.
We're going to burn the rule book about pre-dawn punishment routines, endless task lists, and someone else's definition of success.
The world has enough burnt-out entrepreneurs following someone else's rules.
It needs you doing what makes time disappear.
Ready to choose your side?
www.PerryMarshall.com/rebellion
Perry
