The Renegade Spotlight on DaveUrsillo.com showcases the real-life stories of everyday “Renegades” — men and women who are pursuing big dreams while defying criticism, cynicism and being misunderstood by others around them.

Today, I’d like you to meet my friend Angie, an incredible writer whose words strike me with emotion and thought… more than most writers I know! Angie and I worked together on The Happiness Catalyst, an e-book on utilizing the Internet and social media to inspire community building through true stories of neighborhoods bonding together during times of tragedy, and more.

Together on DaveUrsillo.com, we are building an inspired community of genuine dreamers and dream-pursuers — the “Ranks of the Renegades” — who are striving to change the world. We are the Renegades. Are you among our ranks? :)

1.) In your own words, introduce yourself!

This is the hardest question of all!

• I am a writer – by profession, by training, and by compulsion. I recently left the comforts of a 15-year career working for “The Man” — and the 401(k) and salary that came with it — to pursue my own writing projects full-time.
• I am a poet, posting dozens of “micropoems” on Twitter every week — mostly tanka, haiku, and other short forms that lend themselves to 140 characters or less. I also publish longer-form poems on my blog.
• I am a yoga teacher. The path of yoga has had a tremendous impact on my vision of myself and of others. I teach yoga to help others do something good for themselves, and I find great reward in that.
• I am a mother – the best one I know how to be.
• I am a woman — living and breathing deeply on 500 acres in the middle of central Oklahoma, in tune with the rhythms of the day and of the seasons, close to the earth but never far from the sky.

I’ve also been known to grow a pretty mean vegetable garden, to sing with my whole body and at the top of my lungs — with or without anyone watching, and to embark on a quiet run or a hike whenever I can.

2.) What are some of the short- and long-term dreams you are pursuing?

When I graduated from college (a hundred years ago), my goal was painted in primary colors: I wanted to write, and get paid for it. All these years later, I’ve finally reached that goal… only now details have been painted around it in colors I didn’t even know existed back then.

I’m currently working on a ghostwriting project, and I have a goal of finishing that this year. It’s very rewarding: taking the heart of another person, and his passion, and giving it a voice so he can share it with others.

Longer-term goals include finishing projects of my own: A memoir, perhaps to help others see something they haven’t seen before, or to feel less alone. A body of poetry — I have evidence that what I write turns lights on for people, feeds them somehow. If I could cast words in a format other than Twitter, that could reach a broader audience—touch more souls—that would be tremendously gratifying to me.

And although I do need to feed my family… I’m frankly not concerned about making money with my words.

One thing I’ve found in my short time on my own is that if you pursue projects that put a light in your eyes, or make your heart leap, the economic model has a way of working itself out.

A wise man once taught me about a theory he called “give it away” that speaks to just that. I want to give it away. To help others dig deeper into life. Maybe I put it best in this excerpt from my blog:

“Now I write to show you things you haven’t seen before–or to ask you to see in a different way. Casting light from a different side so the shadows re-arrange and the colors change and you whisper something like, “man, I didn’t even know that was there.”

I don’t create truth. I just uncover pieces of it that hide. I hold the flashlight so you can dig deep and come up with dirt under your fingernails and light in your eyes. I work in ink and pixels. I make words. I write for you.

3.) What effects have these pursuits had on your life?

In a word: balance.

Before I left the comforts of “The Man”, I would cram myself into an ill-fitting box every morning and emerge spent at the end of the day, to throw the crumbs of myself at my family like park-fed pigeons. Now, my skin is my own. Perhaps a poem I wrote describes it best:

fitting back into
myself
like favorite jeans

The crumbs are gone, because I’m not being eaten alive, and nothing is eating away at me. I am more, and so I can give more.

4.) What has pursuing your dreams taught you about yourself? About others? About life?

Well, it has taught me courage. I’ve always been a very strong person — that is, able to bear much. But I’ve always felt I lacked courage: that doing something with the knowledge — while you’re doing it — that you might fail.

It has also taught me where I belong. I remember having lunch with a friend more than two years ago who looked across the table and said with his eyes and with his heart, “You know, Ang, no matter what you’ve done or what you’re doing, you always return to your writing. It must be where you belong.” He was right.

Perhaps most importantly, it’s taught me no regrets: timing is everything. It would be easy to say, “oh I wish I’d done this five years ago.” But five years ago, I didn’t have the experience I’ve had that brought me to this place. I didn’t have the contacts I’ve made, I wasn’t at the same place in my marriage, in my self and my self-actualization. My children wouldn’t have been the right age to make it feasible… the list goes on.

That’s why you can’t have regrets.

Everything that brought me to this place happened in the right sequence and at the right time so that I could get here: where I’m supposed to be, right now. I couldn’t have predicted it or planned it, but I am so very thankful for it.

5.) Do you have any special methods or practices that help you along the way? What are your sources of inspiration?

For me, solitude is paramount. There’s a quote from Albert Einstein that I love:

“I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.”

It is delicious. The quiet, the alone-time that is the gift of working from home, allows the reflection I need to compose and create.

As for inspiration, I’m inspired by the world around me, and by my experiences. Poems are everywhere. Lessons are everywhere. They exist in the colors of a horizon, the shadow of a crow, the freckles of my daughter, the expression on a stranger’s face, the memory I finally took the time to write down, even the glow of a cell phone or a post-it note in my thesaurus. Before I had solitude, I couldn’t reflect on these things. Now I can. My world has changed because my vision has changed.

It’s a powerful thing, to change the world that way.

6.) Do cynics, doubters and pessimists affect you and your pursuits? If so, how? If not, do you avoid them, tune them out, use them to your advantage, etc.?

No. They rarely have. In my case, I have so seldom — if ever — “fit in,” and long ago I ceased trying to. Although I may not always believe in myself, I believe in the gifts I’ve been given, and I believe in giving them away. If people misunderstand that, it’s my responsibility to show them my heart, so they can see differently.

~ Angie, aka myearthgirl

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Are you or is someone you know a genuine Renegade? Your story can be here on DaveUrsillo.com in the new Renegade Spotlight feature! Send me an email! Tell the world your story, inspire hundreds of men and women, and get your name and face known by thousands of fellow Renegades across the world!

The picture included here is a shot of the inaugural, limited edition “Ready For You” Renegade Tee. It’s on sale now for just $21 with crazy discount codes available on the site and ridiculously low shipping :)

–

Have you ever awoken with the feeling of… escape?

It’s a tenseness, like an anxiety, a pulling from within… part of your consciousness longing for pure, uninhibited, exhilarating Freedom… manifesting a surge of potent energy throughout your mind, shaking your body’s hollow emptiness after a long night’s fast.

The tremors bleed down your thighs, weakening your stance. Upward, your breaths are short and desperate.

Quickly you seek out daylight and huddle before the window pane, cracking it slightly, breathing deep as the biting winter air washes across your face, eyes closed tight, as if to cleanse it. It’s as if you’ve been struck — like lightning through a tuning fork whose hum deafens the world around it.

That feeling of escape is your POWER FROM WITHIN.

It’s longing to be seen… to be felt by others… to be heard by the world. It’s there, within you — it always has been. Now, you’re ready to let it out. Proudly tell the world, “I’m Ready for You to Hear Me Now.”

DESIGN DETAILS

10% of Proceeds Donated to Charity

I woke up one day with the phrase “I’m Ready for You to Hear Me Now” in my head. I liked it. And it stuck.

It beckons taking the initiative; assuming personal responsibility for your beliefs, words and actions; being a leader in your everyday life; and maintaining a defiantly determined renegade mindset.

It’s incredibly empowering and motivational.

Recognize that cool silver cross-like symbol in the background? Yup, that’s the same “quiet leader tree” as is permanently tattooed on my back right shoulder blade. :)

The “quiet leader tree” is asymmetrical but balanced – because, although nothing and no one is perfect, we are complete and whole within ourselves. The “quiet leader tree” represents selfless giving, perpetual dedication to being positive and optimistic, and charity. It represents my work, my writing and how I strive to live my life.

Speaking of charity, 10% of all proceeds from the sale of this Renegade Tee will be donated directly to my “Run To Home Base” 9K Charity Road Race for wounded military veterans. I need to raise $1000 on my own and complete this race in honor of our wounded warriors, and I hope you’ll help me reach that goal! Your purchase also helps support my journey as a writer. :)

PRODUCT DETAILS

These shirts are incredibly high quality and 100% certified organic cotton for your comfort and environmentally-conscious peace of mind :) Printed in my home state of Rhode Island, these shirts are made to last :)

• Port and Company ® Organic
• 100% Certified Organic Cotton / Pre-Shrunk / 5 Ounces
• Available in Small, Medium and Large (See Sizing Chart)

I hope you’ll consider purchasing this limited edition Renegade Tee! Leave me some feedback on what you think of this design and the concepts behind it. I know it’s somewhat overbearingly masculine (and badass) but hey, what’s wrong with lookin’ badass? :)

Also, let me know what you’d like to see on future designs! Remember, this tee is the first product and I’m working hard to finish writing (as we speak) my first ever Renegade Guides, manifestos, and courses!

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The Renegade Spotlight on DaveUrsillo.com showcases the real-life stories of everyday “Renegades” — men and women who are pursuing big dreams while defying criticism, cynicism and being misunderstood by others around them.

Today, I’d like you to meet my friend Lou, a businesswoman and personal development writer from the Philippines who I met and befriended through her blog, LifeToFullest.com.

Together on DaveUrsillo.com, we are building an inspired community of genuine dream-pursuers — the Ranks of the Renegades — who are striving to change the world. We are the Renegades. Are you among our ranks?

1.) In your own words, introduce yourself!

Hi Everyone! I’m Lou Macabasco, a 24-year-old woman from the islands of the Philippines. I’m a Professional Certified Public Accountant, full-time Businesswoman, Investor and Personal Development Blogger/Writer. If I’ll describe myself in three words, I’d say, “Simple but Extra-Ordinary”.

I’m a very simple person. I keep my mindset and life simple. I’m often cheerful and positive. I love traveling to places, meeting different people and experiencing variety of culture. I can live without television but I can’t imagine life without music. What makes me extra-ordinary is that I can be both creative and logical. I strive to balance my time on both of my profession and passion.

It’s my passion to keep learning and understanding the wonders of life, the people, the circumstance and all other things that affect it. I love to share things through writing. I dream to teach and inspire others with all the things I’ve learned in this journey of life, both in my professional and personal side. I do this by creating a site entitled Live Life to the Fullest. You may check it here: www.lifetofullest.com

2.) What are some of the short- and long-term dreams you are pursuing?

Dreaming is part of my system. I’ve always believed in “What you desire is often what you become.”

I dream to reach millions of readers, publish best-selling books and conduct seminars around the world. I also want to travel the world and build my own international organization. And lastly, I want to become a great wife and have wonderful children.

3.) What effects have these pursuits had on your life?

I’m a natural dreamer and believer that dreams do come true. As a Disney song lyrics goes, “You will when you believe!” It’s a child-like attitude that I will always carry with me. Such attitude has helped me a lot in the past and has proven its worth countless times.

Dreaming and believing have helped me reached almost every single goal I’ve had in my life. From graduating and passing the Accountancy Board Exam at the young age of 19, landing on the dream jobs and company I’ve wanted to work with, connecting to people I look up to, visiting places I’ve wanted to see, maintaining relationships I’ve always dream of, acquiring things I’ve wanted to have, pursuing my own business and spreading words of motivation to people. All these were dreams that turned into reality.

Other than turning my dreams into reality, having a dream to pursue gives meaning and purpose to my life. It gives me motivation and enthusiasm to wake up each morning knowing I have something to look forward to.

And lastly, pursuing my dream has made a huge difference and impact to other people’s lives. As such, it doubles the meaning of my life.

4.) What has pursuing your dreams taught you about yourself? About others? About life?

I remember an article I’ve written 2 years ago entitled, Why Grown-Ups Stopped Dreaming?, I’ve mentioned the changes in dreams as people grow older. As people grow older, they give lesser value to dreaming. In my pursuit, I’ve learned a saying that is so true,

“Most people don’t get what they want because they don’t know what they want.”

Because when you know what you want, when you have dreams, a burning desire to achieve and pursue something, it directs you to achieve and have it. Additionally, I’ve proved that when you have a dream or pursuit, it puts meaning into your life.

5.) Do you have any special methods or practices that help you along the way? What are your sources of inspiration?

Yes, I do. There are 4 sources that keep me motivated to keep developing myself, pursue my dreams and live life to the fullest.

a) Significant People in my Life. Other than me, these people are the reasons that I continue to enjoy and pursue life.

b) Experiences and Lessons Learned in Life. It’s true that experience is a great teacher. And I’d like to believe that I’m striving to become a great student of life.

c) Books. I forgot to mention earlier that I love to read and collect books. And I have gained a lot of wisdom from all the books I have read. To share some of my favourites, you may check the Recommended page of my website for the list of books I recommend my readers to read.

d) Seminars/Mentors/Coaches. Despite my love for sharing, I also love to listen. I always try to be like an empty cup, striving to learn from each person I meet and deal with. And it helps a lot, especially when you meet and connect with people you look up to.

6.) Do cynics, doubters and pessimists affect you and your pursuits? If so, how? If not, do you avoid them, tune them out, use them to your advantage, etc.?

Other attitudes that I’d always try to maintain are FOCUS and WILLPOWER. When you pursue anything in life, expect that setbacks will enter, such as failure, criticism, doubts and all other negative thoughts. That’s why it is very important that you keep your focus and willpower intact. Use negative sayings and circumstances as motivation to pursue, not as hindrance to stop and let go of your dreams.

There’s a story that I always look back whenever I encounter setbacks in my pursuit, it’s the Success Story of the 7 Up. The story always gives me an inspiration to get up and keep moving towards my dream, despite all the challenges and setbacks. I have written a post in my website entitled, 7-Up Success Story: Is it the same With Your Story?

For a final note, I’d like to thank you Dave for this opportunity to share my thoughts and stories to your readers. More power to you and all the readers of this site.

Happy Journey to your Life!

~ Lou Macabasco, www.lifetofullest.com

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Are you or is someone you know a genuine Renegade? Your story can be here on DaveUrsillo.com in the new Renegade Spotlight feature! Send me an email! Tell the world your story, inspire hundreds of men and women, and get your name and face known by thousands of fellow Renegades across the world!

The warm salty winds that raced to shore atop white-capped waves but months ago have since frozen over.

The gale bites now, spiting exposed skin that in turn curses the relentless breeze.

To gaze upon the bobbing loons, though, they hardly seem to feel the difference. The wind is the wind all the same. I count forty-six and perhaps three more in the distance.

A hint of cool salt garnishes the air; these cleansing winds. They know not the past, they think not of the ‘morrow, they race across barren sand and rock to rebirth those lost in time…

January to February 2010: The Quiet Leader

The year 2010 began for me quite similarly to how 2009 ended: with a dream loosely baited upon the end of a make-shift fishing rod. Dangling by worn strands of string fixed to a bent branch, the primary goal of my life was to finally distribute my year-in-the-making nonfiction book proposal for THE QUIET LEADER to upwards of 200 literary agents across the United States, sign with an agency, and leverage a book contract and write my first book.

I was teaching myself how to fish: I read damn near every bit of advice on the process; kept up on news on the state of the publishing and literary industries; researched hundreds of literary agents across the country; spent over 14 months writing an incredibly rich book proposal; attracted media attention; was building my websites’ readership; and so on. In early 2010, as through most of 2009, I was teaching myself how to fish. I know how to fish now.

You can teach a man to fish, but the fish don’t always bite — whether by chance, by poor luck, or with good reason.

Of the nearly 200 query letters I sent to my list of targeted literary agents, I received less than 5 of genuine interest in my alternative leadership project. Two agents offered really invaluable thoughts, feedback and advice. By the end of February, I was beginning to think that THE QUIET LEADER, rather than be the first project that kicked off my writing career, might actually be my life-long mission — a work that would take a seeming eternity to complete, but only because it would need that much time and experience to become what it has the potential to become and truly ought to be.

Rather than continuing to fish, I reeled in my bait and placed THE QUIET LEADER project safely into my back pocket.

March 2010: Realignment

With THE QUIET LEADER temporarily shelved, if only in my mind, I decided that more effort and energy ought to be concentrated into DaveUrsillo.com. I began by restructuring the blog into specific categories with emphasis on self-improvement and personal development in order to help me and my readers find a greater sense of direction and purpose in visiting the blog. It was within these two umbrella categories that most of my writings would now fall.

This was only a tough decision because altering the categories in my WordPress blog meant physically changing the URLs or permalinks of the majority of my blog posts. I feared that this would lead to a lot of broken URLs and 404 errors on the blog. Thankfully, by integrating “smart 404″ pages that offer suggestions to readers about what page they might have been looking for, the errors were minimal.

Slowly but surely, my writing, website, and life were each beginning to find proper direction.

April 2010: Setting Hard Deadlines

With my blog categories’ realignment in March, DaveUrsillo.com was finally beginning to shape up into what it is now today. However, I knew that I needed to post more frequently on these two subjects — Self-Improvement, which I treat like Self-Help, or helping those in need of inspiration get back to a balanced and positive mindset; and Personal Excellence, which raises the bar to new heights and encourages people to maximize their potential and strive for the utmost of ideals.

With this in mind, in April I set “hard” deadlines for myself that would obligate me to write two posts on DaveUrsillo.com per week, ranging 500 to 1500 words per post. I began writing on a schedule of Sunday and Thursday, having since changed that schedule to its current Monday/Thursday format.

The benefits of blogging on a schedule are incredible, in my opinion. Not only do you obligate yourself to write a lot more, which in turn benefits your writing by practicing it regularly; but you also are planting a seed in readers’ and visitors’ that you’re 1) hard at work; 2) determined to achieve your blog’s goals; and 3) that they should come back very soon, because if they don’t they could miss something great.

June 2010 to August 2010: Origins of Renegadeism

Over the summer, DaveUrsillo.com began to take greater shape as the tongue-in-cheek “Renegadeism” mindset developed. Of all the facets of this concept that dreamers today ought to embody a defiant mindset in order to defy cynics and critics, the cornerstones of Renegadeism became:

• Exploration: The examination and analysis of our unrealized spiritual and intellectual capacities — the unlimited potential that we each individually possess.
• Awareness: Through introspective exploration, we come to better understand our behaviors, our motivations, our personalities, our relationships, and our lives. In other words, we become “self-aware.”
• Reliance: We come to rely upon ourselves, our spirits, our intuition every day, rather than feel dependent upon outside forces, people, or things to satisfy our needs, wants and natural abilities.

September 2010 to December 2010

In the final quarter of 2010, my writing accelerated. The overwhelming theme of 2010, as you can see throughout this post, was “Direction.” My writing, blog and life in general lacked direction for a long time (well, a handful of months, so I guess it wasn’t a very long time). But as direction was realized — if only in hindsight — my writing began to greatly benefit. You can see in my “Every Post on DaveUrsillo.com” piece that as the months wore on, I wrote better and more popular pieces on the blog that readers really enjoyed.

Now that I have found much greater Direction, my goals and intended theme for 2011 will be Intent. You’ll learn a lot more about this in the coming days :)

10 Favorite Pieces of 2010

1. 8 Mantras for Accepting Criticism (and Silencing Critics)
2. X’s On The Map: How to Find and Unearth Our Spiritual Gold
3. How to Love Yourself in a World Designed to Foster Self-Hate
4. Strongheart: Harvesting Compassion in the Faces of Strangers
5. Trapped in Your Head? How to Escape Your Mind
6. Let the Dam Break! Holding a Grudge vs. Allowing Forgiveness
7. Embracing the Commonality of Love: Love’s Language
8. 6 Ways to Break Any Cycle of Negativity
9. Four Life Lessons Taught by Nature
10. Fail-Proof Forgiveness: End the Hate and Dead the Past

2010 Renegade Mentors & Inspiration

What drives me? Who inspires me? There are countless sources of inspiration that I’ve come across in 2010, but here are a handful of the most noteworthy that might help you in your life and dreams’ pursuits, as well!

• The Dalai Lama: In 2010, I wandered into a used book store and came across a book called The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler. Reading it in short clips, this book was incredibly formative in my understanding and appreciation for topics that have become cornerstones to DaveUrsillo.com, Renegadeism, and the way I live my life everyday — especially on compassion and forgiveness.

• Chris Guillebeau: In 2009, a literary agent told me I reminded her of a young author named “Chris Guillebeau, but 4 or 5 years behind him.” Naturally, I took to looking at Chris as a mentor whose lead I could learn a lot from. You will occasionally see and feel Chris’ “Art of Nonconformity” influence in my writing and throughout 2011 as I launch new products and go on some new travel adventures. I had the pleasure met Chris in Boston in September.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson: I deeply explored Emerson, his life’s story and his writings throughout 2010. It’s safe to say that feel a special connection to Emerson, far beyond any other writer I have come across thus far in my life.

• Twitter: Twitter is a social network, and an oft misunderstood one. To those deeply immersed in this seemingly odd, mish-mash of 140-character messages to both “everyone and no one,” we understand how potent, empowering and incredible a tool Twitter is to network with a diverse array of men and women across the globe. I found inspiration on Twitter almost every day, learned a litany of new things, and have made genuine friends.

• Srinivas Rao: Srini is a personal development blogger that I met through Twitter this year. His blogging, entrepreneurial ventures, and life’s story have motivated me greatly over the last six months. Besides that, we’ve stoked up a cool friendship and thanks to him I’m now much more determined to learn to surf.

• Driving Aimlessly: Sorry Al Gore, but I’ve realized that I stumble upon some of my most creative and inspiring writing ideas while driving aimlessly. I described this revelation in November: “…driving the roads aimlessly, windows down no matter the weather, with music booming… In that rather chaotic environment, my creative side thrives…”. The sheer energy of the vehicle humming, wind whipping, music rocking, somehow come together to tune out the unnecessary and summon the muse within.

• Jonathan Mead: Jonathan is a more recent contact of mine, who, when I reached out to him in an email-on-a-whim, was incredibly gracious, helpful, and fun to talk to. His writing is ambitious and bold. His website is forthright and direct. I am looking to mimic these qualities. I also had the pleasure of writing a guest blog post for Jonathan’s Illuminated Mind blog a few weeks ago.

• You, the Reader: There are too many to list by name, but all the readers who have visited DaveUrsillo.com have been a greater inspiration than anything else. Through everyday interaction with readers that has provided me with quality feedback, constructive criticism and more

What’s the most important thing you learned in 2010?

In the never-ending quest to create genuine discussion and community-building among my readers, I asked on Facebook, Twitter and here on DaveUrsillo.com what the most important thing (or things) were that YOU learned in 2010. Here’s what some of the readers said…

“to trust my intuition! :)” ~K.F.,on Facebook

“To keep reaching for the truth. It truly will set you free.” ~R.M.,on Facebook

“that life will fly by if you let. Grab a hold and go for the ride!” ~ S.S., on Facebook

“I learned that, no matter how bad things may seem, I can survive. 2010 was definitely more of a challenge than I’d have liked.” ~S.A., on Twitter

“That I need to stand up for myself and quit letting ppl walk all over me. Backbone growing is still a work in progress.” ~A.S., on Twitter

“that peace lies within” ~A.M., on Twitter

“that the only limitations I have are the ones I put upon myself” ~T.S., on Twitter

“LOVE really is the most important thing!” ~J., on Twitter

So, what’s the most important thing that you learned in 2010? Do you plan to (or have you already!) conducted a “detailed and mindful” look back on your past year?

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I have a confession to make: I’ve never been very big into goal-setting.

It’s not that setting concrete goals, performing tasks like list-making or other such forms of “life auditing” are fundamentally wrong or problematic in-and-of themselves. Hardly.

However, the attachment or fixation to assessing the worth of our days, weeks, and even our very lives based upon whether and how we accomplish our goals can greatly detract from the enjoyment of the journey itself – causing us to lose sight of how often the pursuit is more important than the finish line.

Before we know it, we’ve missed, as the proverb above says, that the journey is in fact the reward.

The Decision: Annual Reviews

Lately, I’ve been trying to challenge myself to break my own mold. I want to redouble my efforts to expand my viewpoints and extend my boundaries of comfort. So, with 2010 coming to a close, I began to notice many of my online friends and mentors begin to discuss what they called “annual reviews,” essentially self-assessments on a variety of subjects, including business experiences, life lessons, blogging and writing lessons, and so on.

With me feeling a new need to set greater and much more specific goals for myself, my blog, and my writing in general, I decided to dig into my own self-assessments through a series of annual review blog posts that I hoped would offer some value to readers.

But I began to notice something peculiar happening.

I was dreading the process. Excitement and anticipation for this personal goal auditing — my first self-imposed year-in-review assessments — evaporated. Instead, anxiety settled upon my thoughts. My mood shifted. I felt like I suddenly forgot everything from the year that I had learned and experienced.

A part of my brain I fight into submission instead took over: my mind raced incessantly, that inner voice — the narrative dialogue within — rambled for hours attempting to scavenge memories of successes and accomplishments, shortcomings and failures, strategies and tips and warnings from the year-that-was.

What was this sudden and unfamiliar problem?

I couldn’t figure out how to measure, assess, or ever summarize what 2010 meant for me. I was trying to measure my unconventional year in conventional terms, as if it could be laid out neatly on an Excel spreadsheet. For me, 2010 was a great exploration of life, love and ego; a battle for inner growth in a society that quietly demands conformity of thought and appearance. 2010 was a journey of personal development and spiritual enlightenment, not in the solitude of a distant cave or temple, but amid and among this society and its people.

How could I ever express what I learned, what worked well and what failed in objective terms? Subconsciously, I knew that I couldn’t. And so this inner turmoil ensued, like soulful water refusing to mix with thick, burdening oil that had been long since rejected.

Enter: 2010 Renegade Reviews

Today, I awoke with a decision in my heart. My anticipated “Annual Reviews” would now become “Renegade Reviews.” Rather than weighing my year and judging myself in terms and by measures that seem completely unnatural to my personal mission and life’s aims, I’ll be taking the unconventional “Renegade” perspective.

Instead of noting arcs and dips of website traffic growth, I’ll explain how the ebbs and flows of my writing mimicked my life. Rather than list off my publications and guest-writing spots in print and online, I’ll share my strategy for catering style and subject to reach into the humanness of readers. Instead of blandly explaining how my blog has grown and developed, I’ll tell you exactly what not to do to make yours better, faster.

Above all else, I’ll share with you what I learned about life, compassion, spirit, forgiveness, and much much more. After all, this blog is about an exploration of life, our world, and it’s people. Starting Sunday, December 26, I’ll share with you everything that I learned in 2010.

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