rebelling against low expectations

AuthorBrett Harris

is co-founder of TheRebelution.com and co-author of Do Hard Things, along with his twin brother, Alex. He is married to his best friend, Ana, who blogs at AnaHarrisWrites.com. He is the founder of the Young Writers Workshop — an ongoing coaching program for serious writers.

Caitlin Haacke, Age 17: Founder of Positive Post-It Day, TEDx Speaker

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(Airdrie City View) — Caitlin Haacke said she can’t believe how much opportunity has come her way from the simple act of spreading kindness and positivity. Haacke’s latest opportunity is an invitation to give a TEDx Teen Talk in New York City on May 16. “I’m really, really excited. Doing a TED talk has always been my dream and then TEDx contacted my family and asked if I’d come do a talk for...

11 Practical Tips for Wasting Less Time Online

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The other morning I hopped on the computer to check something. Within 15 seconds I had all the information I was looking for. But instead of closing my laptop and moving on, I clicked on something else. Then I clicked on something else. Then I clicked on something else. Click, click, click. AAAAAAH!!! Where have the last 45 minutes gone?!? I have things to do!! Almost everyone who uses the...

The Secret to Staying Motivated

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Being motivated is awesome. It’s exciting. Things get accomplished. Progress is made. Life is beautiful. The problem is, motivation doesn’t usually last. Maybe you’re working towards some personal goal, like getting in better shape or developing a new habit. Or maybe you’ve got a big project in the works, something that takes a lot of time and dedication to complete. Or maybe you’re just dealing...

Take the #LymeDiseaseChallenge to Support Ana Harris

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Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? You know, when all the athletes and celebrities dumped buckets of ice water on themselves to raise funds for ALS research? Well, there’s a new challenge in town — the Lyme Disease Challenge. And instead of dumping ice water on your head you take a bite out of a lime. As many of you know, my dear wife Ana has been very sick with Lyme Disease for over two...

Aelita Andre, Age 8: A Normal, Happy, Famous Young Painter

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(news.com.au) — Aelita Andre has done things many of us can only dream of, all before the tender age of 10. She has showcased her work in sold-out galleries in New York, London, Italy and Hong Kong, painted live in front of more than 20,000 people, has been featured in Forbes magazine and interviewed by Good Morning America, CBS, NBC, BBC and The Washington Post. She was compared to Jackson...

Why I’m Shutting Down The Rebelution

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The Rebelution is shutting down. We’ve made some great memories together, but even thousands of teenagers on a blog can’t compete against a behemoth corporate empire like Reese’s Puffs and their parent-company General Mills. Now that they’ve started challenging teens to do hard things like “meet someone with your own name” and “pull off the perfect practical joke,” there...

Esther Okade, Age 10: College Freshman at Open University

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(YAHOO) — At 10 years old, most kids spend their free time riding a bike or memorizing “Let It Go” lyrics. But Esther Okade — who, to be fair, does love Frozen — is more interested in writing an algebra workbook for kids and studying for college exams. Esther, a British-Nigerian home-schooled student, started in January as a freshman at the distance learning college Open University, making her...

Ken Robinson: How Schools Kill Creativity (TED Talk)

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School dominates our lives from an early age and often continues well into our twenties. The average American high schooler spends nearly 50% of her waking hours on educational activities. Most states in the U.S. require between 175 and 180 days of school and/or between 900 and 1,000 hours of instruction time per year, depending on grade level. For young people today, school is our job. We do...

This 30-year-old billionaire started her company as a teenager

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(CNN) — Elizabeth Holmes left Stanford University at 19 with a plan to start her own company. For money, she cashed out the funds her parents had saved for tuition. Now, according to a recent eToro Test article, she counts billionaire Larry Ellison as an investor and has former secretaries of state on her board. “I think a lot of young people have incredible ideas and incredible insights...

Christian Osterhout, Age 17: Winner of NFL’s “Together We Make Football” Contest

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[ For more background on Christian’s story, check out our exclusive article, written by Christian’s neighbor, rebelutionary Madison Woodard. ] (The Oklahoman) — Christian Osterhout will live every football player’s dream. He’s going to the Super Bowl. The senior linebacker from Crossings Christian School has won the NFL’s “Together We Make Football” contest. After nearly two months of...

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →