You're the Badass

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat: I'm not the badass here — you are.

I'm just the person jumping up and down on the sidelines with pom-poms (figuratively of course cause I’d hurt myself if I actually tried to do that), reminding you of the personal power you already possess but may have forgotten about while doomscrolling through our collective apocalypse fanfiction (also known as "the news").

Yes, there are fantastic organizations working on collective action, and we'll absolutely talk about them as we unpack strategies for exercising your personal power. But right now, what I think each of us needs most is a cheerleader - someone in your corner reminding you that you're not just a powerless spectator in this absurdist theater production called modern life.

How Did We Get Here? (Spoiler: We Forgot Our Lines)

We are where we are now because we've ceded too much of our personal power to others. We've developed an unhealthy dependency on the idea that it's someone else's job to fix the problems in our nation. Many of us forgot (or maybe never knew, depending on what passed for civics education in your school) that citizens are an integral part of our system of government.

It's like we've been watching a play where we thought we were the audience, when actually we're supposed to be co-directors. And when you abdicate this responsibility, it weakens a key foundational component that makes our system work.

Think of it as a four-legged chair missing a leg. Sure, it might still stand if you lean it against the wall just right, but no one's sitting on that thing with confidence.

Principles Behind This Framework

Before I unveil this magnificent framework that will absolutely change your life and possibly help you lose weight and grow thicker hair (results may vary, void where prohibited), I want to be clear about the principles it's built on:

1. Personal Responsibility: Because waiting for Superman gets boring, and that cape is probably at the dry cleaners anyway.

2. Non-Violent Action: While I am not a pacifist (and reserve the right to go full “release the kraken” if necessary), I believe violence is like using your emergency brake while driving 70mph – a level of escalation to be used only after all other viable options have been exhausted, and even then, probably don't.

3. Resilience: Because authoritarianism is a marathon, not a sprint, and you'll need more than just that initial burst of righteous anger to sustain you.

A Framework for Everyone (But My Opinions Are My Own)

This framework is designed to be neutral to your perspective/political position so that it's widely applicable and encourages a resurgence of citizen participation. It also provides a space for us to find common ground with those we disagree with – because nothing bridges ideological divides quite like the shared experience of feeling increasingly powerless in systems supposedly designed to serve you.

At the same time, my opinions, values, ethics, and perspectives are about as neutral as a cat at a dog show. I won't attempt to pretend otherwise. These opinions are my own, and I speak only for myself, not for any organization I'm affiliated with. (My cats, however, have authorized me to speak on their behalf, and they mainly want more treats and fewer dogs.)

I do, however, encourage productive dialogue – I've built a career around trying to make that happen more often. If you come to the conversation in good faith, I will do the same. If you don't... well, I've developed a remarkable knack for distinguishing between 'worth engaging' and 'absolutely not' in record time. Take that as you will.

The Framework: Your Personal Power Playbook

Here's the blueprint for your badassery, organized by where you have the most leverage:

Strategies Under Your Control

• Speak Up: Because your voice matters, even if it cracks sometimes.

• Marshal Your Resources: It's not just about money – it's about deploying all of your resources strategically.

• Mind Your Mindset: The battlefield between your ears is where wars are won and lost.

Strategies That Influence Others

• Build Your Networks: Because even lone wolves need a pack sometimes.

• Hold Authority Accountable: Power unchecked becomes power abused.

• Amplify Others: Sometimes the most revolutionary act is passing the microphone.

Strategies to Maintain Awareness

• Know the Landscape: You can't navigate what you can't see.

• Watch the Patterns: History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme and sometimes it's a terrible poet.

• Scan the Horizon: Because the best time to prepare for a storm is before the clouds gather.

Making It Work: Integration Is Everything

This isn't a buffet where you pick just your favorite dish (though if it were, I'd be camped out at the dessert section). The magic happens when you combine strategies thoughtfully:

1. Start Where You're Strongest: If you're that friend who never shuts up (lovingly said), lean into "Speak Up." If you're a research nerd who loves spreadsheets more than people, "Know the Landscape" might be your jam. Play to your strengths initially – we're building confidence here, not tackling your personal growth areas right out of the gate.

2. Create Reinforcing Combinations: Use what you learn from "Watch the Patterns" to make "Hold Authority Accountable" more effective. Apply "Mind Your Mindset" to stay resilient while you "Speak Up." It's like pairing wine with cheese, except the wine is your outrage and the cheese is your strategic action. Delicious.

3. Adapt to Changing Conditions: Sometimes you need to be loud, and sometimes you need to work quietly behind the scenes. Sometimes individual action is key, and other times collective strategies are essential. “Be water, my friend.” (That's a Bruce Lee reference for the youths reading this.)

In the coming weeks, we'll unpack each of these strategies with specific tactics, examples, and enough bad jokes to make you question your subscription choices. But stick with me—we're in this together, running toward a better version of our democracy while the soundtrack from "Chariots of Fire" plays dramatically in the background.

Remember: You're the badass in this story. I'm just the Robin. You’re the Batman.