 Alex & Brett in our green room
Has anyone told you that you can’t do something? Maybe society has convinced
you that you aren’t capable. Maybe you’ve even questioned your own
abilities to do challenging things in your life. Well, according to a couple
of home schooled 19 year old twins from Oregon, you CAN do something. Better
yet, you can do hard things.
Alex and Brett Harris, co-authors of the book Do Hard Things, are shining examples
of their own mantra. In 2005, they launched a blog that would later become one
of the most trafficked Christian teen websites on the internet. www.TheRebelution.com
has logged over 16 million hits since August 2006. They had no idea that their
blog would launch an actual movement. Initially created to be an outlet for
some ideas piqued by a summer of heavy reading at the request of their father,
Gregg Harris, a well-known homeschool advocate and speaker – it quickly
became a forum for fellow peers around the country to weigh in on issues that
were relevant to adolescents.
The idea behind The Rebelution is to ‘rebel against low expectations’.
Teenagers all around the world were responding to this same frustration against
society’s expectation of mediocrity and complacency from adolescents.
The Harris brothers point out in their book that this myth of teenage adolescence,
and more specifically the definition of the word teenager, has been around less
than 70 years. Back in the day, children went straight into adulthood, and were
expected to act like adults. They take a long hard look at where society’s
expectations started to change, and why today’s teens, who have more freedom
and resources than any other generation in history, are ‘taking a vacation’
from some of the best years of their lives. They offer a no holds bar mandate
to Do Hard Things by accomplishing things outside your comfort zones, going
beyond expectations, doing things that challenge the cultural norm, and using
the teen years as a launching pad for the rest of their life.
As a ‘post-teen’, I forgot that I was reading a book by a couple
of extraordinary teenagers who are basically saying that the idea of an extraordinary
teenager shouldn’t exist because being extraordinary should be the standard
and not the exception.
Filled with biblical insights, history, personal experiences, and examples
of young people doing hard things – cover to cover, the book will challenge
readers of any age. Referencing 2 Timothy 2:22, the Harris brothers also channel
their advice from the wisdom of the generations before them. They not only intelligently
offer their case, but they inspire the reader with character, competence, and
collaboration – the three fundamental pillars behind The Rebelution. Examples
of rebelutionaries starting non-profit organizations to raise money for wells
in Africa, or creating awareness to help put an end to modern day slavery, or
heading up campaigns for high profile political leaders, put a fire under me
to keep pursuing my own dreams.
*You can check out future events or tours where Brett and Alex will be speaking
at www.DoHardThings.com or purchase the book at www.amazon.com and your local
retail Christian bookstore. Alex and Brett Harris have been featured nationally
in numerous publications and news broadcast interviews. Sons of homeschool pioneers
Gregg and Sono Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris
(I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett plan to enter college together in
the fall of 2008 – and continue to write, speak, and blog.
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