The Jesus Strategy: Love, Problem-Solving, and Authenticity in the Pursuit of Excellence

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

Today, we gather here to delve into a topic that resonates with the essence of Becoming Maverick—a journey of self-discovery, personal development, and the pursuit of excellence. We embark on an exploration of the renowned Jesus Strategy, as we seek to uncover the principles and strategies that have propelled the Jesus Movement throughout the ages.

Before we proceed, let it be known that this discourse is not confined to religious boundaries. Instead, we invite you to engage with an open mind, regardless of your personal beliefs. Becoming Maverick is a platform that celebrates the quest to unleash the best version of our humanity, and it is within this spirit that we examine the remarkable success and longevity of the 'Jesus Movement'.

At the heart of the Jesus Strategy lies a foundational principle that resonates deeply with Becoming Maverick: love for humanity demonstrated on the individual level. Jesus, the embodiment of this principle, exemplified unwavering compassion, empathy, and acceptance. His love transcended societal norms, reaching out to the marginalized, the forgotten, and the broken. Through his actions, he illuminated the transformative power of love and its ability to ignite positive change.

Another key aspect of the Jesus Strategy is the ability to solve problems that people may not even be aware of. Jesus possessed an unparalleled understanding of the human condition, addressing the profound needs and desires of the heart. His teachings and actions offered a path to healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation, touching lives in ways that no other individual had done before. His example reminds us to look beyond the surface and seek holistic solutions that truly address the essence of our human experience.

Crucially, the Jesus Strategy was not merely theoretical or abstract. Jesus embodied the very principles he taught, leaving no room for hypocrisy. His authenticity served as a guiding light for his followers, inspiring them to embrace his teachings and emulate his character. It was this authenticity that allowed the Jesus Movement to thrive and foster a community of individuals who, in turn, became beacons of love, kindness, and compassion.

Becoming Maverick recognizes the importance of authenticity and personal growth. It is through embodying our values and principles that we make a genuine impact on the world around us. The Jesus Strategy provides a timeless blueprint for personal transformation and self-discovery—a roadmap to unleashing the best version of ourselves.

As we reflect upon the Jesus Strategy within the context of Becoming Maverick, let us embrace its profound message of love, problem-solving, and authenticity. Let us draw inspiration from the transformative power of these principles, as we navigate our own personal journeys. Becoming Maverick is an invitation to unlock our potential, challenge societal norms, and make a lasting positive impact on the world.

In conclusion, the Jesus Strategy, though originating in a different time and context, holds valuable lessons for us on our path to Becoming Maverick. Its emphasis on love, problem-solving, and authenticity transcends religious boundaries, resonating with the very core of our humanity. May we be inspired to integrate these principles into our own lives, unleashing the best version of ourselves and creating a more compassionate, inclusive, and vibrant world.

Thank you for joining us on this exploration of the Jesus Strategy within the context of Becoming Maverick. May it ignite a sense of purpose and possibility within each of us as we continue our personal journeys of self-discovery and growth.

Remember you are Becoming Maverick!

Shalom!

The Intentional Life: Small Decisions, Lasting Impact

Intentional means acting with purpose and conscious choice rather than by accident, impulse, or external pressure. It describes behavior that is deliberate, thoughtful, and aligned with a clear goal or value.

Becoming Maverick: The Art and Discipline of Decision-Making

On the journey of Becoming Maverick, one truth keeps resurfacing: our lives move in the direction of our decisions.

Destiny is rarely dramatic. It is usually quiet. Built one choice at a time.

Every day we decide what to believe, what to pursue, what to tolerate, and what to let go of. Some decisions feel small. Others feel life-altering. But all of them compound. And over time, they form the architecture of our future.

Maverick living is not about rebellion for the sake of it. It is about intentionality. It is about choosing with clarity instead of drifting with the crowd.

1. A Well-Informed Worldview

Good decisions begin long before the decision itself.

They begin with perspective.

A Maverick cultivates a well-informed worldview — seeking diverse voices, engaging different disciplines, and staying curious about how the world really works. We challenge our assumptions instead of protecting them. We ask better questions instead of settling for easy answers.

When your worldview expands, your decisions mature.

You stop reacting.
You start responding.

2. Mindset: The Inner Environment

Knowledge alone is not enough. Two people can have access to the same information and make radically different decisions.

Why?

Mindset.

Psychologist Carol Dweck popularized the concept of the growth mindset — the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning. This mindset transforms decision-making. Instead of asking, “What if I fail?” we begin asking, “What can I learn?”

A Maverick understands that decisions are rarely perfect. But they can be progressive.

We become adaptable.
We adjust.
We refine.

3. Critical Thinking in an Age of Noise

We live in an information-saturated world. Algorithms amplify outrage. Opinions travel faster than facts.

Maverick decision-making requires discernment.

We evaluate sources.
We fact-check.
We distinguish between emotion and evidence.
We separate popularity from credibility.

Critical thinking is not cynicism — it is responsibility.

Before we accept an idea, we ask:

Who benefits from this message?
What evidence supports it?
What assumptions is it built upon?

Clarity protects your future.

4. Understanding Motives and Consequences

Information is rarely neutral. Communicators often have motives — commercial, political, ideological, or personal.

This doesn’t mean we distrust everyone.
It means we think independently.

We also weigh consequences. Short-term comfort can create long-term regret. Immediate applause can cost long-term integrity.

Mavericks think beyond the moment.

They ask:

What does this decision look like in five years?
Who does it impact?
Does it align with my values?

5. Self-Awareness: The Hidden Multiplier

Research in behavioral science shows how cognitive biases distort judgment. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman demonstrated how we often rely on fast, automatic thinking that can lead to predictable errors.

Awareness of bias is power.

We reflect on:

Confirmation bias (seeking what agrees with us)
Fear-based reactions
Ego-driven choices

The more self-aware we become, the less reactive we are — and the more intentional we become.

6. Independence Without Arrogance

A Maverick is not anti-authority. Nor is he driven by social approval.

He listens.
He evaluates.
He decides.

Independence is not stubbornness — it is thoughtful ownership.

We refuse to outsource our judgment to the loudest voice in the room. We resist social pressure when it conflicts with principle. We build decisions on logic, evidence, and values — not trends.

7. Weighing Benefit and Harm

Every meaningful decision carries trade-offs.

Opportunity always costs something — time, energy, comfort, reputation, or risk.

So we ask:

What do I gain?
What might I lose?
Is this sacrifice worth the outcome?

The goal is not perfection. The goal is alignment.

Alignment between who you are becoming and the choices you are making.

Decision-Making as an Art and a Discipline

Decision-making is both science and art.

Science gives us research, psychology, and data.
Art gives us intuition, wisdom, and lived experience.

The Maverick blends both.

He does not drift.
He does not react impulsively.
He chooses deliberately.

Because in the end, it is not one grand decision that shapes your life — it is thousands of small ones made consistently over time.

Every choice is a brushstroke.

And slowly, patiently, faithfully — a life is painted.

You are not a passenger.
You are the artist.

You are Becoming Maverick.

Shalom!

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Bits & Pieces: Making Sense of Generational Culture Shifts

Generation X

Generation X in South Africa refers to those born between 1965 and 1980 who came of age during the final years of apartheid and the transition to democracy in the 1990s. Often seen as independent and skeptical, this generation witnessed massive political and social change, shaping a pragmatic, resilient, and sometimes rebellious outlook on authority and institutions.

By the time Gen X reached adulthood in the 1990s, the country was reinventing itself under leaders like Nelson Mandela and later Thabo Mbeki. This period created both optimism and uncertainty.

South African Gen X identity was shaped by:

The political transition from apartheid to democracy
Exposure to censorship followed by sudden media freedom
Economic instability during the transition years
The early impact of globalisation and international culture
The rise of alternative and protest music, both local and global

Unlike the purely “slacker” stereotype sometimes seen in American media, South African Gen X was often more politically aware and socially alert. Many were skeptical of authority — but for deeply lived reasons. They had seen systems fail, transform, and rebrand.

Their independence wasn’t just cultural rebellion.

It was survival.

Bits & Pieces: Slippers, Generations, and the Puzzle of Progress

Life in Fragments

Sometimes life feels like it comes in bits and pieces.

This blog is a bit like that too. Fragmented thoughts. Observations. Questions without immediate answers. But perhaps that’s how understanding begins — not with certainty, but with curiosity.

In the end, it was never really about the slippers.

It was about perspective.

Every generation rearranges the pieces of culture differently. The real maturity test is not whether we approve of the change — but whether we are willing to understand it. Because when we stop trying to understand, we don’t protect values… we protect ego.

And a true maverick knows the difference.

A Coffee, A Courtroom, and a Cultural Moment

Let me take you back to 2018.

I was sipping a caffe latte at Mug & Bean behind the Pretoria High Court. If you know the area, you’ll understand — it has a different energy from the rest of the city centre. There’s a quiet intensity. Sharp suits. Confident strides. Conversations that sound expensive.

And that’s when I noticed her.

A young woman — likely a millennial — walked in. She wasn’t loud. She wasn’t disruptive.

But something caught my attention immediately.

Her shoes.

Or rather… what looked like bedroom slippers.

When Shoes Meant Something

Now as a proud Gen X-er, I’m still trying to decode the younger generations. They move differently. Think differently. Challenge differently. And sometimes, I wonder if we’re even speaking the same cultural language.

But shoes? Shoes were never casual in my upbringing.

My father’s generation taught me that shoes mattered. In business, they could make or break a deal. Shoes had purpose. Runners wore running shoes. Construction workers wore boots. Soldiers wore combat boots. Businessmen and lawyers wore polished leather shoes — especially anywhere near a High Court.

Shoes signaled respect. Preparation. Intent.

And yet here she was — in what looked like slippers — in one of the most formal precincts in the capital city.

It didn’t compute.

Not Rebellion — But Fashion

But as I looked around, I noticed something interesting.

She wasn’t alone.

It wasn’t rebellion.

It was fashion.

And that’s when the bigger question began forming in my mind:

What happens in the transition between generations that creates such dramatic shifts in culture?

Every Generation Thinks It’s Right

Gen X thought we were radical. Baggy jeans. Punk rock. We were determined to burst our parents’ eardrums. But weren’t our parents the ones who introduced the mini skirt and the bikini? And I’m certain their parents thought the same about them.

Every generation believes it has improved society.

And every generation fears society is deteriorating.

So what is it really?

Is wearing slippers in a formal setting a sign that standards are collapsing?

Or is it a sign that confidence has shifted from external appearance to internal identity?

Is This About Shoes — or Authority?

Perhaps the real shift isn’t about shoes at all.

Perhaps it’s about authority.

Previous generations respected systems, structures, and symbols. The younger generation often questions them. Where we saw institutions as untouchable, they see them as adaptable.

Where we saw formality as respect, they may see authenticity as strength.

And maybe that’s the piece we’re missing.

Reconstruction, Not Ruin

Culture evolves. Symbols change. But the deeper human needs remain the same: dignity, belonging, expression, meaning.

Slippers in a courtroom district may feel like cultural fragmentation — bits and pieces of what once felt coherent.

But maybe it’s not brokenness.

Maybe it’s reconstruction.

Every generation rearranges the pieces differently.

The danger is not in cultural change.

The danger is in refusing to understand it.

Because when we stop trying to understand, we don’t preserve values — we lose connection.

The Better Question

So perhaps the better question isn’t:

“Are we heading in the wrong direction?”

But rather:

“What value is this generation protecting that we might be overlooking?”

Maybe it’s comfort.
Maybe it’s authenticity.
Maybe it’s freedom from performance.
Or maybe it’s simply fashion.

Either way, the world will keep shifting. The pieces will keep moving.

And our task — as mavericks — is not to complain about the puzzle.

It’s to study it.
To listen.
To adapt without losing our core.

Because true maturity is knowing which pieces must remain — and which ones were never essential to begin with.

Shalom!

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Hurting People Hurt People: The Ripple Effect Explained

Ripple Effect:

The ripple effect describes a chain reaction in which an initial action or disturbance spreads outward to influence wider systems over time. In social science, psychology, and systems theory, it refers to how individual behaviors, decisions, or emotions create secondary and tertiary consequences that impact relationships, communities, and even societal structures.

Processing Hurt: Letting Go and Choosing Life

While I’m writing this, I’m deeply aware that hurt is not a small issue. It is a daily reality for many.

Welcome to Becoming Maverick — the journey of learning, healing, and growing. Today we lean into something uncomfortable but necessary: processing hurt well.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Hurting people hurt people.”
But here’s the deeper question:

Do we always know when we are the hurting one?
And do we know how to process that hurt in a healthy way?

Awareness is the beginning of wisdom.

When Hurt Multiplies Instead of Heals

Let me share something personal.

Not long ago, someone close to me sent a message that triggered a deep-seated hurt I had quietly been carrying. Instead of pausing… instead of breathing… instead of acknowledging my own pain — I reacted.

And I reacted in the wrong direction.

I exploded on someone else close to me.

The situation escalated quickly. Feelings were wounded. Trust was strained. I didn’t neutralize the hurt — I multiplied it.

That’s what unprocessed pain does.
It leaks.
It transfers.
It escalates.

When we don’t process hurt correctly, we risk perpetuating our own suffering. Worse still, we can wound people who never deserved the blast radius of our unresolved emotions.

Hurt can create ripple effects.
Or vicious cycles.
Both are dangerous.

The Power of Emotional Responsibility

Here’s the good news: we can learn to become hyper-aware of our emotional state.

We can recognize, “I am hurt right now.”
And we can choose a responsible response.

Scripture teaches us to love our neighbour as ourselves. That principle is not sentimental — it is profoundly practical. Loving others requires that we first stop weaponising our own pain.

Healthy self-love includes:

Recognising hurt early
Processing it honestly
Forgiving quickly
Refusing to pass it on

Let the hurt end with you.

If there is a lesson inside the pain, receive it. Say, “Amen” — so be it. Learn it. Grow from it. Teach it, if necessary — but only once the emotional storm has settled.

Wisdom speaks best from a place of peace, not reaction.

What Science Says About Unprocessed Hurt

Emotional pain is not “just emotional.”

When we don’t process it well, it activates the body’s stress response. In the short term, that response protects us. But when stress becomes chronic, it affects:

Immune function
Digestion
Cardiovascular health
Memory and concentration
Decision-making ability

Dr. Caroline Leaf teaches that our thoughts shape our biology — that we can literally change our brain by changing our thinking patterns.

In other words: processing hurt is not weakness. It’s neurological stewardship.

Choosing Life

Dr. Myles Munroe often reminded us that we have the power to choose life — and that our choices determine our destiny.

Processing hurt is a choice.

Forgiveness is a choice.

Dr. T.D. Jakes speaks passionately about letting go of past wounds so we can step into our future. You cannot move forward while dragging yesterday’s pain behind you.

Leadership thinkers echo this wisdom:

Simon Sinek emphasizes empathy and emotional intelligence.
Seth Godin highlights generosity and kindness as transformational forces.
John C. Maxwell teaches ownership — taking responsibility for your responses.

Different voices.
Same principle.

We are responsible for what we do with our hurt.

When Hurt Becomes Collective

There’s another danger: unprocessed pain doesn’t just affect individuals — it affects groups.

When we are emotionally charged, our fight-or-flight response can override rational thinking. In that state, we become more susceptible to:

History has shown how dangerous emotionally charged group dynamics can become — from riots to cult movements to mass violence. When identity and belonging override critical thinking, individuals can lose perspective.

A maverick does not lose individuality in emotional waves.
A maverick pauses.
Thinks.
Discerns.

Processing personal hurt protects not only your relationships — but your judgment.

Be Kind to Your Future Self

Unprocessed hurt is expensive.
It costs peace.
It costs clarity.
It costs relationships.

Processing it, however, is an investment in your future self.

Healing is not instant. It is a process. There will be moments when you slip. That does not make you a failure. It makes you human.

Get back up.
Reflect.
Adjust.
Grow.

Practical Steps Toward Healing

If you want to accelerate healing:

Pause before reacting.
Name the emotion honestly. (“I feel rejected.” “I feel dismissed.”)
Choose not to transfer it.
Seek professional guidance if needed.

Therapists, counselors, and coaches provide tools that many of us were never taught. There is strength in asking for help.

Also, surround yourself with life-giving voices. Distance yourself from constant negativity and drama. Environment matters.

The Maverick Decision

Ultimately, the choice is yours.

You can hold onto hurt.
Or you can release it.

You can multiply it.
Or you can neutralize it.

Choose to forgive.
Choose emotional maturity.
Choose life.

Becoming Maverick is not about rebellion for its own sake. It’s about courageous responsibility — especially over your inner world.

Let the hurt stop with you.

Live with intention.
Respond with wisdom.
Build a ripple effect of healing instead of harm.

Shalom!

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Red Pill or Blue Pill: Choosing the Maverick Mindset over Victimhood or Heroism

In the movie "The Matrix", the main character Neo is offered a choice between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill represents the truth, no matter how difficult it may be to accept. The blue pill represents comfort and security, but it also means living in ignorance. This choice is a metaphor for the decisions we make in life. Do we choose to face the truth and take responsibility for our lives, or do we choose to live in a state of victimhood or wait for someone else to save us?

The victim mentality and savior mindset are two ways of looking at the world that can have a profound impact on our lives. Many of us have been conditioned to wait for a savior - someone who is bigger, stronger, smarter, and more awesome - to come and rescue us. We've been taught to believe that we are powerless to change our circumstances, and that we need someone else to come and fix things for us. On the other hand, some of us believe that we are the saviors, and that it is our responsibility to save others. This mentality can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and an inability to take care of ourselves.

Both of these mindsets are limiting and can have extremely destructive consequences in our own lives. In this blog, we will explore how to break free from these patterns and become a maverick - someone who takes responsibility for their life, makes tough decisions, and is willing to go against the grain. It's not always easy, and it can be uncomfortable at times, but it is necessary for growth and progress. So, are you ready to take the red pill and face the truth, or will you choose the blue pill and stay in your comfort zone? The choice is yours.

The concept of adopting a victim mindset vs the saviour complex has been on my mind lately. My observations lead me to believe that this information is put out through education, media, and entertainment systems and is reinforced through our trust circles; families, friendships, and even religious communities.

To understand the relevant mechanisms we first need to understand propaganda. Propaganda plays a huge role in this conditioning process. Contrary to popular belief, propaganda is not 100% lies. In fact, it is mostly facts. It has enough facts to make it believable. A lie is actually a small component, so small that it goes undetected. However, the lie is so destructive that it can ruin generations.

Earlier we mentioned religion. It's important to note that in my opinion it's not religious books themselves that are the source of propaganda, but rather the teachings of their respective teachers who have adopted terrible philosophical approaches fueled by a poor world view and a lack of understanding of basic principles of how the world actually functions. They were subjected to bad teachings which they never took the time to do the due diligence on. Now they spread propaganda instead of wholesome spiritual teaching. Please don't get me not every religious leaders is spreading Propoganda. Yes the are those who have a healthy understanding of what they are teaching and are a good source of spiritual guidance.

However we need to be alert as both the victim mentality and the savior mindset can have extremely destructive consequences in your own life. I can bear witness to how both of these philosophies have captured different components of my life. Thankfully, I have identified and interrupted the pattern. I am now transforming my thinking so that my life can progress in the manner in it should and can be the man of impact I was designed to be.

Becoming Maverick is a beautiful and rewarding process, but it's hard work. It can be uncomfortable at times, and you have to make tough decisions. Yes! you're going to go against the grain and be controversial. Yes! This will upset some people. Yes! Some might call you rebellious when you question things. Someone might label you a conspiracy theorist. And, yes, when you start teaching others, there will be those who attempt to discredit you. I know I've been there.

The truth can be uncomfortable when you have accepted a lie or incomplete theory as a fact. Truth challenges you to change your behavior. Humans don't like to change, but it's necessary for growth and progress.

In future blogs, we will unpack the victim and savior mentalities in more detail. But until then, enjoy the Maverick journey. It's important to be discerning with the information we consume, and to make choices that lead to growth and enlightenment, rather than ignorance and enslavement. So let's be Mavericks, and encourage others to join us on this journey towards truth and progress. Share this blog with your friends, and let's continue to inspire each other to be the best versions of ourselves.

Shalom!

Being Kind to Your Future Self: Everyday Choices That Shape Tomorrow

Kind

Kind (adjective) — showing consideration, generosity, and care toward others or oneself; acting with intentional goodwill that shapes outcomes over time.

In Being Kind to Your Future Self, kindness is redefined as a Maverick discipline—choosing today what your future self will be grateful for tomorrow.

Being Kind to Your Future Self

An Everyday Maverick Reflection

The idea of being kind to my future self has been sitting with me for a while now. Not the distant, retirement-version of me only—but the version of me five minutes from now… tomorrow morning… next year… and decades down the line.

Being kind to your future self is about leverage. It’s the quiet power of understanding that what you do now doesn’t disappear—it echoes. Every decision you make today becomes the environment your future self has to live in.

Everyday Mavericks learn this early: the present is not neutral.

Small Choices. Long Shadows.

Most people imagine “the future” as something abstract—some far-off destination they’ll deal with later. Mavericks know better. The future is being built in ordinary moments: what you choose to delay, what you choose to confront, what you choose to invest in when no one is watching.

History gives us a powerful picture of this.

The Wright brothers didn’t stumble into flight by accident. They were relentlessly kind to their future selves. While others mocked, doubted, or waited for better conditions, they invested their time, focus, and limited resources into a vision no one else could see yet. They chose discipline over comfort. Curiosity over certainty. Action over approval.

And the world has never been the same since.

Timing Isn’t the Enemy—Waiting Is

Scripture captures this tension beautifully:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1

This verse is often used to justify waiting. But read it carefully—it doesn’t say wait for the time. It says recognise the time.

One of the most dangerous lies we tell ourselves is, “I’ll start when the time is right.” The truth? The right time rarely arrives fully formed. It’s usually hidden inside discomfort, uncertainty, and imperfect conditions.

Being kind to your future self means learning to move with time instead of negotiating with it.

Kindness Looks Like Responsibility

This kind of kindness isn’t soft. It’s intentional.

It shows up in how you spend:

your time (what you keep postponing),
your money (what you consume vs. what you invest),
your energy (what drains you vs. what builds you).

It means choosing growth over convenience. Health over neglect. Depth over distraction. It means owning the consequences of your actions—because your future self will inherit them whether you like it or not.

Everyday Mavericks don’t outsource responsibility to luck, systems, or circumstances. They understand that freedom later often requires discipline now.

The Cost of Neglect

When we fail to be kind to our future selves, the bill always comes due—usually as regret.

Regret over conversations not had. Skills not developed. Health not protected. Dreams deferred until they quietly expired.

The tragedy isn’t failure. The tragedy is never giving your future self a fighting chance.

A Maverick Commitment

Being kind to your future self isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about daily alignment. It’s about asking one simple question before you act:

“Will my future self thank me for this?”

As Everyday Mavericks, we choose to live awake. To act with intention. To plant seeds we may not immediately enjoy—but will one day sit under in gratitude.

So today, take one step—small, deliberate, courageous.

Your future self is counting on you.

Shalom!

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Progressing Through Brokenness: Embracing the Maverick Mindset

Broken, Not Defective: Understanding How We Drift Off Course

What Does “Broken” Really Mean?

Broken is a word we often use casually, but it carries an important distinction.

If an object no longer functions the way it did when it left the manufacturing process, we say it is broken. That’s different from defective, which suggests something was flawed from the start. Broken implies that it worked once — and then something changed.

When we apply this idea to people, it becomes surprisingly comforting.

Most of us are not defective at birth. Our bodies, minds, and emotional systems generally function the way they were designed to, unless something went wrong before birth. So if we start life whole and capable, an important question follows:

How do people become broken over time?

How Everyday Choices Shape Our Wellbeing

One of the most uncomfortable truths I’ve had to accept is that our daily choices matter more than we think.

I neglected essential nutrients and overindulged in things I knew weren’t good for my body. Nothing dramatic happened overnight. Instead, the consequences crept in quietly, eventually showing up as a thyroid condition. I can’t really blame anyone else for that — and strangely, taking responsibility has been empowering.

Brokenness often doesn’t arrive through crisis.
It shows up through patterns.

Small decisions, repeated consistently, shape our physical and mental health far more than we realise.

The Hidden Cost of Misinformation

Another contributor to brokenness is the information we consume.

I’ve allowed myself to believe ideas that weren’t the best or most accurate, and those beliefs influenced some poor life choices. When it comes to health, lifestyle, and personal development, misinformation is everywhere. Advice is often loud, conflicting, and driven by trends rather than truth.

Learning to slow down, question what we hear, and seek out reliable information is one of the most important upgrades we can make.

Trust, Discernment, and Hard Lessons

Then there’s the people factor.

I like to believe the best in people — and I still do. But I’ve learned the hard way that trust without discernment can be costly. Some of my most expensive life lessons didn’t come from bad intentions, but from misplaced trust.

Discernment isn’t about becoming guarded or cynical.
It’s about becoming wise.

Healthy boundaries are often built from experience, reflection, and growth.

Why Real Change Starts on the Inside

As part of the Becoming Maverick journey, we often talk about disruption — challenging systems, habits, and external influences that don’t serve us. But real transformation usually begins inward.

Our thinking patterns.
Our routines.
Our assumptions about ourselves.

Sometimes the biggest thing holding us back isn’t circumstances or other people — it’s our own unexamined habits and beliefs.

Internal disruption takes courage. It’s quieter than rebellion, but far more powerful.

Broken Doesn’t Mean Finished

Here’s the hopeful part.

Being broken doesn’t mean we’re beyond repair. It often just means something needs attention.

On this journey toward a Maverick mindset and lifestyle, we get to own our missteps, upgrade how we make decisions, and keep moving forward. It’s never too late to change direction.

When we take responsibility for our choices, seek better information, and surround ourselves with people who genuinely want to see us thrive, brokenness can become a turning point — not a label.

Sometimes, the very places where we feel broken are the places where growth quietly begins.

Reflection Questions

What habits in my life might be slowly wearing me down rather than building me up?
What information do I accept without questioning — and should I revisit it?
Where might discernment help me make better decisions moving forward?

Final Thoughts: Broken Is Not the End of the Story

If there’s one thing worth remembering, it’s this: being broken doesn’t mean you were flawed from the start, and it certainly doesn’t mean you’re finished.

Most of us begin life whole. Along the way, through choices, misinformation, misplaced trust, and simple human missteps, things start to wear down. That’s not a failure — it’s part of being human.

The encouraging truth is that awareness changes everything. The moment we take responsibility, seek better information, and make even small adjustments, we begin the process of restoration. Growth doesn’t require perfection, just honesty and willingness.

Where you are right now is not a verdict on your future. It’s an invitation.

An invitation to reflect, to realign, and to move forward with greater wisdom than before. Brokenness, when faced with courage and intention, often becomes the very place where strength is rebuilt and purpose clarified.

Keep going. Small changes compound. And it’s never too late to become better than you were yesterday.

Shalom!

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