Discovering our inner rebel through resilience

I was watching golf's US Open Sunday. It looked like Rory Mcllroy was about to break his decade long streak of not winning a major tournament. Until he missed a short putt that he'd made 496 consecutive times.

On the biggest stage, in your biggest moment, you somehow can't do something you've done nearly 500 consecutive times?

Viewers could see dejection overcome him. I could see it. And feel it. It was gut wrenching, especially as he indeed went on to lose the tournament.

Mcllroy called it the hardest moment of his 17-year golf career. But he said he would rise again.

I'm attending and presenting at the Pathways to Resilience conference the next two days in Roanoke. Resilience is maybe my favorite topic. Because in the end, if I have a say of what goes on my tombstone, I wouldn't mind it saying, "he rose again."

Not in a Jesus rose from the dead sort of way, but in an every time he found himself down in life he found a way to rise sort of way.

Every time he missed the putt everyone thought he was supposed to make, he rose again.

Every time he missed the putt HE thought he was supposed to make, he rose again.

I heard a pastor use the phrase "rebellious resilience" this weekend. She described it as being in moments when we are so hurt or so down on ourselves or so lost in our ways that we find ourselves believing I can't do this, yet somehow turn rebellious enough to find a way to do it anyways.

So maybe we just shorten my tombstone message to rebel?

I love the work I get to do, encouraging the rebellion in others.

I love being a part of conferences that encourage the rebellion in others.

Because this day really comes down to that for all of us. We are all faced with challenges, many of them much more significant than a golf tournament. Yet we are all faced with the same question in the middle of them.

Can I rise again?

Can I once again find a way to be a rebel?

I believe you can.

I believe in the rebel in you.

I believe that the more we lift each other up, the more we can bring out the rebel in everyone. ​