The Digital Contrarian™

Ryan Levesque

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The Digital Contrarian™

Ryan Levesque

Issue #053

| The Digital Contrarian™

Between Death & Danger Is The Path

Between Death and Danger is the Path Up the Mountain.

Ryan Levesque

7 min read

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Last week, my oldest son and I hiked the Grand Canyon together.
 
And the trip was… life-changing.
 
We were part of a small group of fathers and teenage sons.
 
Gathered together for a father/son rite of passage experience….
 
Backpacking through the Arizona Trail into the Ponderosa Pine Forest…
 
And hiking in and out of the Grand Canyon – via the Bright Angel Trail down into Havasupai Gardens at the canyon floor.
* * *
As part of the experience, we embarked on a vision quest…
 
Each of us descending into the wilderness alone on one of the days of our trip…
 
In silence and stillness…
 
Bringing with us nothing, but a question on which to reflect.
 
I found myself drawn to a rocky outcropping – sat with my back against the hillside – looking down into the valley below for the answers I was seeking.
But after nearly an hour.
 
No answers came.
 
Until….
 
The silence was broken…
 
And behind me I heard a noise.
 
First it was quiet, but it quickly grew louder.
 
Chk chk chk chk.
 
Curious, I turned.
 
And just a few feet behind me was a desert pocket mouse…
 
Chewing on seeds extracted from a ponderosa pine cone…
 
To her left, a bright green prickly pear cactus with dangerous, yellow spikes.
 
And to her right, a blackbrush plant – scorched black from wildfire – appearing like a dead, tumbleweed skeleton in the desert…
 
And as I watched my brave, diminutive companion make her way up the hillside between these two figures…
 
The following words hit me like a lightning strike:
Between death and danger is the path up the mountain.
And as I watched my pocket mouse friend make her ascent…
 
My eye was drawn to the ridge-line, where something spectacular caught my vision in the distance:
 
A huge soaring bird with an enormous wingspan…
 
Underneath, the wings were black with triangular patches of bright white.
 
And the markings were unmistakeable.
 
It was…
 
A California Condor.
 
One of the rarest birds in the world.
 
And one that holds deep, symbolic significance – especially among Native American tribes from the Southwest.
 
Often seen as a bridge between humans and the divine, condors represent messengers from the spirit realm.
 
Their immense wingspan and soaring flight symbolize the ability to rise above worldly concerns, bringing spiritual insights and messages from ancestors.
* * *
It was a moment that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
 
The pocket mouse…
 
The cactus…
 
The burnt bush…
 
The condor…
 
The symbolism of it all…
 
And the words:
 
Between death and danger is the path up the mountain.

1 | God-Made Things vs. Man-Made Things.

In my forthcoming book…
 
One of the ideas I explore is that…
 
In this post-AI world….
 
It’s never been more important for us to be spending…
 
More Time with God-made things & Less Time with Man-Made Things.
* * *
Now, it seems like we all know we should spend more time in nature.
 
Touch Earth before Touching a Screen, right?
 
And yet, we don’t.
 
Time in nature feels like a luxury…
 
Something we do… when we have time.
 
Not one of the daily non-negotiables of life.
 
But…
 
There is increasing evidence that suggests we may want to re-consider that perspective…
 
Both because of what the absence of nature does to our biology, body, and brain…
 
As well as the profound clarity that can come from a time immersed the wild…
 
Particularly when we’re seeking answers to difficult questions…
 
Or looking for our next big breakthrough.

2 | How to Live & Give What the World is Craving.

Now in terms of breakthroughs…
 
 
I promised that I would soon be ready to share the updated (draft) Table of Contents from my forthcoming book:
Return to Real: How to Live & Give What the World is Craving.
Today, I’m excited to announce…
 
I’m finally at a place where I’m ready to get some thoughtful feedback from a small handful of readers on this TOC, which you can see a preview of below:
This is where I’d potentially love to get feedback from YOU.
 
But before I explain the process for doing that…
 
Let me first take a moment to articulate the focus of Return to Real – and help you determine if YOU might be a great potential reader…

3 | Here's what this book is all about:

As you sit here reading this today, there is ever-increasing data that suggests:
 
We feel more disconnected than ever – despite being more digitally “connected” than we ever have been as a species…
 
We feel more burnout than ever – despite the enjoyment of more “material wealth” as a society than any time in history…
 
And there is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction and a craving for the intimate, personal, and real.
 
And yet…
 
Technology, automation, and AI (in particular) is at the center of virtually every business conversation happening right now among the smartest minds in the world seeking to solve these problems…
 
And I can’t help but wonder: Is this really the only way forward?
 
This tension brings me to what is the Core Question at the heart of this book:
 
“Can you actually build a business and live a life that’s both financially successful and deeply fulfilling by rejecting the digital race to the bottom and embracing what’s real? Or are these goals fundamentally at odds with one another?”
 
In other words, in this increasingly AI-driven digital world filled with automation, algorithms, and artificial everything – from the food we eat to the content we consume:
 
Can “Return to Real” serve as a viable strategy to both live authentically AND achieve financial success?
 
This book explores this question deeply, and makes a compelling argument for a contrarian path – to both live and give what the world is truly craving right now.
* * *
Now if this is resonates with you…
 
And if you’re feeling inspired and energized to spend 10 minutes this week to provide detailed, specific feedback about my current table of contents…

I would love to hear your thoughts :-)
 
Let me explain the process:
 
This week, I’ve carved out time in my calendar to host a handful of quick 10-minute TOC feedback calls.
 
On our call together – I will show you the current updated (draft) TOC – asking for your immediate reaction and feedback.
 
(This will be a quick, 10 min session with me personally, and there is no pre-work to do in advance.)
 
All I ask is that the focus of the book as I’ve described it above is something that really resonates with you personally…
 
And that if you book a time in my calendar, to make sure that you’re able to show up on time because I’ll be hosting these calls back-to-back-to-back.
 
Make sense?
Okay, here is the link to book a quick 10-minute “TOC Feedback Call” with me personally this week:
 
 
Thank you so much. I’m really looking forward to connecting!

4 | Lastly, A Little Something to Wrap This Issue : - )

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Cary Jack for his Happy Hustle Podcast (Over 5 Million+ Downloads):
 
The episode is titled:
 
“Contrarian Entrepreneurial Strategies to Win Life”
In this episode we explore:
 
  • The Return to Real: A Movement Towards Authenticity
  • Practical Applications of the Return to Real
  • Optimizing for Oxytocin in Business
  • The Importance of Unscalable Experiences
  • Navigating Life’s Windows of Opportunity
  • And more…
 
It was one of the best interviews I’ve done this past year, and if you’re looking for something to watch or listen to this weekend or this week – I highly highly recommend checking it out.
* * *
Okay, I’ll leave you with that for now.
 
Have a great rest of your weekend.
 
Remember to hug the ones you love.
 
And until next week,
 
Ryan :-) 

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The Great Sea Change

The Great Sea Change diagram from Return to Real