Rebel Talk: FAFO
FAFO
It’s a phrase getting thrown around everywhere right now. Loud. Charged. Usually wrapped in politics or posturing. That’s not where I’m taking this.
To me, FAFO has means something simpler. Something quieter. Something earned.
Not in the reckless sense. Not in the keyboard-warrior sense. But in the get your hands dirty sense. The show up when it’s uncomfortable sense. The bet on yourself when there’s no guarantee sense
Because here’s the truth I’ve learned the hard way:
If you don’t f*ck around, you never find out what you’re actually capable of.
I’ve watched people sit on the sidelines their entire lives. Plenty of opinions. Plenty of “someday.” Plenty of reasons why now isn’t the right time. They want certainty before they move. Permission before they act. A guarantee before they commit.
That’s not how it works.
Every meaningful thing I’ve built in my life started with fucking around.
Not knowing the outcome.
Not having it all figured out.
Not being ready.
Business? You f*ck around long enough, you find out how much grit you actually have. You find out how it feels to lose money, rebuild, make adjustments, and keep going when quitting would be easier. You find out whether you’re built for pressure or just the idea of success.
Relationships? You f*ck around by being vulnerable. By risking getting hurt. By showing up fully instead of halfway protecting yourself. You find out who you are when it’s hard, not when it’s easy.
Your body? Your mind? Same deal. You don’t stumble into strength by accident. You earn it by showing up when motivation is gone. You f*ck around in the gym, in the early mornings, in the quiet discipline—and one day you look back and realize you’re stronger than the version of you that started.
None of this is clean. None of this is linear. And none of it comes without doubt.
There were moments in my life where I had no clue if what I was doing would work. Times I questioned my decisions, my timing, myself. Times where from the outside it probably looked reckless. But from the inside, it felt necessary.
Because staying safe has a cost too.
Comfort has a price tag.
And playing small guarantees one thing: you’ll never truly find out.
FAFO isn’t about chaos. It’s about engagement.
It’s about stepping into the arena instead of analyzing it from the stands.
It’s about choosing action over apathy.
You don’t have to have it all mapped out.
You don’t need permission.
You don’t need consensus.
You just need to start.
F*ck around.
With intention.
With discipline.
With purpose.
And then—when the dust settles—you’ll find out exactly who you are, what you’re capable of, and why you were never meant to live on the sidelines.
Stay Relentless,
Ryan
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