Rebel Talk: This is the Middle

We don’t talk about the middle enough.

Everyone wants to celebrate the beginning—that adrenaline rush when you start something new. The excitement. The clean slate. The launch.
And of course, the world loves the mountaintop moments—when you finally make it. The medal. The announcement. The trophy. The results that get posted, liked, and shared.

But the middle?
The middle is quiet.
It’s messy. It’s uncertain. And most of all—it’s lonely.

But here’s the truth that no one tells you loud enough:
This is where it happens.
This is where you’re built.
Not on day one, and not on the day you cross the finish line—but in the damn middle.

I Know This Place Well

When I was chasing my pilot license, the beginning was exciting—buying the gear, taking that first intro flight. And yeah, finally getting that certificate, the hole punched in the student license… that felt damn good.

But the middle?
The middle was early mornings when I didn’t want to get up. The weight of business, family, and responsibilities. The wind gusts that humbled me. The bad landings. The days I questioned if I was even cut out for it.

It was late-night study sessions when I was already mentally fried. It was saying no to comfort. Saying no to someday.

No one saw that part.
No one cheered for that part.
But that’s where the wings were built.

You’re Not Lost. You’re Just in the Middle.

Maybe right now you feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
Like you’ve been grinding in the gym but the scale doesn’t budge.
You’ve been showing up in business but the breakthrough hasn’t come.
You’re showing up for your kids, day in and day out, and wondering if it’s making a difference.

I want you to hear me:
It is.

You’re not failing.
You’re not behind.
You’re just in the middle.

And the middle is the price of progress.
It’s the toll you pay to get to the top.
It’s the dark room where the film develops.

The World Doesn’t Celebrate This Part. But We Do.

At Relentless Rebel, we know the middle isn’t glamorous. But we live here. We thrive here. Because we’re not chasing applause—we’re chasing growth.

Every single one of us who’s ever done something worth doing has had to walk through this space.
The space where motivation fades and discipline kicks in.
The space where no one is clapping, but you keep moving forward anyway.
The space where you prove—not to the world—but to yourself that you’re built for this.

A Reminder to Keep Showing Up

The middle will test you. It can suck. You question everything, consider changing paths or stopping all together. You get side-tracked in the "shiny object" syndrome.
But don’t mistake discomfort for failure.
Don’t confuse delay with denial.
And don’t you dare stop now.

Your breakthrough might not be today. It might not be next week.
But it’s coming. And when it does, it won’t be because of luck. It’ll be because you stayed in the fight when it felt like no one was watching.

This is the middle.
And this is where Rebels rise.

So keep going.
Keep building.
Keep grinding.

And one day, you’ll look back at this chapter—the messy, gritty, in-the-trenches chapter—and realize it wasn’t just part of your story.
It was the story.

Stay Relentless,

Ryan