A Lesson From The Fool

Inner Rebel Series - The Fool: When clarity feels like chaos.

We love The Fool when he’s a card on the table. We tolerate him when he’s a child. But when he shows up in your adult life—mid-career, mid-relationship, mid-burnout—you start to panic.

Because The Fool doesn’t come with strategy decks or guaranteed ROI. He shows up with a stupid little sack, an outfit that screams “I don’t care anymore,” and a look in his eye like he just torched his résumé and dared God to blink.

And you know what? Sometimes that’s exactly what has to happen.

This isn’t a metaphor. This is what it looks like when you’re about to change everything.

What Does The Fool Look Like in Real Life?

You just quit a job with health insurance to start a business that doesn’t exist yet.
You’re sitting in your car, shaking, Googling “how to send an invoice.” That’s the Fool.

You’re 47 and the nonprofit you built is slowly killing you.
You start wondering what it would take to leave. You sketch a plan on the back of an envelope, and for the first time in months, you feel alive. That’s the Fool.

You’re 22, everyone around you is doing the “right” thing, and you decide to build something no one asked for.
Everyone says “that’s cute” like you’re a child at a lemonade stand. You ignore them. That’s the Fool.

You’re burned out, successful, and you know the next chapter is going to cost you something—but you want it anyway.
That’s the Fool.

This archetype isn’t about foolishness. It’s about the wild clarity that comes right before you make a move you can’t undo.

Let’s Talk About That Tiny Sack

What’s he carrying in that little bag tied to a stick? What could possibly fit in there?

A water bottle? A granola bar? A signed NDA from the job he just walked out on?

Here’s what’s in the bag:

• One very strong hunch
• A barely formed idea
• A pitch that only works if people squint
• A half-charged phone
• Possibly a sandwich
• Absolutely no backup plan

The Fool is always underprepared. That’s part of the magic. You have just enough to get to the next moment. Not more. You can't carry certainty with you—it’s too heavy to fit in the bag.

And That Dog?

The dog is not cute. The dog is chaos.
Maybe it's instinct. Maybe it's fear. Maybe it just wants the sandwich.
But it’s there to keep you honest.

It barks when you hesitate.
It bites when you lie to yourself.
It’s the only thing making noise while the rest of your life tries to pretend everything’s fine.

Ignore it and fall asleep. Listen to it and leap.

When You Work for Someone

You think being employed protects you from The Fool? Please.

The moment you realize you’re too smart for your job, but not yet brave enough to leave it? That’s Fool territory.

The first time you pitch a better way to do something and the entire room gives you that blank “no one asked” stare? The Fool just handed you his hat.

The tension between comfort and calling is where this archetype lives. You can stay, collect the check, and wither—or you can pack your little metaphorical bag and go looking for something real.

When You Work for Yourself

You thought leaving your job would be the end of The Fool? It’s the beginning.

Every launch is a cliff.
Every pivot is a free-fall.
Every “I’m raising my prices” is a new descent into uncertainty.

The Fool doesn’t just show up when you start. He shows up every time you grow.

When You’re Young

You are The Fool, constantly. That’s the whole point.

You’ve got ideas, no money, big energy, and an Instagram account. You don’t know what you’re doing, but you’re doing it louder than anyone else. That’s good. That’s necessary. The only mistake is thinking you’re supposed to have it all figured out.

You're supposed to look stupid. You're supposed to try too hard. You’re supposed to fail publicly and recover loudly. You’re collecting proof that you won’t die if things go sideways. That’s the most powerful thing you can do in your 20s.

When You’re Older

Now it’s trickier.
You have a title. A reputation. A rhythm.

And then… something breaks.
Not dramatically. Quietly.
You stop believing in what you built.
You want something you’re not “allowed” to want anymore.
You crave uncertainty.
You want the edge again.

Everyone thinks you’re having a crisis.
You’re not. You’re shedding.
You are becoming The Fool on purpose.
Which is the most powerful version there is.

So What’s the Point?

The Fool is not about recklessness.
It’s about not asking for permission anymore.

It’s about moving before you’re ready.
Jumping before you’ve gamed it all out.
Saying “this isn’t working” and walking straight into the unknown with your dog, your doubts, and your sandwich.

If you’re scared, but you’re moving—good.
If you feel unqualified, but you’re acting anyway—perfect.
If people don’t get it, but you can’t turn back—congrats.
You’re in the right place.

You’re The Fool.
Don’t stop now.

Inner Rebel will explore the archetypes we meet daily and explain how to know that the cards are talking about it, making card interpretation easy.
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• Inner Rebel
• The Fool
• Creative Risk
• Entrepreneurship
• Nonprofit Burnout
• Reinvention
• Starting Over