Manhood in the New Millennium
Avengers: Endgame carries plenty of lessons on being a man for those who are paying attention. The movie hit the theaters a couple of weeks ago to mostly rave reviews from critics and moviegoers, but there were also a few voices out there who criticized men for going to watch a superhero movie. I’m not a big fan of false or misplaced bravado, so those criticisms (and my kids) motivated me to check out Endgame.
[Read more…] about Lessons on Being a Man from Avengers: Endgame
I was walking down the sidewalk in front of my house with a 55-lb kettlebell in one hand and a 45-lb weight plate in the other. I’d just finished three sets of deadlifts and three sets of lunges, and now I was doing farmer’s walks. My grip was smoked and my whole body was tired. “Why the hell am I doing this”, I asked myself. “Just stop after this set. There’s no reason to keep going.” Every person who has ever struggled to do something hard is familiar with this conversation, this internal dialogue that arises when we start moving past our comfort zones. Any time we try to grow we will face growing pains, and that voice inside of us will rise up and ask that familiar question “Why the hell am I doing this?” If we don’t have a sufficient answer, our best intentions will be left unrealized, our potential left untapped, and our goals left unmet.
[Read more…] about The Why and How of Building Toughness
The difference between success and failure often boils down one thing: confidence. If you take two men of equal abilities, with one having confidence and the other lacking, the confident man will be more successful nearly every time. Confidence can propel someone to achieve things that would not have been possible without it. It leads men to hit game-winning shots and home runs. It leads men to plan battles that change the course of history. It leads men to initiate relationships with beautiful women. In short, it allows men to maximize their God-given abilities. On top of that, it makes us happier. A confident man is not always happy, but a happy man is almost always confident.
[Read more…] about How to Build Confidence
Do men still need “manly skills”? While they might not be necessary to survive, they’re still necessary to thrive. There’s no question that we don’t live in the same world that our grandfathers inhabited. Our economy is built on specialization, with each person or company having a particular niche, with the result being that none of us is forced to develop a broad array of skills in order to navigate through life. This phenomenon is further bolstered by the advance in technology, which enables most men to live their lives by pushing buttons. Many of the manly skills that were necessary a few generations ago are optional now, at least in terms of being able to provide financially.
[Read more…] about Are Manly Skills Obsolete for the Average Man?Just over a year ago I published a post to help guys fix a major style bugaboo: floppy collars. That post highlighted a product known as Fashion Anchors, which are adhesive circular tabs that you stick wherever you want to hold something tight. Today, I present a new option that, while perhaps a bit more limited in its application, I like even better.
[Read more…] about Stuff Guys Need: The Cure for Floppy Collars, Part II
I’m an attorney, a husband for 20 years, and a father of four. And I’m restless. I’m convinced that there’s more in life for men than we’re getting. I’m ready for more, ready to lead my family on a tremendous journey. Join me.
