Musings of a Man

  What a Man Needs In Order to Truly Provide and Protect What is or are the most essential needs of a man?  What does he need to have, or know, before he can step into his role and purpose in life and move forward as a truly confident, safe, and joyful protector and provider for others? I believe, as a starting point, he needs to fully and deeply know WHAT the answers to these questions point towards in his life: Where does he go for safety and refuge? Where does he find real rest? Where does he go for instruction?  What guides him? What keeps him solid, and not collapsing, WHEN the storms hit? What makes him thrive?  Where does he find joy? How does he get to fully experience the pleasures of a good life? Men, look into your answers to these questions and examine where and what they point to.  Knowing this may allow you to know what your source of life (i.e. strength, energy, motivation, love, security, provision, emotional and spiritual stability, hope, peace...

  Photo: The Tree of Life, 2011 Mothers: Shaping the Next Generation of Healthy Men Do you believe you are shaping our world? Where are you today, reading this? I have experienced, heard, and seen, over and over, the influence a mother has on the lives of men. The actions of our mothers, showing up in childhood and adult life, shape who we are and who are becoming. A simple AI search shows the evidence is strong:  A mother serves as a significant role model, demonstrating behaviors, values, and life skills that a son can emulate. She can inspire her son to dream big, pursue his goals, and develop a strong sense of self-worth. A man's relationship with his mother can influence his understanding of relationships with women and his ability to form healthy and fulfilling partnerships. A positive mother-son relationship can help a man develop healthy boundaries, respect, and empathy in his relationships. Even as a man matures and establishes his own family, the influence of his mot...

Photo: Getty Images Becoming Safer Men Introduction Guys, If you saw the title of this and felt triggered, explore that. As a man, I have so often hated the word “safe”, and so I decided to explore and embrace this opportunity to learn. This is such a loaded topic from many perspectives. I will try to provide thoughtful questions here, as well as give you insight into what I have learned through my own personal journey of shame, performing, loneliness, depression, divorce, faith, freedom,and discovery. I hope something here will be helpful for you. I've gathered a lot of this from my experience, reading, and from many conversations with men and women. This is my opinion, and my experience. Questioning   I have posed the following question in multiple gatherings with men because I find it so thought provoking and a great starting point:  Who are you becoming? This question already implies that you are moving towards something. There's no passivity here. You're either driftin...