Category: Wisdom for Men

Understanding Your Past Shapes Your Future

April 29, 2024 No Comments

A recent podcast on one of my favorite websites, the Art of Manliness, reminded me of an exercise every guy should do at some point in his life. In fact, you should do it sooner rather than later. The exercise is called a life review, which will help you reflect on your past to understand who you have become and who you want to be in the future. This reflective exercise will help you become the best version of a mature adult man. The AoM podcast, How Doing a Life Review Can Help You Understand Your Past, Present, and Future features William Damon, a Stanford psychologist who studies adult development and purpose. Damon is also the author of A Round of Golf With My Father: The New Psychology of Exploring Your Past to Make Peace With Your Present. He suggests doing this exercise at any age will help you

Great Friendships Require Trust and Confidentiality

April 8, 2024 No Comments

This quote from Scottish author, poet, minister, and pioneer of modern fantasy literature, George MacDonald (1824-1905) reminds us about an important aspect of all relationships: trust. In many ways, trust is key to any meaningful or serious relationship — whether it’s in marriage, a close friendship, or even a professional connection. Trust binds people together and strengthens relationships. I’ve written that Developing Trust is one of the most important Traits of a GodBuddy Relationship. You can build it quickly and lose it even quicker without confidentiality, which is one of the main reasons Why Friendships End. Tom Eisenman, author of The Accountable Man: Pursuing Integrity Through Trust and Friendship writes that male friendships need absolute confidentiality. His rule is that you will share nothing outside the relationship unless you have permission. Even the smallest things that seem of no consequence, are held in strict confidence. Once someone violates this rule,

Rich’s C21 Magazine Article

March 26, 2024 No Comments

I’m excited to hit a new milestone in my emerging writing career. I probably should have posted earlier that my article about the friendship between President Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil appeared in C21 Resources, a magazine from Boston College. It’s a humbling accomplishment to get published by this prestigious university. Last summer, C21’s managing editor contacted me to get permission to use my article, Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil: A Real Life Friendship. The article described how Reagan and O’Neill, the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1977-1987 and alumnus of Boston College, were on different ends of the political spectrum but could work together for the common good. The editor wanted to use the article for an upcoming issue about how the light of our faith can guide us away from the darkness of polarization in our world. The article appeared in the digital edition and printed