Category: Basic Training

The Benefits of Becoming a Balanced Man

My last post, Becoming a Well-Balanced Man, stated that one of the marks of mature manhood is learning to balance your emotional, physical, mental, social life, and spiritual well-being. In this follow-up post, I describe the benefits of becoming a well-balanced man with a healthy equilibrium between physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual balance.  I’ll then continue to a few posts on how to achieve harmony in each of these areas.  When Men Are Best In that opening post, I stated that we needed men who are both good at being a man and being a good man. Being good at being a man means having the knowledge of all the soft and hard skills needed to become a mature adult man. (You can find out more in my post, The Complete Roadmap to Better Manhood, which includes links to all the posts in that series.) Being a good man

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Men Need “Guy Time”

This past weekend, I participated in another Spring Get-Away with guys from the men’s group at our church. This tradition began in 1992 when one member invited a few guys up to his cabin on a lake to help install his boat dock before Memorial Day. Ever since, many of us eagerly anticipate our annual trek to the Northwoods of Wisconsin for a long weekend of fishing, golfing, relaxing, and just hanging out with good friends. We cherish this “guy time” for the way it enriches our lives. In a previous post, Men Need Get-Aways and Retreats, I emphasized the importance for men to take time away to recharge and build relationships. I also noted the distinction between a healthy getaway or retreat and isolating oneself. The former nourishes the soul. The latter does not. As stress, depression, and anxiety dramatically increases in today’s world, Loneliness has become a huge

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Understanding Your Past Shapes Your Future

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

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Men Need “Guy Time”

This past weekend, I participated in another Spring Get-Away with guys from the men’s group at our church. This tradition began in 1992 when one

Read More »