Men for Change

[menforchange]

A Man and His Inner Child

As a man, you can fall into the trap of taking yourself too seriously. Life is a game, a theatrical event, a dance, and a joy at that. Learn to play. Your inner child is the fount of your creativity. True bravery means embracing and nurturing the wild and dangerous things that have no apparent value in the so-called "real world". What is truly real are your dreams and aspirations that you have long kept hidden for fear of not being approved of. Your soul's desires have been turned upside down and suffocated beneath the weight of social expectation. Dive head first into being a beginner again, of the things you once loved to do. This is how you will live and give as a man from the deepest reaches of your true gifts.

Exercise: For 5-10 minutes today, get out of your head and into your senses. See, smell, hear, taste, and feel your surrounding environment. Do this somewhere that is rich in potential sensation, like outdoors for instance. Allow yourself to be captured by the wonder and curiosity of your inner child.

[menforchange]

Mastery and Your Terrain of Fear

A man is often unsure of what he is doing, and this is completely normal. Because of this, the inner child in him seeks to be coddled, and have someone to hold his hand as he walks into uncertainty. But this is his walk, and his alone. He must engage with the world, cooking in the heat of where his knowledge will be put to the test. It is here where he will make strides towards mastery. Combining the passionate study of his craft with direct experience, his knowledge then becomes wisdom. He becomes sharp and clear like a diamond. He has fully embodied his understanding.

And yet, even when you do achieve a sense of mastery, you must surrender yourself back to a beginner's mind, reopening yourself and becoming receptive to new insights. This will prevent your ego from clutching on to moments of heightened performance and success along the way. If you are distracted by these occasions and have assumed you've reached your potential, you will become passive and not end up developing the type of consistency that makes one a true master of their craft. 

Journeying through, you will encounter the entire stretch of land of inner obstacles—your terrain of fear. Do not be threatened, for it is this terrain that is the fertile soil of your growth. It is where you will extract the very nutrients to bloom into your true power. Gently venture into your terrain of fear, one step at a time. Take half steps even. Without a doubt, you will experience discomfort surfacing in your body, and this is what you will want to work with directly. This discomfort is the raw matter that needs to be digested and converted into the elements that will grow you. Your task is to find this discomfort, learn to notice, and stay with it. Eventually, it will evaporate, and you will experience a new plane of masterful engagement with your life.

[menforchange]

The Power of Permeation

Allow your masculine heart to radiate with great depth and fullness. Expand into the limitlessness of your authentic self—your true being. Here, you can access the power of permeation.

First, realize that all self-expectation is merely an interpretation of what you think you should or shouldn't be doing, who you think you should or shouldn't be. This is based on the old paradigm of masculinity, where man is defined by following the rules, or worse yet, the preexisting examples of neurotic men. This bunch of men live with sedentariness, fearful of addressing their lack of emotional sensitivity and strength. This suffocates the ability to think critically and feel into what the moment calls for. Knowing what the moment calls for is what we refer to as permeation. As a masculine force in the world, this is one of your most profound gifts. It is accessed only when you identify with your deepest calling, your true purpose. This purpose is not defined by societal expectations. Societal expectations are only suggestions. Deep within you there is a place where you feel inspired by an overwhelming need that only you can fill in the world. It is your soul's mission. Respond and engage with that mission. From there, you can permeate the confusion, uncertainty, and dissatisfaction present in your life.