Manliness is not always defined by what you do, but by the legacy you leave. I want to leave a legacy to teach my children to think outside the box.
Men, will you lend me your ear for a moment? Or in this case, your eyes. I am not here to preach to you, rather, I am here to share my experience in hopes it will help you or someone else.
Before I get too far into this, I have a couple of questions I have been thinking about. What kind of man will you be? Will you leave a legacy for those who follow you?
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Jobs and Careers
There are millions of Americans who are miserable with their career and this affects the rest of their lives. I was in that position recently.
One day, our days will run out. We will regret not maximizing our opportunities.
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I have had some of the best jobs in my area, but they never provided more than a paycheck, well, most of them. I wanted something more. Hell, if you are giving 50 hours of your week in exchange for a paycheck, you may as well enjoy it.
I resigned from my position in law enforcement over two weeks ago after six years of service. Why? Well, several reasons, but number one I had to deal with a monster I created. In January of 2015, I wrote a book. I never intended to have a business, but it was a consequence of a strong work ethic, networking, and taking pride in what I do. The business went from hobby-mode to overwhelming growth.
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Now, I am a full-time entrepreneur, website designer, coach, business consultant, and social media expert. You can read more about my story on my website.
Does that make me less of a man? Look, I work indoors mostly, but sometimes I need to get away and do something outdoors, something that requires muscle and sweat, because writing and working with computers doesn’t “feel” manly. Hilarious, I know.
What I don’t get is why some men do not use the skills they have just because it doesn’t make them look more manly. One day, our days will run out. We will regret not maximizing our opportunities. Our days will end and we will face our mortality, face-to-face.
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Relationships and Fatherhood
As a father, it is my goal to raise real men because it is father’s who teach their boys (and girls) what men are supposed to be. It is where the cycle of violence sometimes begins. A child witnesses his father abuse his mother and/or siblings and is never exposed to anything else, thus, he believes it to be an accepted behavior.
For others, their manliness is based on serving. Serving others delivers true power.
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Do we allow our society to dictate what manhood is supposed to look like for us? Did you have a fatherly influence to teach you what manhood was all about?
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For some men, their manliness is based on the “I do what I want, when I want, where I want, with who I want.” For others, their manliness is based on serving. Serving others delivers true power.
What do you think of when you think of manliness? Beards? Hunting? The outdoors? Fast cars? Guns?
I think it is more, men. Being a man is about having the courage to face your misery and having the balls to make the changes in life. It is telling others “No” so you can be more present with your wife and kids if that is your situation. Manhood is, for me, is standing strong by my faith, my family, and embracing my entrepreneurial spirit.
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Take Action
Writing and sharing my story takes guts, believe it or not. Sharing my experiences takes a ton of courage, because the haters exist.
I went from full-time employment to full-time lifestyle entrepreneurship. I doubled my monthly income because I focused on meeting the needs of others, or in better terms, solving their problems.
Manliness is not always defined by what you do, but by the legacy you leave. I want to leave a legacy to teach my children to think outside the box. I didn’t play sports because I had zero athletic ability. I love the outdoors, but I love them more when I am with my sons. In March of 2016, I will become the first in my family to graduate from college.
I am raising the bar for my children, not only by graduating college, but showing them it is possible to create your own income, to have a better life, and what true freedom looks like.
How will your legacy as a man look when your days come to an end?
Photo: Pixabay/Skeeze
My legacy is varied but won’t include 25+ years on the corporate career (although it provided a substantial financial resource in its day).
Legacy …. pretty much my family will sum it up as “a great family man, a husband, dad, grandfather.” All of which will live on through them as my dad lived on through me. My legacy will not have money, property or “things”.