The Wolves in Our Pack – The Innovator The following 5-Part Series will examine men’s friendships; how we find them, how we cultivate them, and what they do for us, and our friends. Circa 1998 on a late afternoon in August, Rafael and I stood atop a mesa near Lake Texcoco, outside of Mexico City.…
Aim for Extraordinary
Brotherhood of Man Series, Part 3
The Wolves in Our Pack – The Steady The following 5-Part Series examines men’s friendships; how we find them, how we cultivate them, and what they do for us, and our friends. In college, I joined a fraternity not really knowing what I was getting into. I had some concept of those mega Greek systems…
New Friend Energy
Brotherhood of Man Series, Part 2
The Wolves in Our Pack – The New and Novel The following 5-Part Series will examine men’s friendships; how we find them, how we cultivate them, and what they do for us, and our friends. After we had navigated through the thick green bushes and the soft, peaty floor of the jungle, we saw the…
The Ideas Man
Brotherhood of Man Series, Part 1
The Wolves in Our Pack – The Visionary Wolf The following 5-Part Series will examine men’s friendships; how we find them, how we cultivate them, and what they do for us, and our friends. My pal Felix and I talk about everything, but mostly the things we’re going to do next. We talk about business…
Move Strong, Live Long
How To Live, How To Move
The Moves of Eli Part 3 of 3-part Series I joined the orbit of Coach Eli about four months ago after clicking on an Instagram post. “What’s this guy doing?” I thought, as I watched him give a very quick lesson in how to combat slouching. I was intrigued by the simplicity of the moves…
The Ways of Coach Eli
Living An Embodied Life Part 2 of 3-part Series We’ve all been there before. We start fitness regimens with high hopes, sometimes inspired by a friend, or after joining a new gym, or making a new resolution. We make commitments to ourselves and buy new shoes and workout wear and start eating better. We make…
Who is Coach Eli James?
Movement is Freedom
Staying True to Your Star Part 1 of 3-part Series about Coach Eli Coach Eli James is energy. Coach Eli James is movement. Coach Eli James is a force like no other. So, who is this Coach Eli James? I’ll start by saying I found out about him the way most people find things these…
Time Immemorial
Day of Remembrance
Where the Ancestors Walked After seeing Pueblo Bonito, I realized something unusual was happening to my brain. My mind was absent of thoughts. Instead of the usual preoccupations, worries, and ruminations, I was simply being. I seemed to be in some kind of walking meditative state. Pueblo Bonito is the centerpiece monument of Chaco Culture…
Let Them, Let Yourself
Man Hacks, Part 12
You Matter, And So Does Your Mental Health If you spend any time on social media, you might notice an abundance of unsolicited psychological counseling. The dispensers of said advice range from actual psychologists and gurus, to tarot card readers and lay people with zero credentials. I’ve noticed some patterns and themes with this so-called…
Medicine
Man Hacks, Part 11
Forms of Modern Medicine • Purple onion, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, garlic, lemon, and cinnamon infusion (for immune system support) • Talking with your therapist and letting tears out as needed (for mental health) • Hugs from friends, both silver and gold (for the human connection) • Seeing one of your favorite bands live (for…
Living Vicariously
Man Hacks, Part 10
Pretty Much Up For Anything My best friend and I often talk about how amazing it would be to live other lifetimes. How—by means of some artificial intelligence matrix—we could dial up an existence in any time period and experience it like a dreamscape. That technology doesn’t exist yet, but there’s something pretty close to…
Recipe for a Cry
Man Hacks, Part 9
It’s Okay To Cry That particular Saturday, things were way off. I was trying desperately to detach my kids from their iPads to go for a hike. After much groveling, we finally left the house. Soon after, the complaints started. It was too hot. There were bees. One son quit before we set foot on…
Walk Your Line
Man Hacks, Part 8
For The Love Of Self There’s a fitness option that’s older than recorded time. It’s free and readily available. There’s no special equipment needed. No membership required. No time limits and nothing to plug in, ever. It’s walking. Simply walking. As part of my new fitness regimen with Coach Eli of Embody, walking is a…
The Power of And
Man Hacks, Part 7
A New Color All Together What’s the most powerful word in the English language? In any language? Some might say “yes,” others would say “no,” while others would say it’s “please.” I would say it’s “and.” Lately, I’ve been struggling with the way things are and the way things ought to be. I tend to…
Our Brains on Hormones
Man Hacks, Part 6
Manly Grace The Male Brain, by Dr. Louann Brizendine, has been on my To Be Read pile for years. When I was a younger father or my then toddler boys, a friend-of-a-friend who was also a father of boys recommended it. “It will help you understand their world,” he said, “and yours.” I admit, there…
Movement Is Life
Man Hacks, Part 5
Your Human Body I recently made a BIG investment. Both my time and money are now on the line. My energy, too. I arrived at this decision after much deliberation. The process required a few interviews. Do I really need this in my life right now? I asked myself. I almost walked away from the…