Below is the philosophical essence of my upcoming book. My intention through this work is to continue a conversation that has already been started by many great men, about what it means to be a Man on Earth Today.
A layer deeper, I am exploring why this is more than just a “how to,” but a “must.” It is nothing short of our destiny to embody our fullest potential, and it is nothing short of our responsibility to answer the call to that destiny, for ourselves, everybody else on this planet, and the planet itself.
“Manifesto”
This is a declaration to you, MAN. You are worthy of love, you are worthy of community, you are worthy of wisdom, you are worthy of ecstatic bliss, you are worthy of sexual fulfillment, you are worthy of abundance BUT:
The cards are stacked against you and you are going to have to work for it. To work for it means to embody a conscious and compassionate masculinity. But what IS that actually?
Right now in America and throughout the world there are billions of men just like you who are at a loss about what it means to actually be a man. Deep within, they know they are being shorted a chance to have authentic masculine wisdom and power—and yet they have no idea what masculinity even is. They don’t know who THEY are.
As men living in this modern world, it’s so easy to hear phrases like “toxic masculinity” and “patriarchy” and suppress ourselves for fear of being offensive toward women and oppressively upholding the societal structures that maintain the paradigm of domination. The truth that must become clear is that “toxic masculinity” is not authentic masculinity at all. Even further, we must make clear that patriarchy, as it is referred to in our broader culture, is damaging to both women AND men.
We want a better world, and yet the only way to come home to a better world, is to become a better version of ourselves. Authentic masculinity is characterized by a radical and owned responsibility for our own embodiment. For men, this means integrating into our identities a balanced and virtuous manhood, deeply rooted in compassion for self and for others.
There is no lack of hardness or softness in this authentically masculine man. He is what he needs to be in the moment because he is conscious of the moment. He is the lover whose soul becomes entwined with his beloved. He is the warrior that defends his homestead. He is the mystic that alchemizes anger and hatred into acts of love and compassion. He is balanced with his own feminine energies, giving and receiving in time and turn. He is capable and willing to become his own father and connect with his inner king. He dares to connect with others and share intimacy.
So “radical” right?!
But this is not new. We are deprived now of the community villages, initiation rites, and mythological stories that shaped the psychological landscape of our ancestors and it IS our job to reclaim them. This is the only way to fully serve ourselves and women. This is of the highest importance because, without ending the war between men and women, there will be no end to war on Planet Earth. To do our part in creating peace in the collective, we must do the necessary inner work to create and find peace WITHIN OURSELVES first.
To find this peace requires a commitment to embarking steadfastly on a journey of deep and thorough self-discovery. We realize while walking the path that we are making a commitment to an ideal that is fundamental to our very existence, resurrected from ages past. We must empower ourselves to empower others. We must become the men that dare to demonstrate the ways of a virtuously embodied masculine, one that loves fiercely and vulnerably. We must dare to evolve as sexual beings, taming and integrating our inner animal, rather than being devoured by it. We must recognize that WE ARE WILD and making the earth our home again is an everyday practice.
Maybe you have felt before that there is so much more to your destiny than what you currently see before you, but you were told before that your dreams were impossible. Perhaps you have felt the dismal dread of not having as much love and connection as you truly want and need. So many of us have felt utterly unseen, misunderstood, and dejected. Fear, anger, sadness, and frustration are tearing at the the seams of the individual masculine psyche, bleeding into a collective unrest that becomes more and more obvious every single day. That’s not just the news, that’s real life. But it doesn’t have to be yours.
What fuels your fire and makes you feel passionate with hot energy coursing throughout your body? What makes you so incredibly curious that you can’t help but stay up all night ruminating and wondering about? What is the one thing that the world HAS to hear before you die and your flesh is inevitably eaten by earthworms?
THAT is purpose and meaning. THAT FEELING is how you connect to it and connect to those whom it serves. THAT CONNECTION is why you are alive. And we are alive. We have a life. We might as well use it to lift each other up and to do some real good while we are here.
I know this sounds grandiose, but it’s actually much simpler than building a rocketship or winning a Nobel Prize. It’s as simple as showing up everyday connected to who you most deeply are in your essence. It’s wearing a smile for a stranger and inviting a little more lightness to their day. It’s a kind word and a receptive ear for someone who needs somebody to confide in. You don’t have to save the whole world to be someone else’s superman. You just have to be you. But you have to ACTUALLY BE YOU. Nobody else can do that for you, and it is your responsibility to claim that.
And if you are not the kind of man that treats strangers with kindness, women with respect, and your brothers as brothers, it’s in the best good of everybody to become the kind of man who does.
It’s easy to stay a boy forever. That’s what most men decide to do. The right thing to do is to create yourself anew, to become the man you most want to be, and to reclaim the throne of compassionate wisdom, loving power, and unshakable responsibility to preside over the kingdom of your own soul.
Who are YOU?
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