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While relationships can be full of joy and excitement, they are also often not easy.
Whether you’re single, or in a relationship, it can be challenging and vulnerable to talk about your fears with women.
It can be scary to ask for what you want.
It can be hard to know when to move closer and when to back away.
I’m working on my TEDx talk: What 1,000 Men’s Tears Reveal About the Crisis Between Men and Women.
As I think more about this topic, it’s clear that all men (and all humans) have a wide range of feelings. Men, however, are mainly taught it’s only ok to express a few of them.
And with our culture having portrayed men’s vulnerability as weak or unattractive, many men are suffering silently and alone. Even men who look like they have it together on the outside.
Whether you experience challenges with relationships, parenting, family, health crises, or lacking meaning or joy in your life, you are not alone! Nor are you weak. It takes incredible strength to feel your emotions as a man in this day and age.
I highly recommend attending workshops with other men so you can get support with your pain and struggles and see you’re not alone.
But many men walk out of these workshops without feeling safe or knowing how to be vulnerable with the women in their lives.
I see a need for a cultural shift to welcome men’s vulnerability.
In my talk, I ask women to step up and become a part of the solution, rather than ignoring this.
I also give some guidance for sharing vulnerability in a way that creates a connection, rather than sending people running for the hills!
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Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
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Photo courtesy Shana James.
Previously published on Shanajamescoaching.com