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Most men I meet want to be free. There is a power that comes with the liberation of not having to answer to rigid, stereotypical ideas of how you “should” be as a man — of following your own dreams, and being able to fully express yourself as the unique person you are…
Can you relate?
Society’s made-up stories of what it means to “be a man” can be unrealistic and inhuman.
These stories can foster harm when men work to meet those expectations or don’t manage to do so. Men can then feel they have always to be stoic and tough, be in charge, have power over others, be with lots of women, hide aspects of who they are, not express pain or ask for support…
But there is a way that men’s real stories can help free us too.
Instead of holding your stories in silence, which leads to feeling alone, you can bring them into the light by sharing them with others.
Men can have vulnerable, courageous conversations about how they were taught to be “men,” give thanks for sources of love and joy in their lives, discuss costs of harmful notions of manhood as they’ve experienced them and share what they want to create in their lives.
On today’s Man Alive podcast I was joined by Dr. Jocelyn Lehrer, creator of the revolutionary The Men’s Story Project.
The Men’s Story Project helps groups create live story-sharing events and documentaries where men and boys publicly explore social ideas about manhood by sharing about their own life experiences with unusual directness and candor.
In this conversation we discussed:
- The challenges that men, women, and people of all genders often face as a result of social norms about masculinity
- The importance of shifting some social ideas about masculinity to support all people’s well being and equality
- The expanded sense of life possibility, freedom, and healing that comes when men share their less-often-heard stories
- That EVERY man has a story to share
Even men at the top of their game find themselves wanting more from life. Man Alive is the resource for men who want more meaning, a bigger impact, unshakable confidence, a hotter sex life, more money, deeper love, solid friendships or a powerful legacy.
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A version of this post was originally posted on ShanaJamesCoaching.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
Join like-minded individuals in The Good Men Project Community.
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Photo provided by the author.
