1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Conversations on life, style, beauty, and relationships. It's the Velvet's 2 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson. Connor Beating is here the 3 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: founder of Man Talks. So I like to tell the 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: listeners a little bit about who they are listening to. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: So can you give people kind of just the backstory 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: of how you got into what you're doing now? And 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: what is man Talks? Oh? Boy? Yeah, I mean the 8 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: the like short version is that I had a lot 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: going in my life. He was traveling the world, had 10 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: a great relationship, decent career going, and I was pretty miserable. 11 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: I was pretty out of control. Um it was you know, 12 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. It was like one of those things 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: where if you met me on paper, it looked like 14 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: my life was great, but behind the scenes, I was 15 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: a disaster. You know, lots of cheating and infidelity and 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: drugs and alcohol. And I bottomed out, you know, I 17 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: hit rock bottom. And I didn't want people to know 18 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: because I bought into this. You know that what I 19 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: call the one rule of men, which is, you know, 20 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: if you're a man who's struggling, don't talk about it. 21 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: And um, and so I didn't. I moved all my 22 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,319 Speaker 1: ship into storage, and I lived out the back of 23 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: my car for a few weeks. And you know, in 24 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: that moment, I kind of realized that how I was 25 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: living my life wasn't working. You know, this chameleon who 26 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: was trying to gain approval and validation and love and 27 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: acceptance from everybody that he met by changing who I was, 28 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: you know, by adapting different sort of personalities in order 29 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 1: to sort of get love from people. It wasn't working. 30 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: And um, so I just started to connect with other 31 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: men in my life. And I found a mentor. Thankfully, 32 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: he was already in my life. He's quite a bit older, 33 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: and he took me under his wing and and I 34 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: started to work with him. And he was well versed 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: and young and psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy and NLP 36 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: and Buddhism and and so I ended up spending like 37 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: two and a half years mentoring with him, like apprenticing 38 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: with him, and uh. And during that time, I started 39 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: to connect with other men in my life, and I 40 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: started to realize that a lot of guys were doing 41 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: the same thing that I was. You know, on the 42 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: outside things looked shiny and great, but behind the scenes, 43 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: ship was a mess. You know, It's almost like seeing 44 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: a beautiful car that is pristine on the outside, but 45 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 1: then on the inside, you know, the engines rusted in, 46 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: the frame is busted up and um, and so a 47 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: lot of them in my life. You know. I started 48 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: to realize that I only sort of knew them, I 49 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: knew the stuff that they wanted me to know. And 50 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: I realized how shallow and hollow a lot of my 51 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: friendships were. And it hit home in a this is 52 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: how maybe sort of just wrap up here, but it 53 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: hit home in a conversation with my close friends after, 54 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: you know, I bought himed out and I told him 55 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: everything that had been going on, you know, the mess 56 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: that I had created in my life. And I probably 57 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 1: talked at him for like a good half an hour 58 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: and just told him everything that was going on. It 59 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: was just he was very, uh, you know, cathartic in 60 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: a way. And then there was just this silence for 61 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 1: a few minutes, and I could see him sort of 62 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: grappling with something pretty big, and he looked at me 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: and he thanked me for sharing with him and just 64 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: being honest, and he proceeded to tell me that he 65 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: had tried to commit suicide about a month and a 66 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: half before, and I realized in that moment that I 67 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: knew everything about this guy. I thought I knew everything 68 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: about this guy. You know, he was one of my 69 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: closest friends. I knew what he liked to drink. I 70 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: knew this, you know, the type of scotch that he liked, 71 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: and the TV shows that he liked to watch. And 72 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 1: I knew his personality in and out. I knew the 73 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: type of women that he liked to date. You know, 74 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: we had great conversations, but I didn't know that he 75 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: was so unhappy and struggling so bad that he tried 76 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: to take his own life. And he didn't know that 77 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: my life was such a mess behind the scenes either. 78 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: And I started to see this pattern in so many 79 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: men's lives, where they're living on a kind of island, 80 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: you know, where they're trying to white knuckle uh their 81 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: way a lone ranger, their way through life, and it's 82 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: very lonely. And so there was something in that moment 83 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: that like clicked in me that was like, you can 84 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: do something about this. You know, you can change the 85 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: conversation that men have, You can change the dynamics and 86 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: the relationships that men have. That's possible because I saw 87 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 1: it happen in real time in my conversation with my buddy. 88 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: And he's still very alive today, and he's thriving, and 89 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: he's doing very well, and we have a very beautiful 90 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: relation ship. It's incredible. And and so I started to 91 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: change the way that I interacted with the men in 92 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 1: my life, and I got honest with them and transparent, 93 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,640 Speaker 1: and I told them the ship that was going on 94 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 1: behind the scenes. And as a result, men just started 95 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: to slowly be honest back. You know, they started to 96 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: reveal the stuff that they didn't want society or their 97 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: girl friends, or their bosses or their families to know, 98 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: that they didn't want other men to know because they 99 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: thought that it made them weaker or less of a man. 100 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: And in doing so, what I found was that men 101 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: really came alive, you know, they really started to thrive 102 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: when they didn't have to hide these parts of them. Yeah. 103 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,799 Speaker 1: I think it's funny because you've now created this business 104 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: called man talks, and that, to me is such a contradiction, 105 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: like those two words together, because most men that I've experienced, 106 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: especially when it comes to what you're talking about, like 107 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: the deep inner workings and the truth behind what's actually happening. Um, 108 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: they have a hard time talking. That's like, that's the 109 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: one thing that I feel like is a huge obstacle. 110 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: And I do resonate though with what you said. I 111 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: think a lot of us want to present you know, 112 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: like we have these um personas or especially with the 113 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: social media world, it's like we've created so much in 114 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,839 Speaker 1: our society that thrives on this presentation of ourselves. And 115 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: so when you actually know what's going on with someone, 116 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: it's almost uncomfortable. You're like, whoa are you okay? Um? 117 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: And we've gotten like to where we can't be not 118 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: okay um. But do you think that that is tougher 119 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: for men than it is for women to just admit 120 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: like they're not okay, they don't have it all figured out, 121 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: there's real ship going on that they're not addressing. Like, 122 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: is that just a real struggle for men? I think 123 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: generally yes, I think as a general statement, yes, I 124 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: think that culturally, socially, um, you know, men are expected 125 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: to to sort of hold that stuff down on a 126 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: little bit more, you know, and and we can sort 127 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 1: of point fingers in all kinds of directions about what 128 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: the causality of that is. But I think that generally speaking, 129 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: in our modern culture, not necessarily historically, but in our 130 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: modern culture, women certainly have a much stronger and more 131 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: robust community than men. Now women have their own challenges, 132 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: you know, with the emergence of social media and the 133 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: and the impacts of that on young girls. But but 134 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: certainly for men, um you know, post industrial we we 135 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: have disbanded the kind of close kinship that we used 136 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: to carry, you know, and and the and the camaraderie 137 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,240 Speaker 1: and the brotherhood that that we used to have, and 138 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: it's and and so you see a lot of men 139 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: that have friends, for sure, but if you really dug in, 140 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: a lot of those guys don't have other men that 141 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 1: they can talk to about the real challenges of their lives. 142 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 1: You know, that the childhood abuse that they experienced, the 143 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: problems that they're having with their marriage, or you know 144 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: the fact that they're you know, their parents has just 145 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: been diagnosed with some form of you know, terminal cancer, 146 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: and really talk about the emotional weight of what's happening 147 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: in their lives. And so men have a very particular 148 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:21,680 Speaker 1: relationship with power and powerlessness and socially it's not um 149 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: at all. I don't know exactly how to like put 150 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: this forward, but I think that you know, men are 151 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: pressured a little bit too from other men and from women. Right, 152 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,800 Speaker 1: it's a collective thing, but pressured a little bit to 153 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: just figure it out, you know, to deal with it, 154 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: to sort of suck it up. And and there's a 155 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: ton of reasons for that. Right, We've had to go 156 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: fight wars, We've had to We've gone and done, you know, 157 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: atrocious things throughout history. We've we've also sacrificed ourselves in 158 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: order to build the world that we live in. You know, 159 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: if you if you look at a lot of the 160 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: infrastructure that's been put in place, you know, men have 161 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 1: built that. You know, they've built the roads, they've built 162 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: the factories, they've built the things that allow our world 163 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: to function. And there's a price to pay for that, 164 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: you know, and for good or for worse, you know, 165 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:16,160 Speaker 1: whether it's the right thing or the wrong thing, or 166 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: however we want to put that, but there's been a 167 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: price that's that's been paid for that. And so I 168 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: think a lot of men struggle to find that sense 169 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: of closeness, but they really want it, you know, they 170 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: really want to be able to feel connected to something 171 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: larger than themselves. And you know, I think that the 172 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: way of men uh and and the sort of essence 173 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: of masculinity is meant to be communal, you know, it's 174 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: not meant to be in isolation. And it's only recently 175 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: within the last sort of hundred years that we've idolized 176 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: this lone ranger archetype. You know, Historically, men ventured off 177 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: together and learned how to be men together. And I 178 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: think there's a resurgence of that that has started to 179 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: manifest again within our culture, where there's a lot of 180 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: men realizing that they don't know how to be good 181 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: at being a man. They don't know how to be 182 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: good at being a father or a husband, and so 183 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: they're searching. It's like, well, how do I do this? 184 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: You know, like what am I missing? And maybe that's 185 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: because they didn't have a father figure, or they didn't 186 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: have good men in their lives, or they've been carrying 187 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: pain that no one has taught them how to to 188 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: deal with to carry, but they're in there, they're in search. 189 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:32,520 Speaker 1: So again, maybe a little bit bigger of an an 190 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: answer than than necessary, But I feel like it's it's helpful. 191 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 1: I want to come back. You mentioned the dynamics or 192 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,080 Speaker 1: the battle between power and powerlessness that I'm fascinated with. 193 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: I want to circle back to that. But yesterday I 194 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: posted this on my Instagram, but on your website on 195 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: man talks dot Com, you say it's not therapy, it's training, 196 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: And I literally I was like, oh my god, like 197 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: I was taken aback. I could not think of something 198 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: more hot than a guy just like in training. Like 199 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: with It's like what you just described though, like this 200 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: group of men learning how to do ship Like to me, 201 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: that is like, oh my god, that is so hot. Um. 202 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: But I feel like what I also heard and what 203 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: you just said is the fact that maybe they don't 204 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: know how to do like men don't know how to 205 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 1: do things, bringing in a lot of shame instead of 206 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: being like, oh, I'm going to learn how to go 207 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: do that? Like is that a dynamic you face with 208 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: people coming to you a lot? Yeah, there's I mean, 209 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,719 Speaker 1: there's there's a good question. There's a few parts in 210 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: there that I think are important. One is, you know, 211 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: there is a stigma around therapy and it's not super 212 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: appealing to most men. It's just not. It wasn't appealing 213 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: to me. It's not something I wanted to go do 214 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: generally because it's for us as men, it's a sign 215 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: that there's something broken, right. It's like why do you 216 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: take the car to the mechanic. You take the car 217 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: to the mechanic when when ship's not working properly right, 218 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: And so if you're going to a therapist, it's a 219 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: sign that like something's broken and you need help fixing 220 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: it and you haven't been able to figure it out yourself. 221 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,400 Speaker 1: So that's that's kind of the approach that a lot 222 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: of men have, for better or for worse. It's not 223 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: you know, we could discuss whether that's good or bad. 224 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: But I think taking a different approach knowing that for 225 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: a lot of men, therapy, you know, sitting and talking 226 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: it's not appealing for them. But what is appealing is 227 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: a more masculine oriented kind of like you're gonna train, 228 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: you're gonna learn ship, you know, just like you would 229 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: if you were going to train your body or you 230 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: gonna train your mind for you know, to learn a 231 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: specific task. And I think what's what's real is that 232 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: things like self compassion are a skill. There are a skill, 233 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: and so many of us have not been taught the 234 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: skill to be compassionate towards ourselves, and so we beat 235 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 1: the ships. And I think that that approach is much 236 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: more palatable for us as men to be able to say, 237 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: there's certain skills I just haven't hot in life, you know. 238 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: I haven't been taught how to be compassionate towards myself, 239 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: or how to be in relationship and communicate properly or 240 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: initiate you know, sex with my partner or whatever that is. Right, 241 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: there's just certain skills that we haven't learned. There's no 242 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 1: shame in that, and even dealing with shame as a skill, 243 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 1: you know. And so so I think when we take 244 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: that approach, it's it's less about trying to deal with 245 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: the stigma of therapy, and it's more about speaking to 246 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: men though directly, you know, and speaking to in a 247 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: way that is uh, that is meaningful to us, you know, 248 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: where it's like, oh, yeah, I actually I do want 249 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: to go learn skills. And I can see how there's 250 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: a return on investment to learning some of these skills 251 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: in my relationship, in my work environment, in my life. 252 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,240 Speaker 1: I can see how my life is going to improve, 253 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: Like the masculine essence within us wants freedom, but it 254 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: also wants to expand, and there's a deep craving within 255 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: men to expand, to be better, to be sigger than 256 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: we currently are right now. And and how we do 257 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: that is by learning skills, right by learning new skills 258 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 1: that we didn't have before. So yeah, I just wanted 259 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: to drop that in there. Yeah, I think it's interesting because, um, 260 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: I've been kind of on my own healing journey for 261 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: about a decade now, and one of the programming things 262 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: that I've really had to work through of like letting go, 263 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: was just expecting myself how to know things that I 264 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 1: had never been taught how to do, Like I just 265 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: have this idea that I should walk in because I'm 266 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: you know, I'm forty now, but like at the time, 267 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I'm thirty whatever, I should know 268 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: how to do this, And there was so much shame 269 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,800 Speaker 1: for me in admitting that I didn't, that I would 270 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: pretend like I did, you know, fake it till you 271 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: make it kind of thing, And like the order I get, 272 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: the more I'm like, it's okay not to know how 273 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: to do things. And actually the greatest strength that we 274 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: have is walking into a scenario and be like I 275 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: don't know how to do this, Like, but I'm willing 276 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: to learn and taking the steps to learn a new 277 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: thing or learn a new tool, And like, you know, 278 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: our parents all did the base they could, but maybe 279 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: they didn't give us a lot of the tools that 280 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: we need to be successful adults. And so like, I 281 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: don't know, like I feel okay now, I guess leaning 282 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: into that, but I'm wondering if there's a difference, like 283 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: if it's easier for me as a woman to just 284 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: sort of admit I don't know how to do this, 285 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to go ask for help, then would be 286 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: for a man, because that seems like some of the 287 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: dynamics have faced in my relationships with men. Yeah, so 288 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: this is this is a this is like a bigger 289 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: question that does tie into power and powerlessness. But I 290 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: think the way that I would approach this is for 291 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 1: most men against socially culturally, even within our current culture 292 00:15:43,320 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: right now, our our value is often tethered to our competency, 293 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: our capability. Right how capable are you as a man 294 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: to perform a certain task or duty? How capable are 295 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: you as a man to acquire resources. How capable are 296 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: you of you know, developing certain skill sets, and so 297 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: when a man isn't doesn't feel very capable at something, right, 298 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: So just imagine, you know, a guy gets into a 299 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: relationship at thirty for the first time, or you know, 300 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: he's he's twenty one or twenty two years old, you've 301 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:23,080 Speaker 1: never had sex before, and there's a ton of pressure 302 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 1: because that man feels like he should be capable at it, 303 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,640 Speaker 1: he should be very competent, but he has no real experience, 304 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: and so it creates this sort of pressure within his 305 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,280 Speaker 1: system where he's like, oh, I should be good at this, 306 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: I should be great at this, but I haven't had 307 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: any experience at it. And so a lot of guys, Yeah, 308 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: I mean, I think I think it is different for 309 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: women because there isn't that sort of social pressure, cultural 310 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: um narrative that ties that ties worth and value to competence. 311 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: And for men in masculinity, historically that has been true. Right. 312 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,720 Speaker 1: The more capable and the more competent a man is, 313 00:17:07,160 --> 00:17:09,919 Speaker 1: the more value he has socially and culturally, and the 314 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: more he's actually desired by women. So, if you're a 315 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 1: very capable and competent man in business as an example, 316 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: or a very capable and competent and relationship. You're very desirable, right, 317 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: You're wanted by women. And so men have organized themselves 318 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,679 Speaker 1: in some capacity to to like we you know, we 319 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: see that. We're like, Okay, you want competence, got it. 320 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: I gonna be very competent. And that causes all kinds 321 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: of problems where you know, we hide in securities. We 322 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:42,120 Speaker 1: don't want to talk about not feeling competent because all 323 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: of that. As soon as we don't feel competent, we 324 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,680 Speaker 1: often feel powerless. And you know Richard Rore, who's a 325 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:53,359 Speaker 1: Franciscan monk, very interesting character. He's got a great quote 326 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:56,200 Speaker 1: because he's worked with a lot of men over the decades, 327 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,840 Speaker 1: and he says, unless a male, unless the man is 328 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: is brought on the journey of powerlessness, he will always 329 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 1: abuse power. Right, So, unless a man is brought on 330 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: the journey of powerlessness, he will always abuse power. And 331 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:17,560 Speaker 1: so we as men. If you look at initiation, these 332 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:19,359 Speaker 1: types of experiences that have been baked in the culture 333 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: throughout history, they were generally meant to do a couple 334 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,399 Speaker 1: of things. One, you know, put men in put men 335 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: into a contact with death in some form to bring 336 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: him into a situation of powerlessness where he had to 337 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:37,760 Speaker 1: he got to experience something bigger than him and he 338 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: couldn't conquer, that he couldn't defeat, that he couldn't overcome. 339 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: And that does something to us as men where we 340 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: start to reconcile with and understand that the power that 341 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: we hold physically, mentally, um within society, within culture, that 342 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: there's a real responsibility to that, that we actually have 343 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: a very real responsibility to learn how to um stewart 344 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:09,040 Speaker 1: that power in some way to be capable at um 345 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: understanding our power and its effects within culture. So again, 346 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: maybe a bigger answer, but but I think that that's 347 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:22,880 Speaker 1: those are some of the things that play into it. Yeah, 348 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,680 Speaker 1: I mean there's so many things. I feel like we 349 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: could tangent off on that because it's like, as we 350 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: were talking, I was thinking to myself, it is true, 351 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: and I'm not even sure I was aware of this 352 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: own thought process in my head, but you know, I 353 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,960 Speaker 1: really do gravitate towards a man who can lead, and 354 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,239 Speaker 1: that that's very attractive to me as a woman. And 355 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: so and that even goes in sex, like you kind 356 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: of want to be let or we like I do 357 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: as a feminine, natured person. And so it's interesting because 358 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't think I really identified the pressure 359 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,639 Speaker 1: that that must be before you were just explaining it 360 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: that way, because it's the same as like everyone's human 361 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: and we're all coming into this world knowing nothing, and 362 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 1: so then you know, we have these skill sets, but 363 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:09,959 Speaker 1: also we have to learn, and so some of us 364 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: again were given tools, some of us weren't. And so 365 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: I do I'm hearing the pressure of that in such 366 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: a different way. How do you how would you say, 367 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: as a man like you leaned into that and taken 368 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: on the responsibility of that while also combating your own 369 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: shame for not doing it perfectly. Mm hmmm, Yeah. I 370 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: think over the years, I've started to see that as 371 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: something very rewarding. You know, the twenty one year old 372 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: than me, I didn't want any responsibility, right, didn't care 373 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 1: about being capable, didn't care about leading, didn't care about 374 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: any of those things. Um, because I was very immature, 375 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,720 Speaker 1: you know, and I and that that responsibility felt restrictive 376 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: to me. It didn't feel like freedom. It felt like 377 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 1: it felt like a prison, you know. And I didn't 378 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: want that responsibility, and so over the years, I've started 379 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: to be and have a different relationship to responsibility itself, 380 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: have a different responsibility to being capable and being competent 381 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: and being in leadership positions and finding that I really 382 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: love that, you know, I really enjoy that, and I 383 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,600 Speaker 1: and I see the value in it, you know. And 384 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:31,399 Speaker 1: there's still times where I'm like, I don't want this 385 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 1: responsibility and I don't want to be a voice in 386 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 1: men's space or leading men or supporting them in their 387 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: marriages or doing anything. There's still times where that comes up. 388 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,640 Speaker 1: But for the most part, I've I've found that when 389 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: we find something that asks us to develop a certain 390 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: level of competence where we are forced to lead ourselves, 391 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,720 Speaker 1: forget everybody else, forget relationships, forget the world, where we're 392 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: forced to lead us in an effective manner, that there's 393 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: a really deep purpose in that, a very very deep purpose. 394 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,760 Speaker 1: It actually gives our life meaning, right, It gives our 395 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: life meaning because we start to say, not why am 396 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: I here? But and and not not? Where is not? 397 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,199 Speaker 1: Where is purpose? But where do I actually derive a 398 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,239 Speaker 1: sense of meaning? And generally speaking, we find meaning as 399 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: human beings by being competent at something that is a 400 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 1: contribution to society, to the greater good, to other people. 401 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,960 Speaker 1: And so when we as men can start to see that, 402 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,240 Speaker 1: there's a sense of meaning, a sense of purpose, a 403 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 1: sense of fulfillment in developing competence and developing um skills 404 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:47,440 Speaker 1: that allow us to contribute to our kids, to our partners, 405 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 1: to community, to our business, to society. There's something richly 406 00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: rewarding in that that brings our soul online a little 407 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: bit more, you know, that brings our hearts alive, because 408 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: we feel like we are contributing to the greater hole 409 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: rather than just sort of like a wash in the ocean. 410 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: You know. So, how do I deal with the shame 411 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 1: of not not being having not been there? I mean, 412 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: that was a long that was a long journey. You know. 413 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 1: I think I did shadow work. I learned about young 414 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:21,680 Speaker 1: in psychology. I mean, you know, I I think it's 415 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: I think all of that happened in the process of 416 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: of really trying to find a sense of meaning in 417 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: my life and trying to find a sense of where 418 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 1: do I not fit in, but where do I want 419 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: to contribute? And that's oftentimes where a man is going 420 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: to really feel like he fits in is where he's 421 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 1: being of contribution and where he feels very capable of 422 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 1: being of contribution. And that's valuable, you know, there's there's 423 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,919 Speaker 1: again there's something um appealing about it, and there's something 424 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: valuable in it for for us as men, and and 425 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: the shame of not having it is like, you know, 426 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: admit that you feel ashamed that you that you don't 427 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: feel like you contribute. And I had to do that, 428 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:11,480 Speaker 1: you know, I was like, I don't feel ten twelve 429 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:13,800 Speaker 1: years ago, I was like, I don't feel like I 430 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,879 Speaker 1: give anything to the world really, you know, and I 431 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: don't feel like I'm adding value to the people around me. 432 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: And I feel like I'm taking, you know, And I was, 433 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: I really was. I was just taking from the people 434 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,760 Speaker 1: around me constantly, and I wasn't giving back to them, 435 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,159 Speaker 1: and I wasn't contributing, and and so you know, the 436 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: shame of that was hard, and it was challenging to 437 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: be to admit the truth, you know, that that who 438 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: I was and who I had become as a man 439 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: was somebody that wasn't adding value to other people's lives, 440 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: that was generally taking, manipulating, lying, cheating, and to come 441 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,119 Speaker 1: not really too sure how to phrase this necessarily, but 442 00:24:56,119 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: but to center myself around the truth that not only 443 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 1: was that true, but I wanted to shift it, you know, 444 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: I wanted to change it, and that that was possible 445 00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: that I could be, that I could be someone who 446 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,679 Speaker 1: could contribute, and I could be somebody who offered value 447 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:15,919 Speaker 1: to the people's lives and had value inherently. But that 448 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: was something that I needed to build and develop, and 449 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,440 Speaker 1: that was going to take time and discipline and rigor 450 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,159 Speaker 1: and and it wasn't going to be easy. But you know, 451 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: I wrote in my book, like do the hard things 452 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,720 Speaker 1: or the hard things do you? In general? You're not 453 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:31,439 Speaker 1: gonna like it when the hard things of life, when 454 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:33,480 Speaker 1: the hard parts of life do you, You're not gonna 455 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: enjoy it, you know. And life still gonna do that. Sometimes, 456 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: it's still gonna mess you up. You know, it's still 457 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 1: gonna throw your curveballs. But but you will be far 458 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,480 Speaker 1: more prepared for the ship that life, God, universe source. 459 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: You know, politics, society throws at you. If you are 460 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,919 Speaker 1: embracing uh, the hardship, you know, if you're choosing to 461 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,639 Speaker 1: do that in a meaningful way. Every single day, cold 462 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: showers working out when you don't want to first thing 463 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 1: in the morning, developing skills that are challenging but but rewarding, 464 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: Like all of that is is going to sharpen you 465 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:16,680 Speaker 1: as a man, and that's meaningful. Yeah, it's so interesting 466 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,159 Speaker 1: to hear you talk about not Um. Let me think 467 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: about how I want to phrase this. Well, I mean, 468 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,680 Speaker 1: we hear a lot about toxic masculinity right now, and 469 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: I mean we can probably do eight million podcasts on 470 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: this those two words. But um, I feel like from women, 471 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: and this is what I hear a lot from a 472 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: lot of my listeners, is this frustration with guys like 473 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,199 Speaker 1: guys suck, guys are assholes. Um. And I've really like 474 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: this is like a new thing that I'm really letting 475 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: go of that narrative because when you're experiencing men who 476 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: are treating you like like they're acting like assholes, it's 477 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: very hard not to get in that mindset. And I 478 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: think you know that can go vice versa. I'm sure 479 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: that men have a narrative about women too, But um, 480 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: I do think that that is like a big thing 481 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:05,720 Speaker 1: that women are, you know, just like well, all guys 482 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: are assholes or all guys are just going to cheat 483 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,240 Speaker 1: or we just are supposed to get like on board 484 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: with guys looking at porn and all of these things 485 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: that like don't feel good as a woman or as 486 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:18,919 Speaker 1: a partner. And it's interesting for me to hear you 487 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: talk about like the time in your life before you 488 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: made this transition not being satisfied, like looking at that 489 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: and being like I was doing all these things and 490 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 1: on paper, you know, life looked a certain way and 491 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: I was presenting, but like, deep down inside, I wasn't 492 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 1: fulfilling my purpose. And so is there a shift and 493 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,879 Speaker 1: how you actually feel like even though the work is 494 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: hard and you're like having to take a deep dive 495 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 1: on things you're not proud of, is the reward worth it? 496 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:47,719 Speaker 1: I guess I would be curious to know, like from 497 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: a man's standpoint, how you would pitch that to men, 498 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: because it sounds hardy. Yeah it is. I mean easy 499 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: is generally not meaningful. You know, easy is generally not fulfilling. 500 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: It might be for a little bit, like you know, 501 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: I remember I played a lot of video games as 502 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: a kid, and and I used to think, like I 503 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,359 Speaker 1: used to play this one game. Um, maybe some of 504 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: your listeners remember it was called Golden I. Double O 505 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: seven was James Bond game on Nintendo since before yeah, right, 506 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: And there was a cheat code that would give you 507 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: the Golden Gun, right, and you could run through the 508 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 1: video game and it was like a one shot kill. 509 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:28,800 Speaker 1: And I I worked so hard to get that cheet code, 510 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:30,639 Speaker 1: and and I thought that it was going to make 511 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: the game so much fun. And then when I got 512 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,679 Speaker 1: the Golden Gun, the one shot kill and the invisibility 513 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,160 Speaker 1: right and the invincible nous, so you'd run through the game, 514 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,440 Speaker 1: you get shot as many times, you wouldn't die. It 515 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: was so boring. It was so boring because it was 516 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: so easy. There was no challenge, there were no obstacles. 517 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: You just run through killing people. And and within an 518 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: hour of playing the game like that, I was like, 519 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: this is terrible. And that's that's because we find a 520 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: sense of meaning and reward and fulfillment out of hardship, 521 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 1: out of facing hard things. You know, Like my wife 522 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: is a marriage and family therapist, and we talk a 523 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: lot about how the best couples aren't the ones that 524 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 1: that they're not the couples that don't have any conflict. 525 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: There are the couples who have conflict and get through 526 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: it and come out the other side, okay, come out 527 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: the other side stronger. And so we as human beings 528 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: need to know that we can go through hardship and 529 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: come out the other side okay. And so we actually 530 00:29:31,960 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: need to bake that into our lives, and when we do, 531 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: it becomes very rewarding. Right. Our whole system, you know, neurologically, biologically, psychologically, 532 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: is designed to face and endure hardship and come out 533 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 1: the other side okay, stronger, faster, better, smarter, more well 534 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,000 Speaker 1: adapt And so when we don't give ourselves those opportunities 535 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: to do that, we suffer. That's where suffering resides. You know, 536 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,760 Speaker 1: there's a reason why monks sit in meditation for prolonged 537 00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:01,719 Speaker 1: period of time. Right, It's not easy to go and 538 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: do that. And so you know, my my pitch to 539 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: men is is exactly what I just laid out before. 540 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: It's like, you can go do the easy thing, but 541 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 1: somewhere inside of you, you're gonna know that that's boring, 542 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,560 Speaker 1: it's unfulfilling, it's unrewarding, and you can live your life 543 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: like that, but it's it's probably not going to give 544 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: you what you want. You're probably not going to find 545 00:30:27,880 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 1: what it is that you're looking for. And it's not freedom. 546 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: It's a cage, right, It's a trap. And I think 547 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: almost all men know that, you know, I think almost 548 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 1: all men know the truth in that. And you know, 549 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: as for what you're saying about um, you know, men 550 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:50,000 Speaker 1: and women and the narratives about men. I think the 551 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: dating right now is a very interesting thing. I think 552 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: that's shifted. I think that I think the data. Yeah, 553 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 1: I think the dating apps have like just caused havoc 554 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 1: in male female relationships and just and I mean just 555 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: just in relationships in general, regardless of whether you know 556 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: your gay, straight, or however you identify or whatever your 557 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: sexual preferences. I think it's just made it difficult all around. 558 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 1: And you know, there are there are some men out 559 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: there that you know are I think I just I 560 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: have a lot of sympathy and empathy because I understand 561 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: men in a different way, and I've worked with tens 562 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: of thousands of men now over the years, and I 563 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: know that a man who is abusive has probably been abused, 564 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: and I know that a man who is lying and 565 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: cheating is probably hurting in some capacity. And I know 566 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 1: that a man who is stuck in addictions and watching 567 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: porn every night, or smoking weed and numbing out. Is 568 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: is in pain and no one has taught him how 569 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 1: to deal with his pain, and no one has told 570 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: him your life could be a fucking lot better if 571 00:31:58,080 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: you dealt with that ship, you know, and really and 572 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 1: really kind of got in his face and challenged him. 573 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:07,640 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of men aren't being challenged. They're 574 00:32:07,640 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: sitting on the couch watching TV, playing video games, smoking weed, 575 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,960 Speaker 1: and they don't have anybody in their life that's challenging them. 576 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: And for the masculine, for men, that's boring, like that's 577 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: a that's a meaningless existence. And so we need people 578 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: in our lives who challenge us. And that's what that's 579 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: what real male friendship is is about. There's an essence 580 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: of I'm going to challenge you, but I'm going to 581 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: challenge you to be better than who you are today, 582 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,400 Speaker 1: and I'm going to challenge you to be the man 583 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: that you have said you want to become, you know, 584 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: And there's something absolutely wonderful and essential and beautiful within 585 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: that type of male relationship. So anyway, I love, no, 586 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,440 Speaker 1: I love these answers. Are you kidding? I could do 587 00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:59,600 Speaker 1: this all day. Um I I literally was just like 588 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 1: hearing about what you're saying, I see why it would 589 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,920 Speaker 1: work man to man like that seems like such an 590 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: important relationship to have other men in your life. It's 591 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,280 Speaker 1: the same as us having you know, just female friends 592 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:14,280 Speaker 1: that you're really really honest with and that cheat you 593 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: straight because like I think about in my former relationships, 594 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: I can't be the one saying all the things that 595 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: you're saying to my partner and it really hit like 596 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: it's more just it doesn't doesn't land the same, and 597 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: then it becomes this really bad toxic dynamic of back 598 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:32,959 Speaker 1: and forth, like the nagging, the shutting down, the like 599 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 1: you know, all those things are in the past that 600 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:39,560 Speaker 1: has for me because they haven't been relationships that work. Um, 601 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,720 Speaker 1: but I think I do see the importance of like 602 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:47,440 Speaker 1: that male almost like either mentor or just like accountability 603 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: partner to shoot you straight and just say like you're 604 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: saying you want this or you say you're this kind 605 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,240 Speaker 1: of man, and I see you doing X, Y and 606 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: Z and that's not in line, Like are those are 607 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: those relationships in your life? Have they become equally as 608 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: valuable as any relationship I guess yeah. I mean those 609 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 1: are you know, those are the relationships that I value, 610 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 1: and those are kind of like the only relationships that 611 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:14,680 Speaker 1: I want specifically from men in my inner circle, you know, 612 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 1: because it it provides a sense like there's a utility 613 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: to that, you know, and it's a very sort of 614 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: analytical or like linear approach, but there's a utility to 615 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:28,879 Speaker 1: having men in your life as a man who are 616 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,920 Speaker 1: going to challenge you. You know, we in within I 617 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: call it calling it calling you forward, rather than calling 618 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: another guy out, which is generally about your own ego. Right, 619 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: It's like, oh, I told him, I called him out, 620 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,399 Speaker 1: and you know, YadA, YadA, YadA. It's like, well, that's 621 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:46,359 Speaker 1: about you, that's about you feeling better about yourself. It's 622 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:50,200 Speaker 1: about you bulls bolstering your own confidence and ego, whereas 623 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: calling somebody out is for them, it's about them. And 624 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: it's because there's been an agreement put in place beforehand 625 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,399 Speaker 1: where each of you has said, I want to call 626 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,600 Speaker 1: you forward into the version of yourself that you have 627 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,879 Speaker 1: said you want to be as a father, as a man, 628 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,480 Speaker 1: as a husband, as a business leader. I'm going to 629 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 1: hold you to that vision that you have of yourself 630 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: as a man. And that's so valuable, you know, because 631 00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:28,399 Speaker 1: otherwise you're a man on an island trying to make 632 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,440 Speaker 1: your way closer to the type of husband, father, business leader, entrepreneur, 633 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:35,839 Speaker 1: you know, scientist, research or construction worker that you want 634 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,279 Speaker 1: to be. And and you're alone, there's no one, there's 635 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: no one. They're saying, hey, you know, I've noticed that 636 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: you said you wanted to drink a little bit less. 637 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:45,880 Speaker 1: But the last couple of times we've gone out like 638 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: you've been getting ship faced, Like what's going on you now? 639 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: It seems like it seems like you're you're not holding 640 00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: up to what you said you want to do? Why 641 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: and check in? And that's valuable because we we are 642 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:03,040 Speaker 1: a communal specie. You know, where we need community. We 643 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: thrive in community. Um So I would say that's it's 644 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:11,320 Speaker 1: essential and that it's the missing link that a lot 645 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:15,080 Speaker 1: of men need. It's why, you know, within the Man 646 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 1: Talks community, we built something called the Alliance. The Alliance, 647 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:21,560 Speaker 1: and an alliance is a is a group that is 648 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: specifically designed for the benefit of the people involved. And 649 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: so we've got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of men 650 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:30,200 Speaker 1: from around the world that are all a part of 651 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: that membership of that group, and the sole purpose is 652 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 1: to support one another in being the best versions of themselves, 653 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:41,680 Speaker 1: right to hold one another accountable. And the men in 654 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:45,800 Speaker 1: that group have found lifelong friendships, they've started businesses together, 655 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: you know, they've saved marriages and relationships. They've you know, 656 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: reconnected with kids that wouldn't talk to them. I mean, 657 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: the results from that are are profound, and so it's 658 00:36:55,960 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: a it's a necessary part of a man's life. I 659 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,319 Speaker 1: love what you brought up earlier about um when you 660 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: see a man struggling with something, whether whatever it is, addictions, um, cheating, 661 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 1: We've talked about infidelity a little bit. Um that you 662 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:19,840 Speaker 1: see a man hurting instead of like an asshole. And actually, 663 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,120 Speaker 1: I mean, all my good days I can look at 664 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 1: it that way too. It's hard if you've been on 665 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:29,000 Speaker 1: the receiving end of that, because it's it's painful, you know. Um, 666 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 1: I was listening to your podcast that you did with 667 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 1: I think his name is Stephanos Offender. I don't know 668 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,600 Speaker 1: how to say his last name. That podcast is so good, 669 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:39,080 Speaker 1: by the way, UM, if anyone wants to go Listener's 670 00:37:39,120 --> 00:37:42,799 Speaker 1: on Man Talks podcast. But you guys both have this 671 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 1: like story of maybe not being the most stand up guy. 672 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: Like in relationships, there's a lot of cheating. There was 673 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:50,799 Speaker 1: a lot of all of that stuff. But as I 674 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: listened to you tell your stories, and as someone who 675 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:54,680 Speaker 1: like I said, I've been on the other side of 676 00:37:54,719 --> 00:38:00,239 Speaker 1: that exact thing, and it's extremely painful, and um, the 677 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:02,759 Speaker 1: weird part was, and I really resonated with what you 678 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: guys said, though you were like, yeah, but I always 679 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 1: loved my partner and I actually knew that, like being 680 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 1: on the other side of it. In every situation that 681 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,560 Speaker 1: I was in, you know it. And that's what even 682 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,279 Speaker 1: makes it more frustrating, is because that makes the pain 683 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,280 Speaker 1: even greater, being like, but I know we were there, 684 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: and like, I know you felt the same things. Um, 685 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 1: but it's really their own trauma or past getting in 686 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,920 Speaker 1: the way. And so I guess what I'm wanting to 687 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:32,000 Speaker 1: talk about in the long, roundabout way is just like 688 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 1: the trauma piece of all of this, Like I think 689 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 1: so much maybe this is a sidal thing or maybe 690 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: this is something men faced separately, but like we don't 691 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: want to accept that we have to face the things 692 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:48,080 Speaker 1: that happened in our past in order to do them differently. 693 00:38:48,160 --> 00:38:49,719 Speaker 1: Like I feel like a lot of people have that 694 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 1: mentality of just like, well, I'm not going to be 695 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: like my parents. Well if something was modeled to you, 696 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: like if you don't know a different way you're going 697 00:38:57,840 --> 00:38:59,680 Speaker 1: to do it, or if something happened to you or 698 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,359 Speaker 1: you know, whatever it is, like, so what would you 699 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: say to speak to that? Because I do think a 700 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:10,360 Speaker 1: lot of this toxic masculinity stuff is just like unhealed trauma, 701 00:39:10,719 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: unhealed wounds of some sort that we're in pain, but 702 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: we're not facing it and so we're just acting out 703 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,759 Speaker 1: on it. That was a lot, So whatever you take 704 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:26,520 Speaker 1: from that. No, No, it's good, it's good. Um. Yeah, 705 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:30,080 Speaker 1: I mean the toxic masculinity thing is is a whole 706 00:39:30,120 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 1: other conversation, you know, just just to touch on that 707 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:38,360 Speaker 1: super briefly. I think if we separated, if we separated 708 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 1: the masculinity from the men who are in pain, from 709 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 1: the men who are hurting or have received pain from 710 00:39:46,719 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 1: from people in their lives, you you would label it 711 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: as toxic, you know. Um, because the there is a 712 00:39:55,840 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: huge population of men that haven't been hot. How to 713 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:06,479 Speaker 1: metabolize break down, work with carry the pain that they've 714 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:10,359 Speaker 1: been given, you know, in childhood, in early adult you know, 715 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,480 Speaker 1: in relationship with women, etcetera. And you know, I am 716 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:17,399 Speaker 1: writing a book that comes out in January called Men's Work, 717 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:20,399 Speaker 1: And it's just all about the work that we as 718 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:24,120 Speaker 1: men can embark on in order to be self led, 719 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:27,520 Speaker 1: in order to lead ourselves more effectively in our lives 720 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,959 Speaker 1: and our careers, in in our relationships. And the book 721 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 1: starts off with A man's work begins in pain. That's 722 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 1: the very first line. A Man's Work begins in pain. 723 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: And I say that because our work is men is 724 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,600 Speaker 1: to understand who do we become? We are hurting? Who 725 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:48,600 Speaker 1: do we become? Do we become the Do we become 726 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:51,400 Speaker 1: just like our father, you know, who was abusive and 727 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:53,399 Speaker 1: who yelled at us and called us a stupid piece 728 00:40:53,440 --> 00:40:57,160 Speaker 1: of shit? You know? Or us? Uh? Do we become 729 00:40:57,239 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: like him? Or do we do? We act in opposition 730 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 1: and we become weak and feeble and disconnected from our anger, 731 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: and we and we we disconnect from our anger so 732 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:11,440 Speaker 1: much that we become passive aggressive, and we let our 733 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:14,080 Speaker 1: partner walk all over us, and we have no boundaries, 734 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: and we become needy and and and just generally dislike 735 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: ourselves within relationship, right, who do we become? So we 736 00:41:22,120 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 1: as men need to be taught and again, you know, 737 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:30,680 Speaker 1: just trying an initiation from before. We we used to 738 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:33,799 Speaker 1: be taught how to deal with pain. That's what initiation did. 739 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:36,200 Speaker 1: That was the other part of it. What's who are 740 00:41:36,320 --> 00:41:38,520 Speaker 1: you as a man when you are suffering, when you're 741 00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 1: in pain, when you're hurting, How do you act? How 742 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:44,320 Speaker 1: you respond? What most of us do in modern culture 743 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,640 Speaker 1: is we watch porn, right, We jerk off, we smoke weed, 744 00:41:47,719 --> 00:41:50,600 Speaker 1: we get high, we play video games, we get blitzed. 745 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:54,239 Speaker 1: We you know, we use women as an outlet to 746 00:41:54,360 --> 00:41:56,759 Speaker 1: feel better about ourselves. I know, I mean I used 747 00:41:56,800 --> 00:41:59,239 Speaker 1: all of those, right, Or if you're really if you're 748 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:02,359 Speaker 1: really hurting, you just use all of them, right, our combination, right, 749 00:42:02,400 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: we we watch right exactly exactly, And so so you know, 750 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:14,279 Speaker 1: part of part of the training that most of us 751 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:18,160 Speaker 1: men haven't got in terms of how to actually be 752 00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:22,760 Speaker 1: great at being a man is how to deal with pain. 753 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 1: And whether that's the pain of heartbreak, the pain of 754 00:42:25,719 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: loss and death, the pain of um, you know, not 755 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:33,399 Speaker 1: having a healthy body. Right, maybe you. Maybe you were 756 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,719 Speaker 1: porn into a body that that has had hardship and 757 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,960 Speaker 1: we know whether it's cancer or whatever it is, um 758 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:44,080 Speaker 1: or the pain that you were given right the abuse 759 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 1: your experienced at the hands of a family member or 760 00:42:46,239 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 1: a coach. Um, you know the amount of men. I'll 761 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:52,879 Speaker 1: just I'll say one more thing. I used to do 762 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,760 Speaker 1: live events where I would travel around North America and 763 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:59,960 Speaker 1: I would um. At some point I would talk about 764 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:04,000 Speaker 1: out trauma. Trauma would come up and I would ask, man, 765 00:43:04,040 --> 00:43:05,279 Speaker 1: you know, how many of you guys have been in 766 00:43:05,280 --> 00:43:07,719 Speaker 1: a relationship with a woman who has experienced some form 767 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:11,680 Speaker 1: of sexual abuse or sexual trauma? And usually like eight 768 00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:14,799 Speaker 1: of the hands would go up in the room, and 769 00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:16,719 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, we would discuss that for 770 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:18,839 Speaker 1: a little bit and talk about what that was like, 771 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 1: and you know how they navigated that in the relationship 772 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:24,920 Speaker 1: with women, and you know if they knew how to 773 00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:28,000 Speaker 1: to support her or have those conversations. And I said, now, 774 00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 1: how many of you have had some something similar happened 775 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,040 Speaker 1: to you in your life as those women that you've dated, 776 00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:40,280 Speaker 1: whether it's sexual or physical, or emotional or verbal, whether 777 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 1: it was a parent or a family member or a 778 00:43:42,719 --> 00:43:47,880 Speaker 1: neighbor or coach or you know, somebody at school, and honestly, 779 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 1: almost every single time, the exact same amount of hands 780 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 1: would go up. Maybe different men from their hands up, 781 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: but for the most part, yeah, for the most part. 782 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:01,279 Speaker 1: You know, men have experienced a bull and they've experienced 783 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:09,920 Speaker 1: you know, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse of some kinds, neglect, abandonment, right, um, 784 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:14,400 Speaker 1: father is just piecing out and leaving and so or 785 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,719 Speaker 1: I would you know, I would do an exercise, would 786 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:18,680 Speaker 1: have all the men stand in a big circle, and 787 00:44:18,719 --> 00:44:21,880 Speaker 1: I would, you know, say phrases like, take a step 788 00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:25,040 Speaker 1: forward if you experienced physical abuse growing up, take a 789 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,280 Speaker 1: step forward, if you were bullied, take a step forward, 790 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:30,920 Speaker 1: if you didn't have a father in your home, you know, 791 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,800 Speaker 1: take a step forward if you saw your mom be abused. 792 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:36,359 Speaker 1: And again, by the end of it, all of these 793 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,759 Speaker 1: men had come together in a circle. And so you know, 794 00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,880 Speaker 1: the amount of pain that most men are carrying and 795 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:46,000 Speaker 1: don't know how to deal with is substantial. You know, 796 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:48,560 Speaker 1: the things that they've seen, the things that they've experienced, 797 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:53,120 Speaker 1: the things that they've gone through, and no one's no 798 00:44:53,160 --> 00:44:56,839 Speaker 1: one's really tutored them or or taught them like you 799 00:44:56,880 --> 00:45:01,000 Speaker 1: can be a more You can be a stronger, more complete, 800 00:45:01,840 --> 00:45:06,320 Speaker 1: more capable man in your relationship, in your work environment, 801 00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,360 Speaker 1: in your mission in life if you learn how to 802 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:13,840 Speaker 1: carry this pain more effectively, and that's the mission, you know, 803 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,719 Speaker 1: that's really that's if I could sum up like what 804 00:45:16,760 --> 00:45:19,880 Speaker 1: I'm up to, that's really what it's all about, because 805 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,320 Speaker 1: I think that that allows a man to step into 806 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: his own greatness. It frees him. It teaches him that 807 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 1: it's okay for him to be in pain, and he 808 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: doesn't need to hide that from the world. You know, 809 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:32,240 Speaker 1: he can talk about it with other men. He can 810 00:45:32,600 --> 00:45:34,719 Speaker 1: learn how to to deal with it. He doesn't have 811 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:37,200 Speaker 1: to be reactive to it and take it out in 812 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:41,239 Speaker 1: his relationship. So yeah, I love that idea of just 813 00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:44,919 Speaker 1: like men are not taught anymore how to deal with pain. 814 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 1: And I actually think that's like a societal thing too. 815 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:49,760 Speaker 1: We could say that for everyone, because we're so pain 816 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:53,120 Speaker 1: averse that it's like all we teach each other is 817 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:56,120 Speaker 1: how to medicate it away, like go get a drink, 818 00:45:56,320 --> 00:45:58,719 Speaker 1: go all the stuff you said, you know, like get 819 00:45:58,719 --> 00:46:02,319 Speaker 1: in another relationship. If heartbroken. It's just like that's what 820 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:06,080 Speaker 1: we teach And so it is really sad because there's 821 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:08,760 Speaker 1: going to be pain in life, like life on life's 822 00:46:08,840 --> 00:46:14,120 Speaker 1: terms is painful. If we learn how to process through 823 00:46:14,160 --> 00:46:16,680 Speaker 1: that pain, there's always growth and learning in there too, 824 00:46:16,719 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 1: if we choose to look at it that way, you know, 825 00:46:19,239 --> 00:46:23,919 Speaker 1: but or not and not react or medicated away. But um, well, 826 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:26,000 Speaker 1: I just love the work that you're doing. And I, 827 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: like I said, I've mentioned the podcast a couple of times. 828 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:31,319 Speaker 1: I'm a big fan. I've been listening a lot, um, 829 00:46:31,400 --> 00:46:33,600 Speaker 1: So tell us a little bit about what people can 830 00:46:33,600 --> 00:46:37,000 Speaker 1: find if they do go listen to the Man Talks podcast. Yeah, 831 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:40,120 Speaker 1: I mean we I've had some interesting guests, like I 832 00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:45,360 Speaker 1: have whim Hoff coming on soon, the Breath guy, Yeah, 833 00:46:45,400 --> 00:46:51,200 Speaker 1: he's phenomenal. I've had sex therapists, astrophysicists, um, you know, 834 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:55,320 Speaker 1: psychologists and coaches and entrepreneurs on the on the show. 835 00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:59,319 Speaker 1: And it's all through the lens of how, you know, 836 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:01,360 Speaker 1: how do you become how do you define and become 837 00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:04,160 Speaker 1: the best version of yourself as the man, as a father, 838 00:47:04,239 --> 00:47:06,719 Speaker 1: as a husband, you know, as a partner, as a 839 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:10,239 Speaker 1: business leader or entrepreneur or whatever it is. Uh, And 840 00:47:10,320 --> 00:47:13,000 Speaker 1: so that's really what we're all about. It's there's a 841 00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 1: there's a big focus and on relationship, whether that's the 842 00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:20,000 Speaker 1: your intimate relationship, but more specifically the relationship you have 843 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,600 Speaker 1: to yourself. How do you lead yourself more effectively in 844 00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 1: whatever you're up to in life? And then what do 845 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:29,080 Speaker 1: you guys? Is there anything coming up on Man Talks? 846 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:31,120 Speaker 1: Do you have any retreats coming up? And you said 847 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:35,520 Speaker 1: you do retreats pretty often, right, Yeah, yeah, we have 848 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:37,880 Speaker 1: one coming up in New York. So we have a 849 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:41,520 Speaker 1: live event coming up in New York and uh um 850 00:47:41,560 --> 00:47:44,040 Speaker 1: that will be coming out soon. So people could you know, 851 00:47:44,080 --> 00:47:45,600 Speaker 1: if they're on the website, they can just sign up 852 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:49,279 Speaker 1: and we'll we'll send you more information. Um. And then yeah, 853 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:51,600 Speaker 1: I mean we have the The Alliance, which is a great, 854 00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:54,480 Speaker 1: great resource. And then I have my book coming out 855 00:47:54,960 --> 00:47:58,839 Speaker 1: in January, which is gonna be it's gonna be fun. 856 00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:00,919 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be doing a little book tour and going 857 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:03,880 Speaker 1: around and talking about it and you have to have 858 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:05,560 Speaker 1: you back on when the books coming out and talk 859 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:09,120 Speaker 1: about this. But that sounds amazing. And then also I 860 00:48:09,120 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 1: know you're on Instagram at Man Talks. It's a great 861 00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:13,839 Speaker 1: account for you guys. It's also great for ladies like 862 00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:17,760 Speaker 1: I love following anything that has to do with relationships, 863 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:20,120 Speaker 1: and I think it's really interesting to hear from a man, 864 00:48:20,320 --> 00:48:24,120 Speaker 1: like a more man's perspective, because, like I said earlier 865 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:26,080 Speaker 1: in this podcast, there's a lot of things that I 866 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:28,080 Speaker 1: don't think about because it's not the lens that I 867 00:48:28,080 --> 00:48:30,520 Speaker 1: see the world through. So it's really helpful to me 868 00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:34,320 Speaker 1: to have more empathy and grace with any partners or 869 00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:36,279 Speaker 1: friends that I have, just to hear it from a 870 00:48:36,280 --> 00:48:39,839 Speaker 1: male perspective. Yeah, well I do. I do have quite 871 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 1: a few women to follow me, and I actually have 872 00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:48,320 Speaker 1: a program coming out called Understanding men um for Women. Yeah. 873 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:50,720 Speaker 1: Over over the years, I've just had so many women 874 00:48:50,960 --> 00:48:55,120 Speaker 1: ask questions. Yeah, and I was like, Okay, well I 875 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:57,160 Speaker 1: I need to just be able to address some of 876 00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:00,880 Speaker 1: these um and so I'm excited about that. I'm excited 877 00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:04,000 Speaker 1: to dive into that's gonna be fun, amazing with Connor. 878 00:49:04,080 --> 00:49:05,839 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for being here. Like I said, 879 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:07,120 Speaker 1: I could talk to you all day because I have 880 00:49:07,160 --> 00:49:09,120 Speaker 1: so many questions and maybe I'll just take that course. 881 00:49:09,200 --> 00:49:13,239 Speaker 1: That sounds like a good program for any women who 882 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:15,480 Speaker 1: have a lot of questions for you. Go check out 883 00:49:15,480 --> 00:49:17,800 Speaker 1: Connor I'll put all his information in the show notes 884 00:49:17,880 --> 00:49:19,960 Speaker 1: and Connor again, thank you so much for being here. 885 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:23,759 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to The Velvet's Edge podcast with Kelly Henderson, 886 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:26,400 Speaker 1: where we believe everyone has a little velvet and a 887 00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:30,600 Speaker 1: little edge. Subscribe for more conversations on life, style, beauty 888 00:49:30,640 --> 00:49:34,359 Speaker 1: and relationships. 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