027 - The power of being around good men

We have many narratives that we see, hear, experience, and take on board as boys, adolescents and now as men. They range from innocent, to important, to powerful and positive, to powerful and outrageously negative. We have narratives and messages we receive about being respectful of others, about treating others how you want to be treated, about elbows on the table, about talking with your mouthful, about the importance of getting an education and getting a good-paying job, about success and what dictates it, about marriage and what makes a good one, about death and aging - just about anything in life, we receive messages and from those messages, we create narratives about them. Those narratives become our beliefs. Our beliefs become our behaviours. Our behaviours create our life; what it looks and feels like, how we act, how we speak, and ultimately who we are. In amongst all of this is the common narrative that includes a mixture of the following: that men need to be strong, tough, unemotional, never show weakness, be able to handle everything, and never ask for any kind of help or admit that you can't do something or don't know something. Before I move on - let's just reflect for a moment on the widely outrageous size of that as an expectation we commonly place on boys as they stare down that narrowest of narrow paths to manhood. Fuck. One of the behaviours and set of outcomes that often falls in here is the common pattern of attempting to live and solve all of life's problems on an isolated island. And friendships that stick to the surface. A consequence of that is almost every man living this reality thinking he's the only one experiencing rough patches and problems, while simultaneously wishing he had safe support to understand and navigate said issues. What happens, is we have removed the incredibly important and massively powerful nature of male relationships with depth, support, strength, compassion, and accountability - the kind of relationships that allow us not only to navigate life, but to grow in the container that they are as we test ourselves and be tested. In this Episode: This is what I explore and dive into on this solo episode of the podcast this week; the power of being in community with good men. Of course, one of the things that might bring up is 'What is a good man?' - so, for the sake of brevity, I'll simply point you to the podcast to listen to the broader explanation of a man of integrity, strength and safety for others. If you're a man who does not have these types of relationships, nor doesn't have an idea how to create them let's first start with acknowledging the immense power and importance of them and what they have available for you. In the episode, I present the case for not only having good men in your life, but also why men and boys banter and pile shit on each other - from an evolutionary standpoint. I enjoyed this episode, as, in case it's not blatantly obvious, I believe wholeheartedly in this - it is part of every piece of coaching, programs, course, anything of the work I do with men in some way involves that man having other men in his corner to support him, to challenge him, to hold him accountable, and to call him forward into integrity and who he is capable of being. There is an invitation for you in this.   As always, please let me know what you think of it. Hit the 'SUBSCRIBE' button and if you're listening on Apple - please leave a rating and review, it helps us get this in front of more men who could benefit from it. Where to find out more about entering into this kind of supportive community and loving challenge with Mike in EVERYDAY LEGENDS ACADEMY - Find out more and apply for a strategy call with Mike here: http://mikecampbell.com.au/coaching/   Other Ways To Consume this podcast: iTunes Spotify YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qq6VjKfGjBM   Get Involved: Subscribe to podcast on Apple Follow on Spotify Sign up for Mike's LEGENDAILY Texts to help you with a daily shot of loving straight talk direct to your pocket Register for your simple, safe, and commitment-free call with Mike to explore if ELA is right for you: http://mikecampbell.com.au/coaching/