1.11.2011

Facets of Man

It’s been a while since I last posted, but I would like to attempt at least one post a week. Life can be overwhelming sometimes. 
Today, in many of our lives we think of ourselves and constantly we compare ourselves to other men in some aspect of our lives:
“THAT guy is a better athlete than me. THAT guy would be more attractive to my wife than me. HE has more money. HE has accomplished more than me. HE is more intelligent. HE is more creative. HE has a better job. HE has more. I’M a loser. I’M inadequate. I don’t warrant a second glance from my spouse or significant other. I’M not smart enough. I CAN’T succeed.”
We, as men, have all had these thoughts. Some would peg us as having self-esteem issues. Others would say that we are self-absorbed. That might be in some cases, but ultimately we are “stuck in the mire” of our mediocre society trying to conform to some unwritten definition of success, style, sophistication, or “swagger.” Too often we are caught up in impressing someone else that we do not fulfill our own need to thrive. We feel hollow and as such, worthless, but that is not true. We all have worth, we can all find something that fulfills us, and we can succeed in almost any endeavor worthy of our pursuits.
Think of some areas where you are “deficient.” What could you do to improve in these areas? Could you have a better relationship with your spouse or significant other, your family, or your friends and co-workers? What areas, that you’ve never delved into before, would you like to explore? Perhaps you’ve never been a religious person, but you are interested? Or maybe you’ve never been in remarkable shape, but you want to achieve better physical fitness for your health. I, personally, have problems being content with where I am at in life. I am always looking at the horizon, seeking to go further, higher, and faster than I have ever gone before.
Probably some of the most rewarding and memorable relationships we will have in our lives will be those of our mentors. Mentors are special individuals. They have great influence in the lives of those that they mentor, they provide encouragement when times are gloomy, and help you find the direction you should travel. An important note about mentors is that to find an effective mentor, you should look for one with demonstrated success in the area you wish to grow in. For example, to improve my financial life, I would NOT use the advice of a broke Uncle Such-in-such. I’ll take advice all day from someone like say, Warren Buffet. Also, a mentor in one area could probably encompass several facets of your life, but they are more than likely not masters of all that they survey. Different areas of your life will require different mentors, and don’t stick with just one. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” 
One of my friends, a man named Karl, was one such mentor. He encouraged me to better myself, he believed in me, and he has positively influenced my life. Some “core” areas that he thought should be constantly improved upon are: Faith, Family, Finance, and Fitness, in that order. I think that this will be my focus in the next few posts is to touch on these topics: Religion, Relationships, Responsible Money Management, and Reclaiming your Fitness. I am trying to improve in these areas, among others, and writing about them will assist me in accomplishing them.

1.01.2010

A New Year, A New Page in History

Greetings, friends! Today marks the start of a new year and the start of, at the very least, a new me! Now, it's not that it's really going to be a "new" me, just a renewed focus to be a "better" me.

First things first.

Welcome to my blog, "A Lion in the Mirror."

This is my first undertaking at writing so please bear with me in this endeavor. This blog is dedicated to all the men out there who feel imprisoned inside themselves by how society expects them to act, think, or express themselves, for those that feel restricted to stay within the norm, or feel like a "caged lion." This new year brings with it a new slate, and I leave it up to you to decide what to etch upon that great stone of future history.

On commencing this "work," I asked myself, "What does a man long for? Power? Money? Fame? Love? All of the above?" Then it donned on me. Significance. Is what we do day in and day out worthy of the annuls of history? Will our great-great grandchildren know our names or will our names be forever lost in the abyss of time long forgotten? Something to chew on for a minute, at least.

Not to jump around, but I would like to extend a special thanks to my wife of five years, Danielle, my true love, without whom I would be but a mere shell of a man. She completes me and supports me in all I do, even though she might not like it. I am a better man because of her, and with her help, love, and support, I will continue to better myself as a man, a husband, a father, and as a citizen. To brag on her a bit, she is the one who made the banners and pictures you see here. She spent many hours getting it just so for a very picky husband. Thank you, Danielle, and know that I love you with all of my heart and all of my soul and that it is through your selflessness and devotion that I am and was able to overcome some of the most difficult obstacles in our lives. With your love and support, I know I can scale any mountain no matter how tough the climb, and weather any storm no matter how fierce. For all this and more, I love, adore, and cherish you.

Now, where were we? Ah, yes. The blog. It is my intent to share with you some insight I have received, learned, or am learning about key areas in the development of a well rounded man. Keep in mind, the information I share with you, I learned from somewhere or someone else; not much will actually be new information, as I do not fit the definition of creativity, nor do I profess to be by any means an expert in any subject discussed in this blog. I will do everything within my ability (however limited it may be) to cite references and authors of any material used herein. You have been duly warned. I will except any comments or criticism about anything I write, and am open to discussion on any subject I've written on, provided they are within the bounds of being open-minded, respectful, and wholesome to enable us to progress towards edification. No hate mail; we are all gentlemen here. With that in mind, I bid you farewell. Until I return, may God bless you and yours this new year, and I wish you health and happiness in your pursuit of a better man, you, and freeing the lion within.