Life Advice

The Daily Man-Up: The 7 Habits That Change Boys Into Men

April 25, 2019 Leave a Comment

I’ve interviewed more than 400 highly successful men from dozens of fields over the past half decade.

Over the course of these interviews, I noticed that nearly every “Great Man” has a core set of mindsets and habits that lead to massive productivity, impact, and fulfillment.

Here are the seven most frequently cited habits that I came across in my research.

1. Boys Act on Feelings Men Act on Vision

Boys allow their feelings to determine what they do and when they do it.

If they don’t feel like doing something then they don’t.

Men are different.

Men create a crystal clear vision for their future and then base every action on that vision.

The Daily Man-Up

April 24, 2019 Leave a Comment

I’m standing on the platform in the evening rush hour minding my own business when I notice a large man on the other side of the platform is talking into his earbuds, wearing sunglasses.

I wonder if he’s looking at me – I can’t tell, because of the sunglasses, so I am just chilling. I look at my phone, I check out the office girl on my platform, then I look back. He’s staring at me. Still talking. He mouths “I’m going to fuck you up”. Can he really mean me?? I take my headphones off and look at this guy more directly.

“Do you mean me? You’re going to fuck ME up?” I inquire. “Yea, I’m gonna kill you, staring at me. Do you think you’re bad or something?” This guy is shouting at me from ACROSS the train tracks. There are at least about 20 people watching this exchange.

It seems that while I hadn’t even looked in his eyes (because of the sunglasses), he had got the impression I was staring at him.

I immediately adopt a submissive / apologetic posture and go into defuse mode. “Sorry, man. I don’t know you. I have no problem with you. Let’s leave it.” etc etc

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The Daily Man-Up

April 22, 2019 Leave a Comment

jim thorpe olympic shoe

This is Jim Thorpe. Look closely at the photo, you can see that he’s wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn’t a fashion statement. It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim, an American Indian from Oklahoma represented the U.S. in track and field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Luckily, Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. That’s the pair that he’s wearing in the photo. But one of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day.

This is a perfect reminder that you don’t have to resign to the excuses that have held you back. So what if life hasn’t been fair? What are you going to do about it today? Whatever you woke up with this morning; stolen shoes, ill health, failed relationships, don’t let it stop you from running your race. You can experience more in life if you’ll get over the excuses and get on with living. You can have reasons or you can have results and you can’t have both. #lovethis #gotta #share #mindset

The Daily Man-Up

April 19, 2019 Leave a Comment

(photo: @the_alp_photography)

Hi, I my name’s John. I need to get my life off my chest. About me. I’m a 46 year old banker and I have been living my whole life the opposite of how I wanted. All my dreams, my passion, gone. In a steady 9-7 job. 6 days a week. For 26 years. I repeatedly chose the safe path for everything, which eventually changed who I was.

Today I found out my wife has been cheating on me for the last 10 years. My son feels nothing for me. I realised I missed my father’s funeral FOR NOTHING. I didn’t complete my novel, travelling the world, helping the homeless. All these things I thought I knew to be a certainty about myself when i was in my late teens and early twenties. If my younger self had met me today, I would have punched myself in the face. I’ll get to how those dreams were crushed soon.

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“I’m about to turn 60, and I still feel like I did at 25”

April 12, 2019 Leave a Comment

(photo: @wadeaustinellis)

I keep hearing about “adulting” and how hard it is. Well, it is hard and doesn’t get easier.

At almost 60, I still get scared, overwhelmed and don’t know what to do sometimes. I still have sleepless nights and wonder what the hell I’m going to do about some situations. The difference is I can use my experience in prior situations to assess the current one. Or, even better, I have a circle of family/friends/professionals that I can go to for advice. Ones that I trust, not the one on the next barstool or such.

But inside, I still feel like I’m 25! I like splashing in puddles, I sit in awe of a star-filled sky, I blow bubbles even when I’m not with the grandkids. I love shopping for new and different clothes in out of the way places, I still travel alone to places that interest me. I love to cook and try new things. I stay out late and sleep in sometimes, just not every weekend lol. I take up new hobbies and endeavors because they seem interesting. I still reach out to strangers and make new friends, so that I don’t get bored. And I LOVE a good whisky and the occasional drunk!

The Daily Man-Up: Life Is Full Of Hills

April 8, 2019 Leave a Comment

(photo: @jonathanbell)

“Loving the hills” is an attitude I adopted toward training as a young athlete. Most people train on flat land because it’s easier. But I would intentionally seek out hills.

Life is full of all kinds of “hills.” Once you accept this, the obstacles and challenges you face don’t matter as much because you understand they’re supposed to be there.

When things get tough, remind yourself it’s just a hill. And once you get over a hill, there’s a valley on the other side.

– Janine Shepherd

The Daily Man-Up: Are You A Man With True Masculinity Or Are You A “Nice Guy?”

April 4, 2019 Leave a Comment

(photo: @ahmed_rizkhaan)

Are you a man with true masculinity or are you a “nice guy?”

For most of my life, I have been the “nice guy.”

Growing up, I was taught to believe I have to be “nice” so others will be “nice” to me and I will get what I want in return.

Secretly I was doing “nice” things for people because I wanted something in return. Driven by the covert contract, I did everything to please others hoping to get what I want.

Not having any boundaries and self-respect for myself, I allowed others to take advantage of me.

They behaved that way because I was training them to act that way.

Most times I wouldn’t get what I want. As a result, I would feel resentful and bitter.

The Daily Man-Up

April 2, 2019 Leave a Comment

Reading this might save you $17,118.33 or more and hopefully a painful & expensive lesson.

Point blank, this amount was stolen from me.

I trusted in someone & in good faith and I just paid the price. I am not here to point fingers, cry woe is me or seek sympathy – I am here with the sole purpose of sharing this loss and lesson with the hope of preventing anyone further being f*cked over by any opportunistic & desperate lowlives.

The truth is, you never know what people are capable of so you need to be educated & protect yourself at all times – and by every means necessary. Don’t trust, hope or wait. You need to protect your money, idea’s, possessions, IP etc because someone could just take it – and probably will or waiting too if they get the opportunity.

It’s sad to say ..but sadly it seems that most people are out for themselves, greedy, untrustworthy and/or have alterior motives these days – especially the ones with no purpose, skills, or integrity.

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The Daily Man-Up: Time, Distance And Life Will Separate You And Your Best Friends

March 28, 2019 Leave a Comment

You will grow apart from almost all of your friends by the time you hit 30 because that’s just the way life is – people change.

Of course you’ll have the occasional hang out typically during the holidays when someone gathers the courage to call and set up a get together but it won’t be the same.

You might be thinking “oh not me and my boys, we’re so tight!” I thought the same thing too with friends that I spent every waking hour with growing up in high school and college.

People live their own lives as they should.

They get new jobs…

Move to another city or state…

Enter new relationships…

Change the way they view the world…

Start families…

And even die…

On the flip side, you’ll make new friends that are more aligned with where you’re headed on your journey.

The Daily Man-Up: To Settle Is To Suffer

March 25, 2019 Leave a Comment

(photo: @kfred)

To settle is to suffer.

Are you trying to drive your happiness and fulfillment into the ground?

The comfort and security of a job you hate will send you straight to that point. The despair of your job may open the way to the instant gratification pleasures of modern society (alcohol, drugs, porn, food, tv binging…) causing you to be numb.

You were put into this world for a reason. You have a unique combination of talents and gifts that no other person has, or has ever had.

To withhold those gifts from the world is to slam the door on your own success and throw away the key.

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how. – Friedrich Nietzsche

You will never regret going after your dream job or business – no matter how it turns out. But you will unquestionably regret passing up the opportunity later in life.

When you’re lying on your deathbed, you won’t regret the times you tried and failed – or the adventures and invaluable life lessons you had along the way. Instead, you will regret all the times you could have tried, but cautiously chose to back down from the challenge.