Men’s Work - (An Act of Revolution)

Men getting together to connect, share, challenge, deliberate, celebrate, and be held accountable is a tradition that every known culture and tradition the world over has engaged in throughout all of time, regardless of where your genetics come from.

This tradition has been largely forgotten for some time now.

As a result, our collective council-fires have gone dark, and the shadow-qualities within us have gone un-checked by the watchful eyes of our brothers.

But the time has come for Men once again to gather- to sharpen, to check, and to challenge one another into how best to show up for ourselves, our families, our friends, our partners, and our communities.

In an age of divisiveness, nihilism, and “lone-wolf” individualism, I believe engaging in Men’s Work to be a genuine act of Revolution.

Revolution against a system that pits man against man in the cult of comparison that is algorithmic social media

Revolution against the cult of shadow-capitalism that puts profit above people and the planet we all share.

Revolution against the “ism’s” and the stereotypes that hold no water in light of communication, camaraderie and connection.

As Men, I believe…

To practice Presence in a time of distraction is a revolutionary act.

To practice Posture in a time of collapse is a revolutionary act.

To Practice Connection in a dis-connected world is a revolutionary act.

To Practice space-holding in a time of chaos is a revolutionary act.

To practice honesty in an age of deceit is a revolutionary act.

There are things within ourselves and within this world that can do better.

That in and of itself makes you a Rebel.

A Rebel who believes differently from the crowd.

A Rebel who believes that changing his posture and changing his breath can literally transform his life and the life of everyone around him.

A Rebel who believes it's time for Women to be treated differently;

A Rebel who believes it’s time for the Planet to be treated differently;

A Rebel who believes it’s time for Business to be conducted differently.

A Rebel who believes it’s time for Men to treat themselves and other men differently.

The Practice of Men's Work is an act of Revolution against a Culture that suppresses Purpose, Freedom, and Love in exchange for consumer therapy; in exchange for 500 channels of well-produced television and the ever at-the-ready dopamine inducer of smart-phones and social media.

The Practice of Men's Work provides a container for Men to begin to reclaim our lost sensitivity; to jump-start our intuition; to seek connection with other men when the impulse to sulk back to our den is almost overwhelming.

There is wisdom in the aphorism, “We are always practicing something.”

Right now, the way you are sitting while you read this is “practicing” something into your posture, over time.

Many of us spend our days practicing anger, resentment, bad posture, bitterness, shallow-breathing, and victim-mentality, then wonder why our lives aren't changing for the better and we fall deeper into lives of "quiet desperation" until something, finally gives.

What if you brought conscious awareness to your life, around things like posture, mindset, negative self-talk, and judgment?

As Men, when we add movement, breath, stillness to the body, something changes.

As Men, when we stand eye-to-eye with another man and take them in free from judgment,, something deep inside of us shifts, brightens, opens.

This is what the world needs from us.

This is what Women are begging from us.

Men's Work is the Antidote to Apathy. Among many things.

And when we Practice Men’s Work, we are practicing a form of Medicine.

We are learning, modeling, and embodying Openness, structure, presence, awareness, sensitivity, power, depth….

As Revolutionary Men, we strive to make ourselves into Medicine in a world seeking relief.

As Revolutionary Men, it is within our power to become useful anywhere and everywhere we go- to the point that simply our Presence in a space can calm, heal, empower.

What would that be like?

What would your life look like if that was true?

What would the lives of the people most important to you look like if that was true?

What would the planet begin to look like if Men the world over embraced these new/old ways of being?

Together as Men, we Practice.

Together as Men, we Rebel.

Together as Men, we are the Revolution.