You know something’s wrong. You can feel it.
Like Neo in The Matrix, you know things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. But we’re not talking about the world around you. There’s something happening with your inner world. It has you frustrated, restless, unhappy. But knowing about the wrongness hasn’t made it better. In fact, it’s made things worse.
I’ve been there, trust me. For decades, I wandered through my own life without a purpose. I often felt useless, no matter what I achieved. It took a lot of time and suffering before I began to suspect I was running on obsolete “social software.”
Like me, maybe you fell for the notion that men are supposed to be pillars of strength that don’t feel too much, think too much, or dream too big. Maybe you were taught the world is a nasty, dog-eat-dog place where dreams are a luxury we can’t afford. This worldview may have sent you into a downward spiral of isolation and depression.
Maybe, like me, you’ve never really given up hope that things could be different.
A New Man for This Century…and Beyond
The opening line of Allen Ginsberg‘s Howl says “I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness.” I saw this line played out too many times in my own life and the lives of men around me. Finally, I realized the madness was being taught to us, blindly passed down because “that’s just the way it is.”
I’d had enough. I waded through years of struggle and a lot of trial-and-error experimentation with different religions, philosophies, and therapies. It wasn’t until I brought together ideas from a wide variety of teachings that I discovered something that worked for me.
What I discovered is, ultimately, you must start by being the hero of your own life.
You must make the conscious choice to believe in your own personal power to determine your own purpose and meaning for your life. It’s the vital first step on the road to fulfillment and happiness.
I’m so inspired by the creators of Real Men Feel, Andy Grant and Appio Hunter. They’re kindred spirits to me and any other modern man who is tired of laboring under the stereotype of the macho man. They are fellow travelers on the road.
Most importantly, Andy and Appio have planted the seed of what I believe will become a community of men who can no longer sit back and keep silent about men’s issues. Like me, they want to give you alternatives to the male stereotype we’ve been slaving under for too long. That old framework is rotted out, and together we can build something better to replace it.
What Have You Got to Lose?
It’s not just our minds that are at risk. Our lives are also at stake. Approximately 87 men commit suicide every day in the United States. Over six million men suffer from a major bout of depression every year, which not only affects the mind but the body as well (it’s a contributing factor for heart disease).
Let’s be clear: I’m not talking about saving the world. I’m talking about saving you.
But when you save yourself, a funny thing often happens. The Talmud says “whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.”There are opportunities every day, big and small, for us to rise to the challenges of life and act heroically.
If you or someone you know would benefit from the weekly Real Men Feel show, I encourage you to check out the show and spread the word about it. Strength comes from numbers and together, we can work to create a new, positive definition of what it means to be a man.
If you liked this post, please share it with those you feel will benefit from reading it. And please leave a comment about your own struggles and what you’ve done to overcome adversity.
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About the Author
Anthony Simeone is a writer, speaker, and social activist with over two decades of experience studying the practical application of literature, philosophy, psychology, and other disciplines. The culmination of his work is the Live the Hero concept, which he offers as a life path for use in overcoming life’s daily obstacles. Live the Hero combines the wisdom found in the arts and humanities with the latest discoveries related to modern neuroscience. You can contact Anthony and learn more about his work at livethehero.com.