1) Understand how to be a man:
Know what’s important to you and live by your code. Your code is that set of internal principles that define your ethos, for yourself and for the world around you.
Be stoic in the face of adversity.
Move with purpose, shoulders back, eyes forward.
Know how to be dangerous but live your life in such a way that its unnecessary.
You’re a fucking King. Act like it. Honor yourself. Stop living small.
2) If it doesn’t matter in 30 days, it doesn’t matter:
A lot of shit happens that won’t matter in 30 days. Why allow it to alter your attitude, waste your time, and ruin your focus.
Move on… you have important matters to attend to.
3) Make peace with your past, focus on your future:
We all have a story. Trauma from our childhood, our parents, past relationships, whatever. Time does not heal the past. You need to do the fucking work to put trauma behind you or demons will manifest someplace else in your future.
Going from relationship to relationship is not a real solution.
We all have regrets. Learn from them and don’t repeat them.
Life is not fair and thank God it’s not.
Life is not about happiness. If someone tries to convince you that it is, realize that you are talking to a child. Life is about expansion, learning, purpose, acting honorably, making a difference, and joy.
No, joy is not the same thing as happiness.
4) Journal and Reflect:
History has a way of repeating itself. Often the past unfolds in unique ways revealing consistent mistakes, perhaps due to lack of learning, awareness, or understanding? Take the time to reflect on events at the end of each day and journal a few times a week.
Patterns emerge.
Write that down.
5) Begin with an end in mind:
Sun Tzu said, “win first, then go to war”.
Contemplate potential outcomes and decide before taking the first step in any journey. The more you attempt this exercise the better you will get at predicting the future. In times of adversity and conflict, this will be hugely important.
Never go to war against a man that has nothing to lose.
Most fights you shouldn’t have even been in. When you always look at life or situations in life from the perspective of war and enemies, you will never be at peace.
6) Know what the word commitment means:
Everyone is committed when they are eating cake and dancing.
Everyone is committed when they first start on any endeavor.
However, true commitment comes into frame when shit gets real, when life gets tough.
Commitment without the asterisk.
Commitment is loving someone in spite of their faults.
Commitment is that “ride or die” mentality. It looks better in your heart than on your t-shirt.
Commitment is synonymous with Communication. Real, true, and sometimes brutal communication is uncomfortable. Get comfortable being uncomfortable, if you want an authentic relationship.
Divorce is a high impact tool and one that’s initially reached for far too often. How can you truly know that your partner understands and values commitment at the same level as you? The honest answer – you fucking don’t, not until that critical moment. But what’s your alternative – to live small? No. Not a chance. You’re a man, aren’t you!?
Save nothing for the next life