Wolf & Iron is 6 years old! Actually, this episode is a bit late, but I wanted to give you guys an update on Wolf & Iron, milestones in 2019 and what's coming up in 2020.
By December 31st of 2020, the whole "vision" thing might be played out. It's a pretty obvious thing to latch on to, but all the same, it's cool right now. We need vision. We need it as men, as individuals, but also for our families and our nation.
New Year's resolutions have long been out of favor. Personally, I like marking the new year with some goals, but I also don't like a lot of structure on those goals. One of the best ways to set goals for the new year is to do so with some reflection on the past year. That's where the Start. Stop. Keep. method comes into play.
Happy New Year!
Think of someone you admire...how awesome would it be to get your brain wired to think the same way their brain does? We can all use some outside perspective on how people approach life. We then take the parts that make sense to us and adapt that to our own approach. In this episode I share a bit on how I process things, in hopes it may be helpful for some of you.
I just wanted to take a moment to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Hug your families and enjoy the time together.
Accountability is quite the buzzword these days. Churches are pushing for it. Men's groups of all kinds are pushing for it. It's certainly needed, but accountability in itself does not result in the kind of change men are looking for. It should be seen as a necessary piece to growth, but not the solution.
We live in a time of quick fixes and instant everything. Our silver bullet society wants a simple solution to every problem we face, and there are those who are all too eager to take your money for such a promise. But, what happens when we need to change a number of things in order to correct a problem.
I've achieved more in life through curiosity than I ever have through certainty. Developing a mindset of curiosity, especially about new efforts, will aid you in moving forward as a man and accomplishing your goals in ways you never expected.
True belief must be accompanied by action. This is done because A) you believe reality actually resembles your belief and therefore action is a rational step, or B) to test and see if reality matches your belief so that you might adjust your beliefs to match reality. In either case, a belief which remains only in the mind has no power unless it is acted upon.
There is a certain kind of bonding which ought to take place in a relationship; cementing on various levels of intimacy. Spending time together, holding hands, hugging, kissing and so on, ideally until the day of marriage. When we skip past the other things and don't allow those small moments of intimacy to settle in, we miss out on a number of benefits and often find our relational and intimacy cravings only satisfied by sex.
I was raised as a Southern Baptist. For those of you who also grew up in the south, there are some common experiences we both likely shared growing up in the Bible belt: hellfire and brimstone preaching, potlucks galore, youth trips where sex and alcohol were the norm (not for me though), and the occasional guest preacher or youth conference designed to really stir things up and get the congregation on fire for Jesus.
I wasn't a fan.
Sometimes it takes quite a bit of digging and throwing away of the old stones to find what you're really looking for: the thing that you knew was there but only believed so by faith, not by evidence.
Here's the deal, Ken is a genuine, stand up guy. He is a man working his tail off in an area where he is incredibly gifted, yet still prioritizing family and staying down to earth. I felt totally at ease during the interview and a lot of that is due to Ken's demeanor: You just feel like you're part of the team when you're there.
Head over to the website for some behind the scenes shots as well as a video.
Here's the deal: marketing shouldn't be hard. Sure, it's work, just like anything else, but at the end of the day, if you can't understand your marketing strategy you're likely not doing it right.
Danny is not only a friend, he's a trusted advisor of mine. He's exactly the kind of guy you want in your corner and coming alongside you as your business grows. He's the right mix of both tactical and strategic, while also being down to earth. He keeps it simple, and that's often the most brilliant strategy of all.
It seems like society is always looking for shortcuts: what's the quickest way to get from here to what I want? This type of thinking undermines our long term objectives: to leave a legacy; to be financially secure; to have a strong and happy family; to live a long and productive life and so on.
As men, we need to work to establish what I call a "Long Road Culture". This starts in our personal lives but extends to our families as well. We want to raise children that value the things 1,5,10 years from now...not just the immediate.
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." - Matthew 13:44
Once the man set eyes on that treasure, he knew what he needed to do. Now, this is a bit of an extreme example, but the Kingdom of Heaven is kind of extreme. For most of us, we just need to recognize the value in ourselves and start making investments there.
This is a challenge for a lot of men.
I was honored to speak to Marcus Luttrell a while back. He's an American hero, a man's man. So it surprised me when he used the phrase "A happy wife, happy life." We've all probably heard this at some point and have likely used it. But, is it true? Should it be? What did Marcus mean by it? What kind of impact can this common phrase have on men as leaders of our families?
Barefoot running is where it's at! Dew on your feed, mud between your toes, acorns jammed into your sole. Ok, not that last part. But, it is a more comfortable and rewarding way to get your run in. Here is a podcast episode all about it.
I'm prideful. Probably not as prideful as you, because thankfully I'm humble as well 😉. But in all seriousness, I like doing things alone. Getting after it, making it happen, and seeing the work that my hands have done and feeling pride. That's not all bad, but in my younger days I really thought I could do something different than everyone else. We all know there is nothing new under the sun, but I liked to think I was smarter or better for "figuring it out on my own". In truth, I've learned more, and more quickly, following in the footsteps of others.
Out here on the trail I'm having a journey of healing my father wound. I thought I'd share some thoughts along the way with you as well.
One of the most discouraging aspects of running online businesses is that I'm always comparing my progress to that of others. But, if the time on the trail has taught me one thing, it's that the view is still magnificent, even if you're not the first to see it.
I'm in Washington state, on a journey to heal my father wound. I thought I'd share some thoughts with you during some of my time on the trails of Mt. Rainier.
I thought I'd share some thoughts with you from the trail. As mentioned in a previous episode, I've gone on a bit of adventure to scatter my dad's ashes. It's been a moving experience and has brought some healing. As always, being out in nature allows the mind to roam, the spirit to open, and clarity to come into the space too often preoccupied by the noise of urbanism.
Here are some thoughts on the temptation to turn back when the going gets tough.
This episode was recorded before the trip to scatter my dad's ashes. I've written more and shared some pictures of the trip here https://wolfandiron.com/fatherwound
What are we to think of America in 2019? On the one hand, businesses are booming, we're not engaged in a major conflict, technology is incredible, racism and bigotry are on the decline...there are a lot of good things happening. But, everyone can feel something is off. In this episode I talk about what I think that is and how we should handle it, as men.
My guest today is author and coach, Tommy Baker of Resist Average Academy. He is on a mission to help people achieve their best. His latest book, The Leap of Your Life will get you overcoming negative mindset blocks and heading in the right direction.
One of the things that holds men back from achieving their dreams and working in their passions is the mindset which says "Risk is bad. Comfort is good." But, those are mental handcuffs that keep us tied to a subpar life.
There is a fine line fathers are trying to walk with their boys. No longer is "guy talk" acceptable when it objectifies women. Yet, dads still want to help their sons acknowledged beauty in a respectful way. If, on the one hand, we treat sexuality and physical attractiveness as a taboo subject, we do harm to our sons and daughters. However, if we are glib about it, we do harm as well.