Dear Son,

Enjoy the visual experience: https://youtu.be/emwkuqJqGxM

The curse of the unworthy is a quiet disruptor, distancing many men from the life they deserve. Many of us constantly speak negative outcomes over our lives because we simply believe that our past mistakes define who we are. Sure, the bad behaviors must be addressed, but once they are in the past, we cannot allow them to be the ceiling to our joy, peace, freedom, success, wealth, and love that we crave (and deserve). 

This conversation, as do most, provides a transparent view of life through the lens of fatherhood; however, it does not exclude women. There may be parallel experiences that resonate with you, or you may just want a peak into the minds of men. We wouldn’t be here without you. You're welcome.... you’re all welcome. We invite you to take this ride with us to experience life as we know it.

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

“20 Life Prompts that Facilitate Effective Parenting” (eBook) - https://thedearsonpodcast.com/dsp-merch-%26-digital/ols/products/20lifepromptsv1

DSN Merch Store: https://thedearsonpodcast.com/dsp-merch-%26-digital

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable #struggle

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give this podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://lovekishajstudios.com

Other social media: 

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https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

My eBook is finally available! I appreciate your support. https://thedearsonpodcast.com/dsp-merch-%26-digital/ols/products/20lifepromptsv1

The journey of manhood is nuanced. We are often called to be everything to everyone at the expense of knowing our purpose and identity. Some would argue that those concepts are interchangeable, and yes, they are similar; however, they are not the same. 

In this series launch, we assembled 16 panelists, men from varying walks of life, to discuss what some might consider a very simply defined word, identity. We learned very quickly that while everyone understood the assignment, there wasn't necessarily one correct answer. Nerves aside, every panelist provided context with transparency to push the conversation forward. Each panelist (and event participant) left in a better condition than when they arrived. 

This conversation focused on identity challenges the panelists faced throughout life and the impact women have had on their identity. The responses addressed learning how to treat women, learning how to respect and set boundaries as a husband, and the impact of a woman seeing more value in him than he does.  All of us are works in progress, yet were several triumphs shared.  In kind, the Dear Son, Network presents these stories to you. 

We ate, we drank, and we celebrated each other. It was (and still is) powerful. I sincerely pray that this series is a blessing to you and your circle. Let it be a life prompt that facilitates necessary conversations with those you love. Be sure to engage in the comments section As always, I welcome your feedback and perspective. It takes a village.

#fatherhood #healingjourney #accountable #blackfathers #fatherandson #blackexcellence #affirmation #confirmation #identity 

Participants:

James Johnson (moderator): https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Shawn Serfass: https://instagram.com/shawn2ndchance

Anvalon Elliott: https://instagram.com/iamanvalon

Adrian Yowman

Salute to Love's Luxe Event Styling and Della's Lunchbox for upgrading the environment. The space was styled beautifully, and the food was top tier. (links below). 

https://linktr.ee/dellaslunchboxllc

https://instagram.com/loves_luxe

Follow the show: 

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give this podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://lovekishajstudios.com

Let’s connect socially: 

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Man. Better Father.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/1N1VrNMuEco

Dear Son, the world will offer you many definitions of what a man is and how he is expected to behave. Most of these definitions are filtered through the lens of personal experiences. Some may sound logical while others will clearly sound farfetched. It’s important that you understand how to recognize your full range of emotions and embrace them responsibly.   

Merriam-Webster defines masculinity as “the quality or nature of the male; the quality, state, or degree of being masculine or manly.” Many will automatically associate characteristics such as brave, strong, fearless, leadership, and assertiveness with being masculine. Conversely, weak, sensitive, fragile, and scared are characteristics commonly associated with being feminine. As a man, you’ll likely have experiences that evoke all of these characteristics if only for a brief moment. 

In this episode, we’ll get to know Nate Cottman, a viral social media personality and thought leader in the self-love and accountability space, and why he champions the concept of “masculine vulnerability.” He provides a transparent look into his life and how he navigated emotional traumas related to an unsuccessful marriage, losing the relationship with his father, and ultimately his father’s death. We discussed the importance young men being able to cry as an acceptable response to hurt and why processing vulnerable thoughts and feelings is a vital component of being a man. I’m certain that you’ll find this conversation valuable, but please don’t keep it a secret. Be a blessing by sharing this with someone you love.

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

Follow Nate: https://instagram.com/fromnatewithlove

28-Day Self-Love Journal: https://fromnatewithlove.com

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give this podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://lovekishajstudios.com

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/PFb0F48L4NY

Dear Son, It isn’t what it looks like! Sometimes we see things and people how they are presented to us, not knowing what is really happening at the core. We live in a microwave, celebratory, highlight reel of a world. Our timelines are constantly flooded with unimaginable lifestyles, wins, and “goals” that shape how we view and value success.  

Comparison has been stealing joy for centuries. It may be more pronounced at different stages of life, but it is always potentially there. Think about the elementary school kid that wants the gaming system that some of his classmates have. Perhaps the high school teen wishes she had style like the homecoming queen. There was a period where I compared my success to peers that reached a level that I had not. 

It's important to focus on your path. There will be parts of the journey that won’t look like what you envisioned, and you may not understand it in the moment. In those moments, don’t start measuring your success based on someone else’s path. Your experiences are shaping your story and uniquely qualifies you to impact the world in a way that can be substituted or duplicated. Remember, at the party, not everyone is celebrating. Some are just trying to temporarily escape the chaos that haunts them daily. When the music is pumping and the drinks are flowing, it all looks the same. Mind your envy.

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give the podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://lovekishajstudios.com

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/95JSeJ7-kT4

Dear Son, don’t jump out the window for your friends! This is a metaphor for being so passionate about a person or a thing that you rush to defend the person or thing no matter what. Your friend says that someone hurts their feelings, and you’ve already put your boxing gloves on, ready to spar. You don’t even know if the friend antagonized the person, and you really don’t care. It’s up! 

Jumping out the window doesn’t just apply to negative scenarios. Some people will jump out the window for their love interest. These gestures can be interpreted as endearing or off-putting. What is over the top for one, may be the bare minimum for another. 

The primary focus is helping our children understand what comes with jumping out the window through sharing life experiences. I’ve been guilty of sheltering my children from my past because much of it was embarrassing. Withholding this information puts them at risk of repeating mistakes that have already taught me the lessons. I’d rather risk temporary embarrassment. 

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give this podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://lovekishajstudios.com

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/4PiplHbIiSA

I have a tough time understanding why some parents introduce their child as their best friend. I’m not talking about an adult parent and adult child, but literal kids (toddlers in some cases). There are so many barriers to creating that kind of relationship in my mind, but this conversation may have changed that. 

There are several circumstances that yield single parenthood. I can understand how parent-child friendships form when they are all they’ve got, or at least they spend a significant amount of time together. How does the friendship line get crossed though? What are those conversations like with a child or adolescent best friend?

This conversation isn’t condemning or condescending. It does; however, provoke thought about the boundaries of parent-child friendships. For instance, discipline shouldn’t be discarded for the sake of the friendship. Also, the child shouldn’t assume that the parent is a peer based on the relationship behavior. A big one for me is ensuring that the child maintains a healthy respect for the parent and other adults. Forgoing any of these could set the child up for a rude awakening when they enter the adult world outside of the house. 

In this episode we provide our perspectives on the importance of being a parent first and provide some real-time conclusions that will spark conversations in your mind and home. Our experiences are different, so our recommendations differ, but they align, nonetheless. Our conversations are unapologetically conducted through the lens of fatherhood because that’s the only experience we’ve had. We welcome the enhancing perspectives of all. 

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. follow this podcast, 

2. turn on auto-downloads,

3. give this podcast a 5-star rating, 

4. leave a stellar written review, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://etsy.com/shop/LoveKishaJStudios

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/Ti1q8YN92D0

Practice DOES NOT make perfect. This is a fact. Practice only makes you consistently good at what you do in practice. Practice wrong…you’ll surely play wrong. Practice long, and you’ll only gain endurance. Perfect practice is the only key to greatness. Don’t you agree?

This may initially sound like a harsh take, but it’s pretty sound when you think about it. Repetition builds muscle memory, and eventually creates a habit or an almost subconscious response to an action. For instance, a boxer that is properly trained can rely on his training to be successful in the ring. The boxer that isn’t properly trained will quickly find out how unprepared he is and will spend the rest of the fight in his head trying to simply survive. Both boxers may have trained for an equal number of hours, but only one was perfecting his skills. 

This conversation isn’t necessarily about sports, though we had a good time with the pseudo greatest NBA player debate. We ultimately realized that the behavior we model as fathers requires perfect practice as well. It’s not good enough to just push our children to be great in sports, education, or any other discipline of life when our actions don’t reflect the character we’re selling to them. 

In this episode we provide our perspectives on the importance of identifying areas where we need to practice what we preach and provide some real-time conclusions that will spark conversations in your mind and home. Our experiences are different, so our recommendations differ, but they align, nonetheless. Our conversations are unapologetically conducted through the lens of fatherhood because that’s the only experience we’ve had. We welcome the enhancing perspectives of all. 

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel, 

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this video, 

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://etsy.com/shop/LoveKishaJStudios

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

I’m willing to pay for convenience, and I’m not ashamed of that. When it’s time to travel, upgrade me please and thank you. If I’m driving to an event, front row park me for a fee. If I’m bored on the plane, take my money, and give me internet. I, like many, want what I want when I want it. 

Unfortunately, that convenience-craving character doesn’t easily detach from my roles as father and husband. Through repetition, it became a way of life and has robbed my family of meaningful opportunities to grow. For instance, I grew up cutting the grass at least weekly, that was my chore. I hated it and couldn’t wait until I was able to make somebody else do it. Instead of teaching my sons how to do it, I just paid someone. Once I realized how my obsession with convenience was impacting how they understand hard work, I adjusted. It’s still a frustrating uphill battle today. 

For me, providing a comfortable lifestyle for my family was a status symbol. However, I was also frustrated when I didn’t see my children’s’ work ethic showing up in certain areas. That frustration was compounded when I realized that it was my fault. This dichotomy governed my life for several years. 

In this episode we provide our perspectives on the importance of identifying areas of comfort that are stifling growth, and provide some real-time conclusions that will spark conversations in your mind and home. Our experiences are different, so our recommendations differ, but they align, nonetheless. Our conversations are unapologetically conducted through the lens of fatherhood because that’s the only experience we’ve had. We welcome the enhancing perspectives of all. 

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel, 

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this video, 

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://etsy.com/shop/LoveKishaJStudios

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Dear Son, choose your wife carefully! Choosing a spouse is one of the most important decisions anyone can make in life. It’s a very intentional process, or at least it should be. The process is longer for some than it is for others, but there isn’t a process that guarantees favorable results after “I do.” Many feel like marriage isn’t worth it. I believe a healthy marriage is.

People change, that’s just a constant in life. These changes differ by the individual and occur at different phases of life. This can take a toll on any relationship and requires a measure of patience and commitment to grow through it. Marriage is a future bet. Essentially, two people are in love with each other based on where they are individually and what they know about each other up to that point. If both people are going to change, that’s a huge risk to take. 

In this episode we provide our perspectives on the importance of the selection process, as well as the specific things that we want our sons (children) to focus on. Our experiences are different, so our recommendations differ, but they align, nonetheless. Our conversations are unapologetically conducted through the lens of fatherhood because that’s the only experience we’ve had. We welcome the enhancing perspectives of all. 

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #letsgetmarried #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable #vows

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel, 

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this video, 

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://etsy.com/shop/LoveKishaJStudios

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”

Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/n0CImUxDp4s

Dear Son, are you ready or are you prepared? Those are not interchangeable terms, as some may assume. Let's take an honest look back at various decision points throughout our lives for context. A teenager that doesn't care for his parents' rules, may believe (with full conviction) that he is ready to move out. Emotionally, that may be true, but is he really prepared to handle life independently? Maybe a young woman is so ready to be married that she accepts the first proposal that right, only to learn that she wasn't prepared to be a wife (this happens with men too). 

There are also scenarios where an individual may have all of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to 'do a thing', but isn't mentally ready to deploy them. Sometimes they need external encouragement to help them realize that they are indeed ready. This isn't necessarily something that one automatically outgrows with age. Consider some of your decisions as a parent, employee, entrepreneur, or business owner that didn't yield the desired results? Were you emotionally ready, but not exactly prepared? I'm guilty of that for certain. 

In this episode we discussed the importance of objectivity in decision-making. Emotions drive more actions than preparation (in my opinion). Further, we explored what our responsibilities are as parents to first demonstrate, but also guide our children through the stages of preparation and readiness.  

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to evaluate readiness and preparedness you in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

#daddyissues #accountable #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

Follow James: 

https://instagram.com/jeyblac

Follow the show:

https://instagram.com/thedearsonpodcast

Also, if you've made it this far, don't forget to:

1. subscribe to the channel, 

2. turn on the notifications,

3. like this video, 

4. leave a comment, and

5. share this content with someone who needs it.

The DSP: https://thedearsonpodcast.com

Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors: 

Johns & Co Apparel: https://johnsandcompany.co

Love Kisha J Studios: https://etsy.com/shop/LoveKishaJStudios

Other social media: 

https://twitter.com/dearsonpodcast

https://facebook.com/thedearsonpodcast

https://tiktok.com/podcast_pops

The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”