Knowledge For Men Archives

Russ Whitney overcame a difficult childhood and went on to build a solid, successful life as a family man, civic leader, self-made millionaire, philanthropist, best-selling author, mentor and businessperson.

An entertaining and inspirational speaker, Russ Whitney has shared the stage with some of the world’s most respected motivational and entrepreneurial thought leaders, including the late Lady Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister; former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; as well as well-known figures such as the late Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins and others. The message Whitney now shares goes beyond motivation – he delivers a life-changing action plan that has positively impacted millions of people.

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”- Proverbs 23 7

1. It’s About Impact. Not Income

Most of us get into our chosen fields and professions for the money.

Sure, there are some of you reading this who are exceptions, who genuinely want to serve.

But most of us? We are, first and foremost, focused on the money.

However, as you continue through life you will realize that making an impact always trumps the income.

If you can change someone’s life, if you can transform someone’s reality, if you can make a dent in their universe, then the money becomes secondary.

Don’t get me wrong.

Money is great, and the more of it that we have, the more we can use it to serve others.

But as you look to expand yourself and your business, pause and realize that true wealth comes from the impact that we have on others, not the income that we create for ourselves.

2. You Cannot Run on Self Will Alone

Our willpower is finite.

If you have big, audacious goals and you are trying to achieve them based entirely on your willpower alone, you are going to fail.

Because you do not have a big enough “why.”

You don’t have something bigger than yourself that is driving you.

Success at the highest level requires a commitment to something greater than just your own desires and selfless wants.

Success at the highest levels requires a deep source of motivation that goes beyond the finite reserve of willpower that each of us possess.

If fast cars, big houses, and hot models are your only motivators, you will eventually burn out and fail.

Because quite simply, those things are not worth the effort that you will be required to put forth.

But if your motivation is deeper, if your “why” is derived from a desire to serve, a desire to make an impact, and a desire to leave a legacy, you will be able to push through the tiring times, the rejections, and the pain.

So go deeper and find what really motivates you to get to the next level.

3. Understand the Power or Humility

Humility is at the root of all greatness.

Yes, you need to have borderline insane levels of self-confidence.

Yes, you must love yourself at a level 10.

Yes, you must have a delusional level of self-belief to achieve your goals.

But…

You must also be humble.

You must be willing to learn, grow, and take advice.

Because the simple truth of the matter is this, you don’t know everything.

You need other people who can help you succeed on your journey.

You need to be willing to put your own ego aside and serve others first.

You need to be willing to occasionally shut up, quit talking, and just listen.

And always remember, no matter how successful you are, there is always another level.

Stay humble, stay foolish ~Steve Jobs

4. If You Don’t Control Your Emotions You Will Fail

One of the biggest keys to success is the optimization and mastery of your emotional control.

You must be able to control your thoughts, feelings, and actions regardless of the circumstance if you want to succeed at any high levels.

When you lose your temper, lash out in anger, take action without contemplation, or start to envy the possessions and success of others, you lose your power.

If you cannot control your emotions, you cannot control anything.

The only thing over which we have absolute power is our mind.

That’s it.

And the second that you forfeit that power and allow external circumstances and other people to take control, your life will nose dive into a downward spiral until you crash and burn.

5. Struggles Are a Gift in Disguise 

Every struggle, every bad circumstance, and every challenge is a gift in disguise.

Life is a constant struggle.

That’s just the way that it is.

You must understand that these struggles are always meant to teach us something.

They are meant to help us grow, to help us break through, and to elevate our lives to new heights.

Joy and passion come from overcoming and breaking through obstacles that you once thought impassable.

So stop fretting about struggles and challenges in your life and start getting excited.

The more struggles you face, the more opportunities you will have to truly prove what you are made of and take your life to a whole new level.

Jim White PhD is Founder & President of JL White International, Inc., the best selling author of What’s My Purpose?, A Journey of Personal and Professional Growth, and the creator of the What’s My Purpose Life Mastery Course. He is also the creator of The Circle of Success®, a customized, yearlong, leadership and management transformation process, Jim White’s Classic Movie Series®, and The “Red Carpet” Tour™. These innovative events have attracted more than 100,000 participants worldwide, including Fortune 500 CEOs, management teams, entrepreneurs, governments, and trade associations.

Whether working with multi-billion dollar corporations or the individual, Jim’s approach is the same: to help you clearly identify how you lead and how you live—professionally and personally—so that you can discover your life’s purpose. This is how leaders launch their real success

“Living life on purpose if it’s not then it’s not worth living.” – Jim White

1. A Life Without Purpose isn’t Worth Living 

A life that is lived for the pleasure of others, a life that is lived without a purpose and a meaning, a life that is lived without passion and zest is not a life worth living.

So many of us today are just going through the motions.

We wake up each day, do what we’re told, and live our lives on someone else’s terms instead of our own.

Gentlemen, you only get one shot at this life.

You only have one chance to make it count.

You only have one opportunity to truly live.

So quit living for the wishes and whims of others, and live your life for a purpose that is meaningful to you.

How do you want to be remembered, what do you want to do with your life, what legacy do you want to leave?

Find the answers to these questions and then go live it.

Life is too short not to.

2. You Must be a Life Long Student 

No matter how successful you become, no matter how much money you make, no matter how many lives you impact, there is always more to learn and do.

To live a life of joy and fulfillment requires that you commit yourself to lifelong education and improvement.

Until the day you die, you must commit to never stop learning, never stop being curious, never stop searching for more.

The world we live in is full of mystery and splendor.

Just as soon as you think you have it all figured out, a new layer is peeled back and you are brought to terms with how truly ignorant you are.

Learn to view this as a positive thing.

As long as you are alive, you have lessons to be learned and skills to acquire.

So never settle, never stop learning, and always be curious.

3. “Stay Fresh”

One of the biggest problems in our modern society is that once people reach a certain level of success, they stagnate.

They forget the infamous Subway slogan “Stay fresh.”

They forget that the joy and the juice of life is found by constantly learning new things and reinventing yourself.

This applies to every area of life.

If your workout program has become dull and boring, take up gymnastics and parkour to bring the life and the fun back into your daily routine.

If your relationship has stagnated, be spontaneous, surprise your partner with a trip to a new city.

If your business is stagnating, commit to innovation and figuring out the solution to a new problem within your industry.

Life is only truly lived whenever we are staying fresh and constantly pushing the envelope further and further each and every day.

So, take a bite out of the sandwich of life, follow Subway’s lead, and “Stay Fresh”.

4. Just Do the Work 

At the end of the day, if you want to succeed, just do the work.

It might sound overly simplistic or massively generalized, but it’s how the world works.

If you want to succeed, then do the work.

Period.

Quit whining, quit moaning, quit being lazy.

Get off your butt and get to work.

5. Learn to Be Present

Life is lived in the moment.

It is not lived in past mistakes or future victories, it is lived right now, in this very second.

As you take a breath and read this sentence, this is life.

Learn to enjoy it.

Learn to be present.

Notice the world around you.

Be thankful for everything that has collided to bring you into this very moment.

Be grateful no matter what your current lot in life is.

Learn to enjoy this moment.

Because it’s all that we truly have.

For more than fifteen years, Owen Marcus has worked with men’s groups to develop programs that give them the tools and teach them the skills to be successful men, to celebrate their strengths, and to live their lives fully and with joy.

Owen Marcus overcame challenges such as Asperger’s Syndrome and Dyslexia to pursue his passion of helping others to find their out of the box solutions. However, it wasn’t until much later that he understood that in being free to be his own man, he was able to create and fulfill a life he designed.

His book Grow Up is not a “self-help book”; it’s a playbook on how to live your own life. Imagine a life where you can dream, love, create and live in the moment with an ease you never thought possible.

“The goal of life is to be a vehicle for something higher.” – Joseph Campbell

1. Embrace the Power of Connecting with Other Men 

If you are feeling lost, unsure of yourself, with nowhere to go and no-one to turn too, then you need to surround yourself with other men.

You need to find and dive into a community of high level men who are living their lives at a higher level.

Men who can help you through your problems, call you on your b.s., and support you in your goals.

When you connect with other men, you become more empowered.

You share your burdens and your problems and open yourself up to the advice, criticism, and love of people who have your best interest at heart.

Drop your ego and find your tribe.

It will change your life in ways that you cannot imagine.

2. State Your Emotions Directly 

Many people will tell you that you need to be “Vulnerable”.

And while there is merit to this claim, it sounds weak and feminine.

Instead, focus on being direct.

Tell people what you are feeling, be honest about your emotions, and open up about your problems.

When you are direct with people, you remove all pretenses and all facades.

You give yourself total freedom because you are willing to take 100% responsibility for who you are, what you want, and how you feel.

State your emotions directly.

Be honest and assertive and your entire world will change.

3. Most Women Are “Bitchy” Because Men Aren’t Assertive

If you are in a relationship and your woman is a “Bitch”, chances are strong that the reason for her behavior is your weakness.

I know that it might be uncomfortable to take responsibility for your relationship and your woman, but when you dive into the nitty gritty, you will realize that I am right.

Women want to fall into their feminine selves and feel safe and secure in the arms of their man.

But they can only do this whenever you are willing to fall into your masculine.

They can only be feminine when you are willing to take charge, be assertive, and do the work that is necessary.

So stop blaming your woman and start looking in the mirror.

You will often find that the fault lies in your own actions and not hers.

4. Do You Habits Give or Steal Energy?

Take time to examine your life.

Look at every habit that you currently have and ask yourself one simple quetsion “Does this thing give me energy or take away from my energy?”

If it gives you energy, then do more of it.

If it takes away from your energy, then cut it out of your life.

End of story.

5. Make a Connection with the Divine 

One of the most uncomfortable topics for most men is the concept of the divine.

We hesitate to give the idea creedence and accept the possibility that we are not the greatest force in the universe.

But if you want to truly grow up and embrace your masculine, then you must develop a connection with the divine.

I don’t mean this in a religious sense.

I mean that you must cultivate an attitude of gratitude, must bend your knee to the will of the universe, and commit yourself to a higher purpose.

When you are willing to do these things, you will find an overwhelming sense of peace and serenity sweeping over your life.

Whatever you view the divine to be, I challenge you to get connected with it in your own way, now. 

Thai Nguyen has been a 5-star chef, international kickboxer, and now writer at theUtopianLife.com & Spiritual Teacher; born in Vietnam, raised in Australia, completed my BA in Humanities/Theology in Texas.

“You have to die a few times before you can really live.” – Charles Bukowski

1. If You Were to Die Today Would you Be Happy

Stop what you are doing right now.

Seriously.

Stop what you are doing and think about this question.

If you had only one hour left to live, if you had just enough time to say your final goodbyes and make amends, would you be happy with how you had lived?

Would you be proud of your accomplishments? Would you be proud of how you showed up for the people in your life? Would you be proud of the man that you have become?

If not, then you need to make a change.

Not tomorrow, not next week, not next year.

Right now.

Life is too damn short to live in an uninspiring and unhappy way.

If you wouldn’t be proud of the life that you have lived, then change something today. 

2. Embrace the Journey

Life is a journey.

It is not a destination.

And quite frankly, who you are and what you want will change as you progress through life.

So don’t worry about having it all figured out right now.

Just embrace the journey.

Enjoy the ride.

And most of all, love the life you have while you create the life of your dreams.

3. Distinguish Your Values and Your Vehicle

You need to develop a clear understanding of the difference between your values and your vehicle and realize that your vehicle is not set in stone.

What do I mean by this?

Each of has values.

We have certain beliefs that we live by, activities that we enjoy, and lifestyles that we want to pursue.

And it’s so easy to get caught up in those values that we forget the flexibility we have when choosing the vehicle that will allow us to live out those values.

For example, if you love surfing, this doesn’t mean that your vehicle needs to be surfing.

As long as you have a career that allows you to dedicate the major portion of your day to your passion, you are set.

Learn to be ok with having disparate value and vehicles.

It is the fastest way to live a life of passion and joy.

4. Comfort Sabotages Your Success

If you get too comfortable, you will fail.

Maybe not at your job, in your relationship, or in your health… but in life.

Comfort is the great killer of dreams and ambitions, because as soon as you are comfortable, you stop striving.

You stop searching for that next level.

You stagnate, wither away, and die.

Do not let this become your fate.

Each and every day, do something that makes you uncomfortable.

Do something that scares you, something that puts you out of your comfort zone.

This is the quickest way to accelerate your life and experience more joy, freedom, and happiness.

5. Learn to Fill Your Life with Different Ingredients

Life isn’t like a box of chocolates, it’s like a dish at a gormet restaurant, it needs to have the proper variety of ingredients.

If you want to live a fulfilling life, then you need to embrace variety.

Try new things, have new experiences, learn new skills, meet new people, and travel to new places.

The mundane and familiar are the great stealers of joy and happiness.

The new, the exciting, and the unknown will pressure you to keep growing and become the man that you were born to be.

Jean-Paul is a high profile endurance athlete who is a veteran of over 80 marathons, in addition to numerous ultra marathons. In 2012, he represented Canada in the prestigious Comrades Marathon in South Africa, a grueling 90km race through mountainous terrain.

In 2014, Jean-Paul ran the iconic Boston Marathon twice in the same day to raise funds and awareness for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Jean-Paul is the guiding force behind Menup.ca, a movement to build a community in which men are free to support one another, and to challenge male stereotypes that limit our growth and prevent us from engaging in authentic and supporting relationships.

“It’s not the days in your life but the life in your days.” – Lance Armstrong

1. Be Willing to Open Up about Your Pain

We all have pain.

We all have trauma, whether we acknowledge it or not.

We are all flawed and imperfect beings.

And there is nothing wrong with that.

As a man, you need to be willing to open up to other people about your pain.

Be willing to bear your soul and be truly vulnerable with other people in your life.

You will often find that your fears about inadequacy and judgement are entirely unfounded, and the important people will do whatever they can to support you and love you through your pain.

2. Hurt People Hurt People

As a society, we do not address the problem of hurting people.

What we fail to realize is that it is a vicious cycle and hurt people end up repeating their experience by hurting someone else.

It is your duty to not only heal your own hurt but to also be available to other men in your life who are hurting but will not show it.

It is your responsibility to eliminate and eradicate hurt whenever and wherever possible.

You never know when that one kind word, when that one invitation for coffee, or that one offer for help will change someone’s life and prevent them from destroying someone else’s.

3. Learn to Balance Your Masculine Nature 

As men we have both feminine and masculine energies.

And it is essential that we learn how to balance these energies.

We must learn how to be tough, strong, and unflappable, while simultaneously being open, vulnerable, and direct about our feelings and emotions.

One of the greatest challenges that we as men face is learning how to balance our two sides, and understanding how the masculine and feminine polarities affect out future.

The first step is to figure out which energy you lack and do the necessary work to build up more of that energy in your life starting today.

4. Get Deeper with the People in Your Life 

Quit the surface layer, b.s. interactions.

A few quick hellos and an “I’m fines” are not enough.

You need to go deeper.

Start diving into more personal and emotional conversations with people in your life.

Figure out what is really going on inside other people’s heads.

Uncover what is really going on.

What pain are they experiencing? What pain are you experiencing? What is going great? What needs work?

You will never know if you don’t ask.

As soon as you finish reading this article, I want you to call up someone and ask them how they are doing… I mean how they are really doing.

You will be surprised at the answer.

5. You Are not Your Past

No matter what was in your past, it does not define you.

If you were an addict, a criminal, a liar, a cheater… It doesn’t matter.

All that matters and the only thing that defines you is who you are right now.

In this very second.

Who are you going to be moving forward?

Let go of your past.

Accept it, own it, and use it to inform yourself in your future endeavors.

But do not define yourself by it.

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multiplatinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his work was internationally known.

His campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, Gawker and Fast Company. His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator–which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book” was a debut bestseller and is now taught in colleges around the world. His subsequent books, Growth Hacker Marketing and The Obstacle is the Way were both published by Penguin/Portfolio.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius

1. If You Want a Great Mentor Be Humble 

Whenever young men go out looking for mentors, they often do so with a completely backward approach.

They go to their desired mentor and then flaunt their skills, pretending to be the greatest thing that this world has ever seen.

But there’s a problem.

Successful people do not want apprentices who have it all figured out.

They want someone who is humble.

Someone who is willing to learn and listen and take action.

That’s it.

If you want great mentors in your life, then drop the ego and be honest.

Tell them that you dont have the skills or the knowledge that they need, but you have the drive, the ambition, and the willingness to learn.

You would be surprised how often this attitude will open doors where there once stood only walls.

2. Be Willing to Just do the Work 

Whatever your goals, dreams, and ambitions are, you must be willing to just do the work.

That’s it.

If you want to be great, if you want to be remembered, if you want to be world class, then show up each and every day and do the work.

Want a 7-figure business? Then do the work.

Want a great body? Then do the work.

Want a beautiful wife and an amazing family? Then do the work.

3. Learn to Experience Situations through the Lens of Stoicism

In every situation, there are both positives and negatives.

The philosophy of stoicism doesn’t ignore or hide the negatives, rather it focuses on the positives.

In every situation, there is something to be grateful for and a lesson to be learned.

If you lost your job, now you have time to take a breath and reassess your goals and dreams while you work towards finding a new stream of income.

If your girlfriend cheats on you, then you have the ability to use this tragedy to figure out where it went wrong and how you can improve next time.

There is always a silver lining.

You just have to be willing to look for it.

4. Don’t Predicate Your Happiness on External Events 

If you want to experience more joy and happiness in your life, then you must remove your focus on external things.

True happiness comes from focusing entirely on things that are inside of your control.

Focus on your actions, your habits, and your mind and not the results that are happening in the outside world.

Just think about it.

If you are only happy when you are rich, what happens when there is a downturn in the market and your entire industry is flipped on its head?

But if you are happy whenever you are working hard towards the attainment of a more glorious goal then markets can rise and fall and your happiness will not change a beat.

5. Find What Fulfills You

At the end of the day, we only have one life on this planet.

And as such, it is important that we spend most of our time doing that which gives us joy and fills our spirit.

Life is too short to waste on an uninspiring vision.

Figure out what fulfills you and go do that.

Do you love to write? Play music? Build websites? Travel?

Figure out your passion, figure out what fulfills you, and then find a way to make it your life.

Matt B. Davis is a journalist and podcaster who specializes in obstacle racing and mud runs. He has completed over 50 events of every distance and difficulty level. Through the Obstacle Racing Media website and podcast, Matt has interviewed over 100 people including athletes, race directors, and other OCR insiders.

Mastin Kipp is the founder of TheDailyLove.com – a website, daily email and twitter account that serves soulful inspiration to a new generation. Started as a feed of quotes sent to Mastin’s friends, The Daily Love shot to fame after a tweet from Kim Kardashian. And a love monster was born.

Hosting Mastin on her weekly show Super Soul Sunday, Oprah dubbed him an “up and coming thought leader of the next generation of spiritual thinkers.” Both an honor, and a mouthful.

Mastin’s mission is to connect people back to what makes them happy. Happy people make better choices, and better choices make for a better planet.

Eric Tyson is a best-selling personal finance book author and has penned five national best sellers. He is also the only author to have four of his books simultaneously on Business Week's business book bestseller list.

His Personal Finance for Dummies, a Wall Street Journal best-seller, won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Business Book of the Year. Eric's syndicated newspaper column is read by millions of readers weekly. He is a former columnist and award-winning journalist for the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle.

Fitness Hall of Famer, Best selling author and 2x World Record Holder, AJ Roberts is a world renowned strength and conditioning coach, athlete, seminar leader and serial entrepreneur. Roberts began his career as a strength and conditioning coach at the University of Idaho from where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Sports Science. Since then he’s gone on to gain vast knowledge and experience both as a Coach and Athlete in Powerlifting, CrossFit and Bodybuilding.