Knowledge For Men

Dale Thomas Vaughn – a champion of purpose, has worked with some of the most influential people in the world including billionaire industry moguls, academic thought-leaders and international heads of state.

He has written and edited seven best-selling books, run with the bulls in Pamplona, trekked the 500-mile pilgrimage that is the Camino de Santiago, become a certified specialist of wine, and both succeeded and failed in the world of business.

Today, through his award-winning work with The EmpowerMentorship Institute, Dale helps men discover what they want from their lives and then empowers them to make a concrete plan to go do it.

1. You Have to Take Your Masks Off 

If you want to live your life to the fullest possible capacity, you have to take your masks off.

You can no longer live your life in-authentically to please others, you must be true to yourself and who you want to be. Do not allow social, familial or societal norms to govern who you are.

If you believe in something that is controversial or unpopular, voice your opinion. If you want to live your life in an uncommon or even frowned up way, do it! Don’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of you living your truth.

2. Introspect 

One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for discovering yourself and your purpose is introspection.

In today’s busy world, we almost never have any time alone and in silence to spend with our thoughts. For Dale, he achieves this time by hiking, for you, it may be morning meditation, an ocean swim, or a long walk outside.

Do whatever you need to do to clear your mind and get the time you need to reflect on who you are, where you are going, and what you want out of life.

3. Get a Plan for Your Life

Once you have spent time in introspection, the next step is to develop a plan for your life.

Who do you want to be? What do you want to achieve? What legacy do you want to leave? Once you have the answer, write out a plan for yourself to get there.

Set goals and deadlines, challenge yourself and create a bulletproof plan for achieving the best life ever.

4. Break Your “Everest Goal” Down 

When you are setting your plan, you will likely have an “Everest Goal” something that is incredibly far off and difficult to achieve.

It is important that you start on the path to this goal by setting smaller, six week goals, completing these small goals and then reassessing where you are with relation to the end.

5. Surround Yourself With the Right People

Now that you have clarity on who you are and what you want to achieve, you have a vision for who you want to be, and you have smaller goals set to help you achieve that vision, it is time to start surrounding yourself with people who can help you make that vision a reality.

Your social circle is one of the most important factors to your success. We all know the Jim Rohn quote that “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” and it holds true with regards to your purpose.

Surround yourself with likeminded men and women who will help you and encourage you on your personal growth journey, who have been there, done that and can help you make sure that you don’t make the same mistakes.

Remember, who you associate with is who you become. Make sure you are associating with the right people.

6. Follow the Six Steps to Manliness 

In the show, Dale shared with us the six key pillars to manliness. Whatever your personal definition of manliness is, all six of these will show up in your life in some way.

1. Purpose: Every man must have some purpose in his life bigger than himself, something he wants to accomplish before he dies that will leave a lasting legacy.

2. Balance: Every man need to have balance in his life. He must be sure to prioritize family and fun as much as he does his work.

3. Adventure: If you aren’t adventuring some, you aren’t living. Life was meant to be lived on the edge, not in a chair.

4. Sophistication: Find things that spark interest in you and pursue them with a passion.

5. Community: No man is an island, and having a support group of amazing people will be one of the greatest accelerators on your road to manliness.

6. Leisure: You only live once, have a little fun, relax a little, you don’t always have to be “on.” All work and no play is a sure fire way to live a boring life.

To millions of people across the globe, the name Bob Proctor is synonymous with success. Long before his role in the movie The Secret sent him into the realm of superstardom, he was already a legendary figure in the world of personal development.

His insights, inspiration, ideas, systems, and strategies are the dimes on which countless lives have spun — the sparks that have ignited career transformations, personal epiphanies, inner awakenings, and the creation of million-dollar fortunes the world over.

As a speaker, author, consultant, coach, and mentor, Bob Proctor works with business entities and individuals around the world, instilling within them not only the mental foundations of success and the motivation to achieve, but also the actionable strategies that will empower them to grow, improve, and thrive in today's ever-changing world.

1. You Must Apply What You Learn

During Bob's journey of personal growth, one of his greatest strengths was that he was an implementer. Like Bob, most people on this site, have read "Think and Grow Rich" and have mentors investing into the and giving them advice.

The reason for Bob's success?

He actually applied everything he learned. He followed the action steps from "Think and Grow Rich," when a successful person told him to do something, he went out and did it.

If you want to achieve success in your own life, you must be a massive action taker and rapid implementer. Don't just read success books, live them. Don't just listen to advice, follow it. It is only by action that you will achieve the success you desire.

2. Mentors Are One of The Most Important Aspects to Success

Throughout Bob's journey he had some of the most prolific and successful individuals in the personal growth world as mentors. And the fact is, almost every successful person has had someone pouring into them and helping them on their path to the top.

If you want to be a top level achiever, it is imperative that you surround yourself with the kind of people who will help you get there. Become friends with individuals who make you uncomfortable, who are so far ahead of you that they intimidate you, and make you push yourself to achieve new levels of success.

No man is an island, and the quickest way to the top is to find people who are already there willing to give you a hand.

3. You Can Build Yourself an Incredible Education

Like many successful individuals, Bob had no formal education, in fact he never finished high school. However, the education he was able to receive through experience and mentors was worth far more than any degree or letters after his name.

If you want to be successful, you must become a self educator. Read as many books as you can take action on, go to as many seminars and courses as you can afford, and surround yourself with as many high achievers as you can find.

Through self education, belief, and massive action taking, success is all but inevitable.

4. You Don't Decide on a Purpose; You Discover It

Bob's advice for anyone feeling lost or unsure, is to spend time alone, writing about the legacy you want to leave, and the way you want to live your life.

It is his belief that we are all guided by something bigger than ourselves and that we all have a higher purpose to achieve. And while we may not be able to alter that purpose, if we discover and follow it, we will set ourselves up for a life of fulfillment and success.

5. Forget Yourself Into Immortality

One of Bob's core beliefs is that we must focus on others to become true successes. As the quote from Emerson states above, we must, "Forget ourselves into immortality."

Because it is only by focusing on others and leaving legacy of selflessness that we can become truly great.

To millions of people across the globe, the name Bob Proctor is synonymous with success.  Long before his role in the movie The Secret sent him into the realm of superstardom, he was already a legendary figure in the world of personal development.

His insights, inspiration, ideas, systems, and strategies are the dimes on which countless lives have spun —  the sparks that have ignited career transformations, personal epiphanies, inner awakenings, and the creation of million-dollar fortunes the world over.

As a speaker, author, consultant, coach, and mentor, Bob Proctor works with business entities and individuals around the world, instilling within them not only the mental foundations of success and the motivation to achieve, but also the actionable strategies that will empower them to grow, improve, and thrive in today’s ever-changing world.

1. You Must Apply What You Learn 

During Bob’s journey of personal growth, one of his greatest strengths was that he was an implementer. Like Bob,  most people on this site, have read “Think and Grow Rich” and have mentors investing into the  and giving them advice.

The reason for Bob’s success?

He actually applied everything he learned. He followed the action steps from “Think and Grow Rich,” when a successful person told him to do something, he went out and did it.

If you want to achieve success in your own life, you must be a massive action taker and rapid implementer. Don’t just read success books, live them. Don’t just listen to advice, follow it. It is only by action that you will achieve the success you desire.

2. Mentors Are One of The Most Important Aspects to Success

Throughout Bob’s journey he had some of the most prolific and successful individuals in the personal growth world as mentors. And the fact is, almost every successful person has had someone pouring into them and helping them on their path to the top.

If you want to be a top level achiever, it is imperative that you surround yourself with the kind of people who will help you get there. Become friends with individuals who make you uncomfortable, who are so far ahead of you that they intimidate you, and make you push yourself to achieve new levels of success.

No man is an island, and the quickest way to the top is to find people who are already there willing to give you a hand.

3. You Can Build Yourself an Incredible Education 

Like many successful individuals, Bob had no formal education, in fact he never finished high school. However, the education he was able to receive through experience and mentors was worth far more than any degree or letters after his name.

If you want to be successful, you must become a self educator. Read as many books as you can take action on, go to as many seminars and courses as you can afford, and surround yourself with as many high achievers as you can find.

Through self education, belief, and massive action taking, success is all but inevitable.

4. You Don’t Decide on a Purpose; You Discover It 

Bob’s advice for anyone feeling lost or unsure, is to spend time alone, writing about the legacy you want to leave, and the way you want to live your life.

It is his belief that we are all guided by something bigger than ourselves and that we all have a higher purpose to achieve. And while we may not be able to alter that purpose, if we discover and follow it, we will set ourselves up for a life of fulfillment and success.

5. Forget Yourself Into Immortality 

One of Bob’s core beliefs is that we must focus on others to become true successes. As the quote from Emerson states above, we must, “Forget ourselves into immortality.”

Because it is only by focusing on others and leaving legacy of selflessness that we can become truly great.

Dr. Dain Heer is an internationally renowned author, of "Being You: Changing the World", speaker and facilitator of consciousness and change.

For over 14 years now, Dain has been inviting people to embrace their true greatness—people from every culture, country, age and social strata of society. Originally trained as a chiropractor, he has a completely different approach to healing by facilitating people to tap into and recognize their own abilities and knowing.

1. Start by Asking Questions

One of the greatest tools you have when faced with a challenging situation is your ability to ask the right questions. Tony Robbins once said that "Successful people ask better questions and as a result they get better answers."

By using this mindset shift, you can alter your reality in powerful and tangible ways. Ask questions every day that excite and empower you and you find equally exciting and empowering answers.

Questions like: "How could it get any better than this?" open up an infinite number of doors for increased fulfillment and joy in your life. Always be asking the right questions.

2. You Create What You Have One Choice at a Time

You are where you are today because of the cumulative affect of millions of small choices. Every breach or reaffirmation of your integrity, every broken or kept promise, every pursued or abandoned goal has gotten you to where you are today.

Instead of dwelling on past decisions that have landed (or elevated) you to where you are, begin anew by looking to where you want to be. Set a clear vision in your mind for who you want to be years from now, and make every decision based off of that vision, big or small.

Realize that there is no such thing as an unimportant decision, even the smallest of choices can have the greatest impact.

3. One of Your Greatest Gifts is Kindness

Kindness is the greatest gift we can give others and ourselves. Being kind to those we know can do nothing for us not only improves the world and the society in which we live, but it also gives us freedom, joy, and a sense of appreciation for what we really have.

Every day look out for new ways that you can be kind, and never miss an opportunity to show love to someone you care about. Life is short and you never know if you will have that chance again.

4. Ask Who Your Beliefs Belong To

One of the most important practices you can do when you are feeling lost, stressed, or upset is to ask "who does this belief belong to." We are the culmination of the beliefs of the thousands of people and influences in our lives, and we often live so fast and so detached from ourselves that we never slow down to examine our beliefs and ask if they are really ours.

Don't think you can succeed at something? Who does that belief really belong to? Think you will never achieve the relationships of your dreams? Who does that belief really belong to? Think you have to follow one career path to achieve fulfillment? Who does that belief really belong to?

Take time to examine the thoughts that you have and figure out where they are coming from. As you begin to identify the negative beliefs that are not yours, you will free yourself and find more peace and joy than you have ever had before.

Dr. Dain Heer is an internationally renowned author, of “Being You: Changing the World”, speaker and facilitator of consciousness and change. 

For over 14 years now, Dain has been inviting people to embrace their true greatness—people from every culture, country, age and social strata of society. Originally trained as a chiropractor, he has a completely different approach to healing by facilitating people to tap into and recognize their own abilities and knowing. 

1. Start by Asking Questions 

One of the greatest tools you have when faced with a challenging situation is your ability to ask the right questions. Tony Robbins once said that “Successful people ask better questions and as a result they get better answers.”

By using this mindset shift, you can alter your reality in powerful and tangible ways. Ask questions every day that excite and empower you and  you find equally exciting and empowering answers.

Questions like: “How could it get any better than this?” open up an infinite number of doors for increased fulfillment and joy in your life. Always be asking the right questions.

2. You Create What You Have One Choice at a Time 

You are where you are today because of the cumulative affect of millions of small choices. Every breach or reaffirmation of your integrity, every broken or kept promise, every pursued or abandoned goal has gotten you to where you are today.

Instead of dwelling on past decisions that have landed (or elevated) you to where you are, begin anew by looking to where you want to be. Set a clear vision in your mind for who you want to be years from now, and make every decision based off of that vision, big or small.

Realize that there is no such thing as an unimportant decision, even the smallest of choices can have the greatest impact.

3. One of Your Greatest Gifts is Kindness 

Kindness is the greatest gift we can give others and ourselves. Being kind to those we know can do nothing for us not only improves the world and the society in which we live, but it also gives us freedom, joy, and a sense of appreciation for what we really have.

Every day look out for new ways that you can be kind, and never miss an opportunity to show love to someone you care about. Life is short and you never know if you will have that chance again.

4. Ask Who Your Beliefs Belong To 

One of the most important practices you can do when you are feeling lost, stressed, or upset is to ask “who does this belief belong to.” We are the culmination of the beliefs of the thousands of people and influences in our lives, and we often live so fast and so detached from ourselves that we never slow down to examine our beliefs and ask if they are really ours.

Don’t think you can succeed at something? Who does that belief really belong to?
Think you will never achieve the relationships of your dreams? Who does that belief really belong to?
Think you have to follow one career path to achieve fulfillment? Who does that belief really belong to?

Take time to examine the thoughts that you have and figure out where they are coming from. As you begin to identify the negative beliefs that are not yours, you will free yourself and find more peace and joy than you have ever had before.

Jay Elliot was a senior member of the original Macintosh development team and helped Steve Jobs develop the original user interface inspired by Xerox PARC. Becoming Senior Vice President of Apple reporting directly to Steve, Jay ran all corporate operations including business planning, IT operations, Facilities, and HR for Apple worldwide.

As a mentor, Jay was able to guide Steve in learning and utilizing the management principles Jay had learned at IBM and Intel, which helped make possible building Apple into a multibillion company and in turning Steve into the kind of leader who was able to inspire and create the society-changing Apple products.

1. You Need to Balance Your Life

One of Steve Job's greatest strengths was the fiery intensity he had for his vision. However, this was also one of his greatest weaknesses. Jobs was never "off" he was always focused on his company and vision.

As amazing as the results are that Jobs achieved, it is essential to your long term health and happiness that you find a way to balance all four pillars of your life.

Never get so caught up in your business that you forget to show up in your health, relationships and spiritual life.

2. Fill Your Mind with New Ideas

One of the qualities that made Steve Jobs great is that he was an innovator. He constantly surrounded himself with the newest ideas and modalities of thinking.

If you want to change the world and create great things, you need to become an innovator. Always be searching for new ways of solving the worlds problems.

3. Tap Into Your Passion

If you want to change the world, you must find what you are passionate about. Find that thing that sets a fire in your belly and gets you up out of bed each morning before the sun is up.

You only have one shot at this life, you can either waste it, playing it safe and living someone else's life, making someone else rich, or you can live a life of passion, doing something you believe in, something that matters.

4. Dont Get Caught up in an Institutional Structure

One of the biggest mistakes any young professional can make is getting caught up in an institutional structure. When you get onto a ladder designed by someone else, you are stuck in a linear path with very little room to innovate and create.

The best thing you can do is to work for yourself or a startup that allows you the freedom to build and create the world as you see fit.

Jay Elliot was a senior member of the original Macintosh development team and helped Steve Jobs develop the original user interface inspired by Xerox PARC. Becoming Senior Vice President of Apple reporting directly to Steve, Jay ran all corporate operations including business planning, IT operations, Facilities, and HR for Apple worldwide.

As a mentor, Jay was able to guide Steve in learning and utilizing the management principles Jay had learned at IBM and Intel, which helped make possible building Apple into a multibillion company and in turning Steve into the kind of leader who was able to inspire and create the society-changing Apple products.

1. You Need to Balance Your Life 

One of Steve Job’s greatest strengths was the fiery intensity he had for his vision. However, this was also one of his greatest weaknesses. Jobs was never “off” he was always focused on his company and vision.

As amazing as the results are that Jobs achieved, it is essential to your long term health and happiness that you find a way to balance all four pillars of your life.

Never get so caught up in your business that you forget to show up in your health, relationships and spiritual life.

2. Fill Your Mind with New Ideas

One of the qualities that made Steve Jobs great is that he was an innovator. He constantly surrounded himself with the newest ideas and modalities of thinking.

If you want to change the world and create great things, you need to become an innovator. Always be searching for new ways of solving the worlds problems.

3. Tap Into Your Passion

If you want to change the world, you must find what you are passionate about. Find that thing that sets a fire in your belly and gets you up out of bed each morning before the sun is up.

You only have one shot at this life, you can either waste it, playing it safe and living someone else’s life, making someone else rich, or you can live a life of passion, doing something you believe in, something that matters.

4. Dont Get Caught up in an Institutional Structure

One of the biggest mistakes any young professional can make is getting caught up in an institutional structure. When you get onto a ladder designed by someone else, you are stuck in a linear path with very little room to innovate and create.

The best thing you can do is to work for yourself or a startup that allows you the freedom to build and create the world as you see fit.

In 2006, Aaron Marino started a men's image consulting firm, alpha m. Image Consulting, to help average men with simple common sense advice; aimed to enhance their image, style, grooming, fashion and most importantly their confidence. Aaron Marino has been featured in countless publications, as well as guest appearances on various television and radio programs, both locally, as well as nationally.

Throughout the past 7 years, Aaron Marino has worked with thousands of men from around the world, helping them with their personal style, grooming, fashion, image, wardrobe and even dating. Through his weekly YouTube posts, Aaron Marino covers a host of topics in the area of men's style, fashion, grooming and even personal responsibility.

Aaron Marino has not only expanded his reach with his viral videos but also with a variety of products such as the stylesystem that was featured on the ABC's Shark Tank.

1. Focus on Fit

No matter what your clothing budget is, always focus on fit first. A $20 shirt from Old Navy can look better than a $300 Tommy Bahama shirt if it the fit is better.

Be sure to try on different sizes of clothing for different brands and styles as a medium in one brand name may be too small in another. Realize that a tighter budget is not an excuse for bad style. Look for those few key wardrobe items and buy a quality article of clothing that fits like a glove.

2. The Goal of Style is to Increase Confidence

The ultimate goal of improving your style and your grooming is to increase your confidence. When your body looks great and your clothes look great, you are going to feel great.

When you put your best foot forward, you will have increased confidence and self esteem, and this will lead to an increase in opportunities and relationship successes.

3. Learn to Differentiate Between Constructive and Deconstructive Criticism

Any entrepreneur, businessman, or public figure is going to attract a far amount of controversy, and with this controversy always comes criticism. This criticism typically comes in one of two forms either constructive or deconstructive.

Constructive criticism, although uncomfortable, will help you to grow and improve yourself as a man and a leader. Deconstructive criticism on the other hand will do nothing but toxifiy your life and lower your self esteem.

Seek constructive criticism and cut out as many sources of deconstructive criticism as you can.

In 2006, Aaron Marino started a men’s image consulting firm, alpha m. Image Consulting, to help average men with simple common sense advice; aimed to enhance their image, style, grooming, fashion and most importantly their confidence. Aaron Marino has been featured in countless publications, as well as guest appearances on various television and radio programs, both locally, as well as nationally.

Throughout the past 7 years, Aaron Marino has worked with thousands of men from around the world, helping them with their personal style, grooming, fashion, image, wardrobe and even dating. Through his weekly YouTube posts, Aaron Marino covers a host of topics in the area of men’s style, fashion, grooming and even personal responsibility.

Aaron Marino has not only expanded his reach with his viral videos but also with a variety of products such as the stylesystem that was featured on the ABC’s Shark Tank.

1. Focus on Fit 

No matter what your clothing budget is, always focus on fit first. A $20 shirt from Old Navy can look better than a $300 Tommy Bahama shirt if it the fit is better.

Be sure to try on different sizes of clothing for different brands and styles as a medium in one brand name may be too small in another. Realize that a tighter budget is not an excuse for bad style. Look for those few key wardrobe items and buy a quality article of clothing that fits like a glove.

2. The Goal of Style is to Increase Confidence

The ultimate goal of improving your style and your grooming is to increase your confidence. When your body looks great and your clothes look great, you are going to feel great.

When you put your best foot forward, you will have increased confidence and self esteem, and this will lead to an increase in opportunities and relationship successes.

3. Learn to Differentiate Between Constructive and Deconstructive Criticism 

Any entrepreneur, businessman, or public figure is going to attract a far amount of controversy, and with this controversy always comes criticism. This criticism typically comes in one of two forms either constructive or deconstructive.

Constructive criticism, although uncomfortable, will help you to grow and improve yourself as a man and a leader. Deconstructive criticism on the other hand will do nothing but toxifiy your life and lower your self esteem.

Seek constructive criticism and cut out as many sources of deconstructive criticism as you can.

Jayson Gaddis is the breakthrough marriage and relationship coach for smart, successful, people. He will teach you how to use conflict to transform your life and your relationships for good. He's a husband and part-time stay-at-home dad getting schooled by his two cosmic kids.

His family is the center of his universe and when he tries to wiggle away from what he teaches, his wife and kids hold him accountable to living it, daily. Jayson is also passionate about masculinity. He has run dozens of men's groups, men's leadership experiences, and founded the Men's Leadership Training, Boulder Men's Experience, and BoyStrong.org.

Jayson is looking to provide his 5- year old son a smooth, conscious path toward manhood.

1. You Have to Work on Yourself

You cannot expect to have successful fulfilling relationships if you are not first investing in yourself. If you aren't going anywhere or working towards anything; if you dont have your stuff together…then why would a woman want you?

Before you can have the relationships you are looking for, you MUST get your own life in order. Meditate, eat healthy and hit the gym, read, and build your personal brand. Become the man that women want to be with, and the quality and quantity of your relationships will increase exponentially.

2. Take Full Responsibility

In relationships, men often struggle in accepting the responsibility for conflicts or problems. We throw out b.s. justifications and excuses as to why it's our girlfriend or wife's fault.

By doing this however, we relieve ourselves of the ability to take the blame and fix the problems we are facing in our relationships.

To truly succeed with women, you must accept the blame, take responsibility and work together to fix any problems.

3. Admit Your Need for Help

Most men hate showing emotion. And with good reason. Men who wear their heart on their sleeves are often perceived to be weak and incapable. Unfortunately, this often leads to a large number of men refusing to ask for help even in their darkest times.

In our society, we have taken this to an extreme, bottling up emotion and never letting anyone in for fear of what they would think. By doing this, however, we cut ourselves off from people who have the tools, knowledge and resources to help us with whatever we are facing.

One of the best things you can do to find a healthy place to discuss your struggles and trials and get the help you need is to find an all men's mastermind and become a regular contributor.

Surround yourself with other men in the same shit and you will find an overwhelming amount of support in much needed areas of your life.

4. Cut Out the Garbage

If you are filling your mind and body with garbage, that is what your life will put out.

On your quest to become the type of man that women want to be with, you must begin by cutting out everything in your life that a woman would not want to be with.

So remove what is unnecessary in your life or holding you back from being the man you want to be and start moving towards the man you want to be.

5. Stop Having to Prove Yourself

One of the marks of a true man is that he doesn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone. He is totally self confident and sure of himself, and he doesn't need anyone else's approval.

Learn to be ok with just being you. Don't feel the need to validate yourself before anyone, be happy being you because you are enough. As long as you are growing and expanding, you are enough, and always will be.