Knowledge For Men

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.

Marc David, M.A. is the Founder and primary teacher of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. He's a leading visionary, teacher and consultant in Nutritional Psychology, and the author of the classic, groundbreaking and bestselling books Nourishing Wisdom and The Slow Down Diet. For over 3 decades Marc has been an innovator in eating psychology and nutrition.

Marc's work has been featured on CNN and NBC, and in publications such as The New York Times, Chicago Times, McCall's, Glamour, Elle, Yoga Journal, WebMD, and hundreds more. His books have been translated into over 10 languages. Marc has presented at a long list of professional settings, including Harvard University, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine.

1. Turn Your Anger into Fuel

Everybody is pissed at something. Some circumstance, political group or international event. Whether you are pissed at the government, the decline of masculinity, or simply the confusing times in which we find ourselves, everyone is angry at something.

The key is to use this anger as motivation, as a driving force to achieve your goals. Do not allow your emotions to control you, but rather take control of your emotions and use them as fuel to bring about change.

Find what makes you angry and commit to changing it.

2. Live a Life You Feel is Worth Living

Too often we find ourselves living the life of someone else, a life that is not ours. We set so many goals based off of our parents, friends, or society's aspirations for our lives without ever giving much thought to what it is we really want out of life.

Figure out what you have a passion for, what you want to change, and focus your efforts on it. Ignore everyone who tells you to be realistic and follow the traditional path.

Live a life that *you* are happy living and not that you are living for someone else.

3. Trust Your Inner Voice

As cliche as it may seem, there is real wisdom in the advice to trust your inner voice. It is often that child like intuition that directs us towards the path we need to be on.

Trust your gut and do what feels right. Ignore what society and your friends say, follow your instincts and you will create a life worth living.

4. You Need to Earn What You Want

We live in an age of entitlement, people believe that they deserve a free pass simply for existing in this world. If you want to live a life of purpose and excellence, you must realize that life owes you nothing.

If you want anything in this world, you must earn it, fight for it, bleed for it. Nothing worth having will come for free, you must earn it.

5. Money is a Tool not a God

Our society has deified money. Giving it power over life and death and our freedom. Few people pause and reflect on what money truly is.

Money is neither good nor evil, it is merely a tool, a form of exchange between two individuals. You must realize that while money can grant you freedom, fitness, and more time to spend on relationships and hobbies, it can also become your master, crushing the joy out of your life as you abandon everything in pursuit of it.

Accept money for what it is and use it to create your ideal life.

Marc David, M.A. is the Founder and primary teacher of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. He’s a leading visionary, teacher and consultant in Nutritional Psychology, and the author of the classic, groundbreaking and bestselling books Nourishing Wisdom and The Slow Down Diet. For over 3 decades Marc has been an innovator in eating psychology and nutrition.

Marc’s work has been featured on CNN and NBC, and in publications such as The New York Times, Chicago Times, McCall’s, Glamour, Elle, Yoga Journal, WebMD, and hundreds more. His books have been translated into over 10 languages. Marc has presented at a long list of professional settings, including Harvard University, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine.

1. Turn Your Anger into Fuel

Everybody is pissed at something. Some circumstance, political group or international event. Whether you are pissed at the government, the decline of masculinity, or simply the confusing times in which we find ourselves, everyone is angry at something.

The key is to use this anger as motivation, as a driving force to achieve your goals. Do not allow your emotions to control you, but rather take control of your emotions and use them as fuel to bring about change.

Find what makes you angry and commit to changing it.

2. Live a Life You Feel is Worth Living

Too often we find ourselves living the life of someone else, a life that is not ours. We set so many goals based off of our parents, friends,  or society’s aspirations for our lives without ever giving much thought to what it is we really want out of life.

Figure out what you have a passion for, what you want to change, and focus your efforts on  it. Ignore everyone who tells you to be realistic and follow the traditional path.

Live a life that *you* are happy living and not that you are living for someone else.

3. Trust Your Inner Voice

As cliche as it may seem, there is real wisdom in the advice to trust your inner voice. It is often that child like intuition that directs us towards the path we need to be on.

Trust your gut and do what feels right. Ignore what society and your friends say, follow your instincts and you will create a life worth living.

4. You Need to Earn What You Want

We live in an age of entitlement, people believe that they deserve a free pass simply for existing in this world. If you want to live a life of purpose and excellence, you must realize that life owes you nothing.

If you want anything in this world, you must earn it, fight for it, bleed for it. Nothing worth having will come for free, you must earn it.

5. Money is a Tool not a God

Our society has deified money. Giving it power over life and death and our freedom. Few people pause and reflect on what money truly is.

Money is neither good nor evil, it is merely a tool, a form of exchange between two individuals. You must realize that while money can grant you freedom, fitness, and more time to spend on relationships and hobbies, it can also become your master, crushing the joy out of your life as you abandon everything in pursuit of it.

Accept money for what it is and use it to create your ideal life.

Ben Fedder is the former CEO of Take 2 Interactive, the video game company responsible for producing Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2k, Max Payne, and many others. He's now is a senior executive at Tencent, the Chinese global conglomerate that owns WeChat and dominates China's internet-related media and technology industries. Ben is also the author of the book Take Off Your Shoes: One Man's Journey from the Boardroom to Bali and Back. You can learn more about Ben and his mission at benfederauthor.com

1. Develop Your Sense of Presence

One of the most powerful ways that you can improve your relationships, career, and life is to cultivate a deep sense of presence.

Most people live in a state of constant distraction.

They're constantly thinking about what they said yesterday or what they need to do tomorrow, but they never slow down and focus on what's happening around them right now.

When you slow down and learn to get present in this moment, right now, you open yourself up to an entirely new way of being.

All great work, all great relationships, and all well lived lives require high levels of presence.

When you are completely focused on what you're doing in this very second you can give 100% of yourself to the task at hand. You can be more compassionate and considerate in your conversations, perform faster and more effectively at work, and truly enjoy the quiet moments that you have for yourself.

Whether you choose to cultivate this sense of presence through meditation, yoga, or mere awareness, following a simple mindfulness practice will have profound and far-reaching benefits in every area of your life.

2. Engage in Activities that Help You See the World in a New Way

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, the world is not black and white.

There are thousands, even millions, of perspectives through which you can choose to view the world, but most people live their entire lives through the same lens that they adopted as a child.

By engaging in new activities such as art, travel, and music, you can teach yourself to view the world in a new light. You'll gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of life and learn to spot patterns and details that you would otherwise have missed.

I strongly encourage you to identify a small handful of new activities and hobbies to pick up that will challenge the way you think and your current paradigm.

Whether you pick up painting, playing the guitar, dancing salsa, playing strategy games, or doing standup comedy, find something that you truly enjoy that will help you cultivate new perspectives and a fresh outlook on life.

If you do this, it will radically transform the way that you approach your life, business, and pursuit of success.

3. Make Deliberate Choices About How You Want to Live Your Life

Every single one of us has the ability to deliberately choose the way we want to live our lives.

While there are undoubtedly constraints and extenuating circumstances that might prevent you from having total autonomy over your path, in this very moment, you can choose to live your life (even in a small way) more deliberately.

Ask yourself who you want to be, how you want to think, and how you want to see the world.

Make the deliberate choice to live a life by design. A life of virtue and value of your own making.

Then go and do it.

Thanks for listening! If you found this content helpful, please pay it forward by sharing it on your favorite social media channel so that other men can benefit from the lessons and strategies we've discussed.

If you'd like to learn more about the concepts and strategies I've shared here today, then you can get my FREE 3 part video training series on becoming a stronger more Grounded man so that you can build a life of freedom, success, and happiness. Just click here to claim your free training today.

Ben Fedder is the former CEO of Take 2 Interactive, the video game company responsible for producing Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2k, Max Payne, and many others. He's now is a senior executive at Tencent, the Chinese global conglomerate that owns WeChat and dominates China’s internet-related media and technology industries. Ben is also the author of the book Take Off Your Shoes: One Man's Journey from the Boardroom to Bali and Back. You can learn more about Ben and his mission at benfederauthor.com 

1. Develop Your Sense of Presence

One of the most powerful ways that you can improve your relationships, career, and life is to cultivate a deep sense of presence. 

Most people live in a state of constant distraction. 

They're constantly thinking about what they said yesterday or what they need to do tomorrow, but they never slow down and focus on what's happening around them right now. 

When you slow down and learn to get present in this moment, right now, you open yourself up to an entirely new way of being. 

All great work, all great relationships, and all well lived lives require high levels of presence. 

When you are completely focused on what you're doing in this very second you can give 100% of yourself to the task at hand. You can be more compassionate and considerate in your conversations, perform faster and more effectively at work, and truly enjoy the quiet moments that you have for yourself. 

Whether you choose to cultivate this sense of presence through meditation, yoga, or mere awareness, following a simple mindfulness practice will have profound and far-reaching benefits in every area of your life.  

2. Engage in Activities that Help You See the World in a New Way 

As much as we would like to believe otherwise, the world is not black and white. 

There are thousands, even millions, of perspectives through which you can choose to view the world, but most people live their entire lives through the same lens that they adopted as a child. 

By engaging in new activities such as art, travel, and music, you can teach yourself to view the world in a new light. You'll gain a deeper appreciation for the nuances of life and learn to spot patterns and details that you would otherwise have missed. 

I strongly encourage you to identify a small handful of new activities and hobbies to pick up that will challenge the way you think and your current paradigm. 

Whether you pick up painting, playing the guitar, dancing salsa, playing strategy games, or doing standup comedy, find something that you truly enjoy that will help you cultivate new perspectives and a fresh outlook on life. 

If you do this, it will radically transform the way that you approach your life, business, and pursuit of success. 

3. Make Deliberate Choices About How You Want to Live Your Life 

Every single one of us has the ability to deliberately choose the way we want to live our lives. 

While there are undoubtedly constraints and extenuating circumstances that might prevent you from having total autonomy over your path, in this very moment, you can choose to live your life (even in a small way) more deliberately. 

Ask yourself who you want to be, how you want to think, and how you want to see the world. 

Make the deliberate choice to live a life by design. A life of virtue and value of your own making. 

Then go and do it. 

Thanks for listening! If you found this content helpful, please pay it forward by sharing it on your favorite social media channel so that other men can benefit from the lessons and strategies we’ve discussed.

If you’d like to learn more about the concepts and strategies I’ve shared here today, then you can get my FREE 3 part video training series on becoming a stronger more Grounded man so that you can build a life of freedom, success, and happiness. Just click here to claim your free training today.

Tom Cronin spent 26 years as a broker in finance trading inflation swaps and bonds for the banks. After suffering a lot of stress in his job, he turned to meditation to help manage the symptoms. This was life changing for Tom! He recently walked away from the industry at the height of his 26 year successful career to fulfill his mission of spreading calm and stillness across the globe.

The portal to access this stillness is meditation. Tom has been teaching meditation for many years now and has inspired thousands of people all over the world as a teacher, author and keynote speaker to unlock their brilliance and calm with meditation.

1. When You Begin Meditation Learn to Relieve Stress in Your Body

One of the biggest keys to success in meditation is to learn to relax your body. A significant amount of the mental stress that you feel is linked to the physical stress in your body.

When beginning your meditation practice find a quiet, dark room with a comfortable padded chair, sit upright and relax your body. Focus on relieving physical stress before focusing on mental stress.

2. Meditation is the Portal Not the Goal

Meditation should never be a goal, it is merely a portal to increased health, mental clarity, and spiritual connection. Before begging the practice of meditation, ensure that your focus is an increased quality of life and not to merely sit down with an empty mind.

3. Meditation is Proven to Enhance Your Biochemistry

For many men, meditation is seen as unmanly or cooky, however, numerous scientific studies have proven that meditation positively affects your biochemistry in a way that few other activities can.

Meditation acts in a very similar way to sex, releasing powerful neurochemicals like oxytocin, dopamine, and many other "feel good chemicals"

Regular meditation has also been shown to reduce inflammation, risk of disease and increase mental agility and performance.

4. The Goal is to Leave a Place of Need and Go Into a Place of Service

The ultimate goal of meditation and, in fact, of life is not any one action or goal, but rather a process of leaving a place of need and entering into a lifestyle of service.

Too often, we focus on ourselves and what we can do for us. We focus on our goals, our dreams, our ambitions; and while many of these may be worthy causes, it is advantageous to take time out of each day and simply serve.

Volunteer at a local church, soup kitchen, or children development program, pay for someones lunch, give compliments to a stranger. Live your life with a servants heart and it will not be a life wasted.

Tom Cronin spent 26 years as a broker in finance trading inflation swaps and bonds for the banks. After suffering a lot of stress in his job, he turned to meditation to help manage the symptoms. This was life changing for Tom! He recently walked away from the industry at the height of his 26 year successful career to fulfill his mission of spreading calm and stillness across the globe.

The portal to access this stillness is meditation. Tom has been teaching meditation for many years now and has inspired thousands of people all over the world as a teacher, author and keynote speaker to unlock their brilliance and calm with meditation.

1. When You Begin Meditation Learn to Relieve Stress in Your Body

One of the biggest keys to success in meditation is to learn to relax your body. A significant amount of the mental stress that you feel is linked to the physical stress in your body.

When beginning your meditation practice find a quiet, dark room with a comfortable padded chair, sit upright and relax your body. Focus on relieving physical stress before focusing on mental stress.

2. Meditation is the Portal Not the Goal 

Meditation should never be a goal, it is merely a portal to increased health, mental clarity, and spiritual connection. Before begging the practice of meditation, ensure that your focus is an increased quality of life and not to merely sit down with an empty mind.

3. Meditation is Proven to Enhance Your Biochemistry

For many men, meditation is seen as unmanly or cooky, however, numerous scientific studies have proven that meditation positively affects your biochemistry in a way that few other activities can.

Meditation acts in a very similar way to sex, releasing powerful neurochemicals like oxytocin, dopamine, and many other “feel good chemicals”

Regular meditation has also been shown to reduce inflammation, risk of disease and increase mental agility and performance.

4. The Goal is to Leave a Place of Need and Go Into a Place of Service

The ultimate goal of meditation and, in fact, of life is not any one action or goal, but rather a process of leaving a place of need and entering into a lifestyle of service.

Too often, we focus on ourselves and what we can do for us. We focus on our goals, our dreams, our ambitions; and while many of these may be worthy causes, it is advantageous to take time out of each day and simply serve.

Volunteer at a local church, soup kitchen, or children development program, pay for someones lunch, give compliments to a stranger. Live your life with a servants heart and it will not be a life wasted.

Michael Matthews is back for a second round in the Knowledge for Men arena! Michael is the founder of Muscle for Life, author of the bestselling book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and the CEO of Legion Supplements.

Mike believes in a simple, straightforward, no b.s. approach to achieving the body of your dreams and favors long term consistency over short term intensity in all of his methods.

Mike is currently juggling several projects including a new book, continued work on the site, launching a Legion clothing line and creating a new smart phone app! You can learn more and connect with Mike at muscleforlife.com

1. Be Willing to Hustle

Too many people today want to achieve their dreams without being willing to work for them. If you want to achieve the life that few have, you must be willing to hustle on a level few will.

You will die and pass through history just like everyone else, and unless you hustle and create a legacy worth remembering, you will simply be another statistic. So get to work and be remembered.

2. Create Amazing Rituals

The top performers always have consistent result rituals in place to ensure their success. Experiment with your work, health and relationships to find rituals that work well for you.

Do you work best in the morning or at night? Do you write better after drinking some coffee or wine? Do your relationships flourish when you set aside one day a week for date night?

Look at what other high achievers have done and try to emulate them. If it works, then keep it, if not, discard and try something new.

3. Everything in Moderation

Just because you are working to be successful and build your best life does not mean you should deprive yourself. If you really enjoy watching House of Cards, drinking with your friends on the weekend, or smoking that Rocky Patel cigar every once in a while, then do it!

The key is moderation. Do not allow mindless entertainment and substance usage to become the norm, but rather an occasional treat as a reward for all of your hard work.

4. Don't Just go for money

Following any career path solely because of the money is a one way road to misery. If you want to live a happy fulfilled life, then it is essential that you focus first on finding what you love. The money will follow.

5. Focus on the Basics and Keep Going

Men often try and get into the complexities and nuances of subjects before we master the basics. We can give you complicated speculation on the stock market, but can't manage to save more than we spend. We can tell you exactly how testosterone fuels muscle growth, but can't seem to workout more than once a month.

Focus on mastering the basics and the rest will fall into place.

6. Turn Your Car into a Mobile University

Massive self education (and applying that education) is the quickest way to be successful. Turn off the radio and plug in an audiobook next time you drive to work. Read for half an hour instead of watching tv.

If you take the time to educate yourself now, it will pay back dividends years down the line.

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Greatness takes time. Do not expect to transform yourself over night, but rather embrace the process and enjoy the ride. Success will happen if you work hard, educate yourself and focus on mastery, but realize it will happen over years, not weeks.

Michael  Matthews is back for a second round in the Knowledge for Men arena! Michael is the founder of Muscle for Life, author of the bestselling book Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and the CEO of Legion Supplements.

Mike believes in a simple, straightforward, no b.s. approach to achieving the body of your dreams and favors long term consistency over short term intensity in all of his methods.

Mike is currently juggling several projects including a new book, continued work on the site, launching a Legion clothing line and creating a new smart phone app! You can learn more and connect with Mike at muscleforlife.com

1. Be Willing to Hustle

Too many people today want to achieve their dreams without being willing to work for them. If you want to achieve the life that few have, you must be willing to hustle on a level few will.

You will die and pass through history just like everyone else, and unless you hustle and create a legacy worth remembering, you will simply be another statistic. So get to work and be remembered.

2. Create Amazing Rituals

The top performers always have consistent result rituals in place to ensure their success. Experiment with your work, health and relationships to find rituals that work well for you.

Do you work best in the morning or at night? Do you write better after drinking some coffee or wine? Do your relationships flourish when you set aside one day a week for date night?

Look at what other high achievers have done and try to emulate them. If it works, then keep it, if not, discard and try something new.

3. Everything in Moderation

Just because you are working to be successful and build your best life does not mean you should deprive yourself. If you really enjoy watching House of Cards, drinking with your friends on the weekend, or smoking that Rocky Patel cigar every once in a while, then do it!

The key is moderation. Do not allow mindless entertainment and substance usage to become the norm, but rather an occasional treat as a reward for all of your hard work.

4. Don’t Just go for money

Following any career path solely because of the money is a one way road to misery. If you want to live a happy fulfilled life, then it is essential that you focus first on finding what you love. The money will follow.

5. Focus on the Basics and Keep Going

Men often try and get into the complexities and nuances of subjects before we master the basics. We can give you complicated speculation on the stock market, but can’t manage to save more than we spend. We can tell you exactly how testosterone fuels muscle growth, but can’t seem to workout more than once a month.

Focus on mastering the basics and the rest will fall into place.

6. Turn Your Car into a Mobile University

Massive self education (and applying that education) is the quickest way to be successful. Turn off the radio and plug in an audiobook next time you drive to work. Read for half an hour instead of watching tv.

If you take the time to educate yourself now, it will pay back dividends years down the line.

7. Have Realistic Expectations

Greatness takes time. Do not expect to transform yourself over night, but rather embrace the process and enjoy the ride. Success will happen if you work hard, educate yourself and focus on mastery, but realize it will happen over years, not weeks.

On March 24, 1965, Albert Podell embarked on a 581-day, 42,000-mile, adventure-packed expedition by 4×4 across 30 countries that set the record for the longest auto journey ever made around the world. During the next 50 years Podell visited every one of the rest of its 196 countries.

Albert Podell has a B.A. in government from Cornell, was a graduate fellow in international relations at the University of Chicago, holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, and has had successful careers as a magazine editor, director of photography, advertising-agency creative director, and trial attorney. He has written 300 magazine articles and wrote the adventure classic, Who Needs A Road.

1. Life is Fleeting Live it Full

Life is precious and short. We all live like life will last forever without realizing its fleeting nature. Embrace the now and live life like you will never live it again.

2. People are Generally the Same

Many first worlders ignorantly assume that the rest of the world is vastly different from us. We assume that they are all extremists and crazies and that anywhere beyond the first world is the no mans land.

What we fail to realize is that humans are largely the same across all cultures. We all want to live long and prosperous lives. We all want to raise our children to the best of our abilities, we all want as much health, wealth, love and happiness as we can fill into our days.

When we open our mind to the similarities that cross all cultural boundaries, we are able to interact much more deeply and intimately with people who are seemingly dissimilar.

3. You Can Live on Less Than You Think

In America, the idea of living with less is a foreign concept. We assume that to survive we need to be making hundreds of dollars a day and filling our lives full of possessions and cheap thrills.

But in the end, we are left with crap we didn't need and shallow, base level experiences. If we open our minds to the idea of embracing minimalism and living with less, then we open our lives to a whole new level of fulfillment.

When life becomes about seizing every moment enjoying every second over accumulating more stuff, we are able to live lives of true abundance and joy.

4. Money and Time are not an Impediment to Travel

If you are creative enough, adaptable enough, and tough enough. You can travel the world on little to no money fairly easily. From staying with locals to camping to hostels, there are a number of ways that you can travel without breaking the bank.

One of the best ways to get started is by looking into work exchanges such as WWOOF or Help Ex where you work in exchange for room and board.

1. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

2. How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes

3. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts