Truck Talk Thursday

I don't like people crying. It feels weird to me. Don't get me wrong, I cry...or I should say I have cried. But connecting with people when they are in an overly emotional state is not something I enjoy. I find this to be true of most men. We're not the best at nurturing, and there are some biological reasons for this. But, this is an area I need to grow in, and I imagine and area you do as well.

So many men who are in positions of leadership and influence keep their faith "private". That always bothered me. I am a Christian. I let people know that about me because it influences my entire worldview. Being a follower of Jesus means I am created with a purpose, for a High Call, and should not base my potential upon past circumstances or what I see around me.If you can't talk about your faith, defend your faith, reason with others about your faith, then your faith is weak. We're called to be salt and light "so they may glorify your Father in heaven." We can do a lot of good in this world without connecting it to our faith, but that's that what we're called to do.

At some point, especially when we become fathers, we decide it's time to "put away childish things", buckle down, grind it out, and eventually die. Afterall, that's the manly thing to do right? Stoic, hard working, all business, no nonsense? It couldn't be further from the truth!

Before we can answer the question of "Should a man curse" we need to exam whether or not language itself is something that men should elevate to a higher standard, or is it simply a tool that culture shapes and uses to communicate loose thoughts.

Over the last several months I've seen friends say "Adios" to Facebook or Instagram only to see them reappear a few weeks later. I've been there, you've probably been there as well. We recognize just how much time we waste scrolling through the lives of people we barely know while our kids grow up and our own dreams are left unfulfilled.

Vision. A concept of our future desired state of being that aligns with the principles we hold dear. Every man needs some vision of the future he wants to attain. Without this, he is, as the Bible states, unrestrained, running wild. That may sound good, but without a clear direction of where we want to go, who we want to be, we end up in a place we really don't want to be and wonder how we got there.

Since releasing our own line of beard oil we've gotten a lot a great feedback. We sought to be completely unique and condition a beard like no other oil on the market, and we're knocking it out of the park! But, we've also had a lot of guys ask, "What the heck is beard oil?" so I thought I would do a little PSA to educate on the how and why beard oil should be used for guys with beards.

Pluck is old-school speak for being action-oriented and having a good bit of sticktoittiveness (yes that's a word) even when things are hard. It's dogged determination and resilience, and it's what makes for fortune and favor. And, it's a whole lot better than luck.

The modern church is continually trying to sell men what we don't need, and it is the cause of many men becoming disenfranchised with their local churches. I had a great conversation with Lonnie Berger of Every Man a Warrior and we talked about the mission field that is men and how churches are missing the mark. We touched on a thought that I expound on in this episode.

If you want your children to stand apart in the society and time they've been born into, help them to learn to imagine. We live in a world of constant distractions. On a monthly basis I hear of friends leaving social media because they realize how much of their time and mental energy it is stealing from them. The problem is real, and it's worse for kids that have grown up in a world without boredom. 

Summer, my wife, and I are going through The Five Love Languages book. We read it over 10 years ago and while I was hesitant to go through it again, I have a new perspective and a lot more insight than I did a decade ago. My love language is words of affirmation. Tell me I'm going a good job and my love tank is all filled up. However, this brought up some nuances in how words of respect and encouragement ought to be used between a husband and wife.

We've all heard the phrase "Fake it until you make it" and while the heart behind it may be good, like so many things it can be taken to the extreme and we lose our authentic selves trying to hard to "fake it".  In this episode, I talk about why faking it is never a good idea.