I know a lot of men that make all the right noises. Reading all the right books. Listening to all the podcasts sending all the “real men” messages. But when it comes to the doing, they are all talk and no action. I have this saying, “The things people tell you, are who they want to be, the things they do is who they really are.” I have been using this so long I can’t even remember where I saw it. 

Strong men are men of action. There is nothing wrong with gathering info from podcasts, books, and conversations with other men but at some point, that knowledge and information need to become active. You can’t think, talk or read yourself into being a strong man. You must DO something.

My First Action

Back in the day, when I read my first book 12 Rules for life, strangely enough, it led me to start a workout regime. Although it’s not a fitness book” Rule #2 in His book stated, “Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible for Helping” So I figured I needed to take better care of me. I started working out 5 days a week and followed a diet. 

In just a couple of weeks, I started to feel better. I had more energy, and this led to other actions that made me stronger every day. I did not only get stronger physically but also mentally.  

A hard heavy-lift thought me that hard times do not last forever. It also taught me we can endure more, and we are stronger than what our brains tell us.

Discipline 

A workout routine creates discipline, and the truth about discipline is, that it is the strongest form of self-love. It is ignoring current pleasures for bigger rewards to come. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “he that cannot command himself shall obey” In other words, if you are not courageous enough to discipline yourself you will become a slave of your every impulse. You will be ruled by donuts and chocolate cake. I also posted on Instagram last week that discipline is a code of behaviour.

It’s what you do constantly, every day to better yourself. And as Jocko Willink reminds us, discipline equals freedom.

When I cultivated discipline in my fitness and health, it infiltrated other parts of my life. I guess I did the math, and my brain concluded that if I use the same “discipline equation” in other parts of my life, I will have the same positive results.

But it started with ACTION. You can plan, read, and sign a 12 month gym membership, if you do not physically go into the gym lift the heavy shit, and repeat you will not reap the benefits. 

Your Duty As a Strong Man

Your duty, (and my mission) in life is to become the strongest version of yourself. And I mean on every level possible. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually. This requires us to take daily stock of our weaknesses, make an action list and then get to work. 

Jack Donovan said, “truly great are men is of both action and abstraction.” Abstraction means to act out ideas. So, if you want to be a great man, and you just dream about it every day, I can promise you it will never happen. You need to act and get out in life and DO great men things.

The Great Men Action List.

I’ll give you 10 action items. Let’s call it a challenge. Designed to make you a stronger better man or your money back. What do you have to lose? You might just like the results and become unstoppable.

  • Don’t lie, tell the truth no matter how hard. (don’t lie to yourself either)
  • Start a strength training program, and lift weights at least 5 days a week
  • Be precise in your speech. Think about what you say before you say it.
  • Take a cold shower every day.
  • Ditch the alcohol and energy drinks, drink 1 gallon of water every day.
  • Get up earlier.
  • Read 10 pages of a self-developing book every day.
  • Spend less time on social media, including the television.
  • Spend more time outside in nature.
  • Meditate for 15 min a day. No weird shit. Get something that de-stresses you. 

“Men cannot be men—much less good or heroic men—unless their actions have meaningful consequences to people they truly care about. Strength requires an opposing force, courage requires risk, mastery requires hard work, honor requires accountability to other men. Without these things, we are little more than boys playing at being men “― Jack Donovan

Entertain the following idea, if you were in a fight with yourself, yourself from yesterday that is, would you be able to kick your/his ass? This is what motivates me every day to get up early and get to work on myself. I don’t want to be a boy, playing, dreaming to be a Man. I want to be a strong man and act it out every day. Making life better for my family. Man conquers the world by conquering himself.

THE STRONG