Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms  #manlymusicfriday
Manly stuff, right there! Thanks Dire Straits!
Manly stuff, right there! Thanks Dire Straits!
Americans love their independence. We love our freedom. It’s hard wired in each of us to be independent… and this July, we explore what that means
The truth is, no matter how independent you think yo are you are dependent on someone . No man is an island. You are not alone, and you can’t make it on your own.
That doesn’t mean independence is bad or wrong- it simply means that it’s a part of a pendulum that swings in balance. We all need independence, but we must keep it in balance.
Those who are not independent are moochers – sucking off the system, instead of working hard to provide for themselves.
Those who are too independent can be rogues, rebels, and troublemakers at worst, and prideful or arrogant at best.
I want to encourage you to be grateful for those who have helped you and continue to help you.
The Foo Fighters are amazing for many reasons… the biggest of those reasons is Dave Grohl… who is manly as all get out. 🙂 Enjoy!
Check out this fantastic song by The Bravery on this fine Manly Music Friday!
Terry Crews is a lot of fun. As an actor, you have seen him on The Expendables, Brooklyn 99, and Old Spice Commercials. Crews is a former NFL football player and he tells the story of growing up in Flint Michìgan,, and his own crisis of manhood.
Crews book is written as a challenging journey, with encouragement and humor. He reveals dark secrets as well as important foundational truths to which any man can relate.
Early in the book, Mansfield talks about his experience in Syria – and the way his new middle eastern friends celebrate manhood. When a man has a son, he gets a new name…. Mansfield’s friends found out he had a son, and immediately had a party for him on the rooftop, giving him a new name.
Mansfield addresses the role of manhood in our culture, and identifies a great list of manly men throughout history – some manly because of physical strength and great deeds – others for their wisdom and courage.
I loved the quotes, the bios, and the poems that he included in the book.
It’s a good read, and it will inspire you to greatness.
It doesn’t get much more MANLY than Louie’s gravely voice singing about one tough, smooth guy….
Bear Grylls is a hero. We know him as a television survival expert with a cheerful attitude – but this book really identifies what Grylls really is- Â a difference maker.
This book and its companion auto-biography really help paint a picture of Grylls that we’ve not seen, but that we suspected was there all along.
Mud Sweat and Tears is filled with simple short chapters that can be read in a few minutes on the john. They are encouraging, challenging, and practical life lessons and proverbs to keep his readers on the right track.
The autobiography tells Bear’s story from his own perspective as a rowdy kid, a mountain climber, a british special forces soldier, and a husband and father. It’s moving, and encouraging. Read both the survival guide and the autobiography for best effect.
Not normally on my list of #manlymusic -but the lyrics to this are thought provoking…
Want to grow this summer? Download these books to your kindle, or snag a paper copy and read them by the campfire or on the beach.
Making Men by Chuck Holton
This book is an amazing reflection, birthed out of Holton’s desire to chart a course for his own sons.  Holton is a Christian, and the book reflects that, but even if you are not a Christian, there’s a lot of great content here. Holton lays out the characteristics or “building blocks” of manhood, and makes no bones about what it means to be manly.
I’m especially moved by his realization that his job was keeping him from his family – so he quit and moved to Panama – not without establishing several sources of residual income, enough to meet his family’s needs.  A man may be his family’s provider, but that is not his only responsibility. He is also responsible to raise his children. Holton talks about what that means.
The book casts a vision for men to rise up and cast off passivity, and for me, that’s a message that I need to hear.