#13- It’s Not Them, It’s You

If you’re broker, sadder, lonelier, etc than your peers, family and the world in general, it’s time to consider that you might be the problem.

I was a pastor for several years which means I heard lots of guys tell me how rotten their life was. The details ranged from bankruptcy, to multiple divorces, to estranged adult kids, to multiple firings. And everything in between. Their life was one crisis after another. 

The amazing part was how often the facts pointed to the guy as the source of the crisis. None of them wanted to hear that, they wanted me to tell them how mean people were and how their problems were other people’s fault. When the truth was the guy needed to take a good look in the mirror and realize HE was the problem. 

Honest self-evaluation is as helpful as it is difficult. One of the scariest and healthiest questions you can ask yourself is “Am I the problem?” If you’re not brave enough to do an honest, self-evaluation, at least ask 5 people who know you well and want what’s best for you to identify 3 items in each of these categories. 

What you need to stop doing

What you need to start doing

What you need to continue doing

Winston Churchill once said “the price of greatness is responsibility”. I’ve made a slight change that summarizes what I’ve been talking about: “the price of manhood is responsibility.” If you want to be a man, taking responsibility for your stuff is the first step. 

One Small Step for Men….

Look people in the eye when you thank them.