National Day of Prayer
Today is a day when those of us who do pray unite together to pray for our nation, communities, and families.
If you do pray, great!
If it’s not something you normally do – maybe today is a good day to give it a try!
faith
Welcome To Daddyhood – Part 4 – Be a Better Man
A wise man once told that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting the different results.The same guy told me about the CANEI Principle. (Constant and Never Ending Improvement)
I think that all too often, as men, we don’t give any thought at all to our own self-improvement. We do our job, we come home, we go to bed, we get up – and we do it all again.
I think that it is important to understand that our children – even when they are babies, are learning from us. When we look at them – we can SEE the CANEI principle at work, right? They start off pooping and screaming, and then gradually learn to walk and talk and wipe their own butts. Soon, they are reading, building with legos, playing football, driving, dating, marrying, and parenting!
It’s important for us to try not to forget our need to improve as well! We want our little boys to grow up to be good men, who never stop improving! We want our little girls to be good women, who keep growing and maturing, right?
Part of being a good dad is to constantly be striving to be a better man.
Let’s take a minute to answer these questions! Feel free to comment or email me: mail@joshhatcher.com if you want to chat about it!
- What areas of your life need improvement?
- What books, blogs, or podcasts are you reading or listening to?
- Who do you hang out with that you can learn from?
- Who do you hang out with that you can teach?
- What kind of plan can you make to help you improve in the areas you mentioned?Tune in Next Week, for The Perils of Passivity: Take Responsibility
Don’t Miss Out! Subscribe today to make sure you get these emails in your inbox!
A Good Man
What does it take to be a “good” man? How do we recognize a “good” man? Is it how they are dressed? The best shoes or shirt? Is it how eloquently they speak or how much money they make? I will make this a very short answer. NO! You can talk about being a good man, you can even try to look the part. However, talking about being a good man doesn’t make you one. It takes action and motivation to become something more.
I asked my 14-year-old son Koda what his definition of a “goods” man was, and here was his reply. “A good man is one who is made like a building. However, every good building needs a good foundation. That foundation can consist of many things (some good, some bad). The foundation needs to be based in faith, family, and friends. Atop the foundation is what makes up the man, the supporting beams, outside structure, and whatever is inside of the building. A good building is able to protect what’s inside of it, and will do so at any cost, even at the risk of its own integrity, as a good man should. However, what’s inside the “building”, so to speak? Inside the building is a man’s heart, and whatever it contains (friends, family, faith, and anything else that the man loves). A good example is my grandfather on my mother’s side. He served his country in WWII, earning no less than 3 purple heart awards, given to those who protected their country at all costs. That is what I think of when a “good” man is mentioned.”
After he was done explaining, Koda turned to me and asked the same question, to which I replied, “When I think of a good man, I think of my dad. He worked 16-hour days for the majority of my childhood, taking care of my entire family (a family of 7, total)”. As I was thinking of my father, I remembered a story from my childhood. When I was 8-years-old, we went to visit my grandmother. She lived back in the woods (thick woods, at that!). My brother and I decided that we would go exploring. As we went further into the woods, we lost both track of time, and the path back home. It wasn’t very long afterward that it began to get dark. As the Sun began to set, I became more and more frightened. I didn’t want to admit my fears to my brother, but I had never been as scared in my life. We turned around, and headed back in the direction which we thought led back home. As we continued to walk, we realized that we had been walking in circles. My brother and I sat down, and just as we were about to cry, I heard my father’s voice calling out for us. He made the choice to come and find us. He didn’t wait for us to get more lost, but found us as quickly as he could. Being a man is made up of choices. Some choices are good, and some are not. However, a good man learns from the ones which are not.
As we face the choices every day, we must put our wanting to be a good man into action. Being a good man does not happen overnight, nor is it a passive attribute. You must choose to be a good man, at all times. It’s easy to make the wrong choices, and it’s easy to lead yourself off of the path which you wish to lead, but it’s the ability to put yourself back on this path that makes a good man.
A good man doesn’t always do what is easy or most popular, but a good man will always strive to do what is best.
Life doesn’t just “happen” – More than a Moustache Part 8 | Josh Hatcher
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
More from Josh at http://www.joshhatcher.com
One sure sign of manliness is when a man lives intentionally. Life doesn’t happen to him. He happens to it.
Josh Hatcher (http://www.joshhatcher.com) offers his final installment of the “More than a Moustache” series for http://www.manlihood.com
Don’t be a Pansy – More then a Moustache Part 7 |Josh Hatcher
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
More from Josh at http://www.joshhatcher.com
Scars
With the changing of the seasons, and the volatile weather patterns of a Midwestern November, I receive reminders fairly frequently. Some days it’s not the weather – some days it’s a push-up, or twisting a dumbbell or bar wrong, […]
Click here to view original web page at thesuburbanvagabond.wordpress.com
Tough enough to rip your face off! But this manly mystery uncovers the truth about being a “gentleman” | More Than a Moustache Part 6 | Josh Hatcher
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
I felt like I didn’t have any friends my age! But is that really what I need? More than a Moustache | Josh Hatcher | Manlihood.com
Here’s a video blog for PART 4 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
Men: You’re missing this key element to manhood! More Than a Moustache Part 4 | Josh Hatcher
Here’s a video blog for PART 4 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
#wisdomwednesday
I thought I was SO smart – but then I discovered THIS – More than a Moustache Part 3 – Josh Hatcher
Here’s a video blog for PART 3 of our MORE THAN A MUSTACHE series.
When every young man hits a certain age – hair starts growing on his face. But this glorious and beautiful hair growth does not make him a man….
My 14 year old son Isaiah and I sat down to make a lists of characteristics that make someone a “real man.”
I was very impressed with his input – and am proud to see him (and his brother) develop into fine young men.
In this series we’ll be exploring these character qualities that MAKE the man.
#wisdomwednesday