00:00:00.000You're a man of action. You live life to the fullest, embrace your fears, and boldly chart your own path.
00:00:06.020When life knocks you down, you get back up one more time, every time.
00:00:10.440You are not easily deterred or defeated, rugged, resilient, strong.
00:00:15.500This is your life. This is who you are. This is who you will become.
00:00:19.760At the end of the day, and after all is said and done, you can call yourself a man.
00:00:24.720Gentlemen, what is going on today? My name is Ryan Mickler, and I am the host and founder of this podcast and the movement that is Order of Man.
00:00:33.120I want to welcome you. Whether you're here for the first time or been with us for any amount of years now, this is a show about being a better man.
00:00:40.040And so you're listening to the Friday Field Notes, which is my thoughts and ideas and whatnot that have been bouncing around in my brain over the past week.
00:00:48.060But we've also got our interview show, where I'm interviewing guys like Jocko Willink and Grant Cardone and Andy Frisilla and Tim Kennedy and David Goggins, Dakota Meyer.
00:00:58.620The lineup of men that we have is absolutely incredible.
00:01:02.400And then we've got our Ask Me Anything episode, which is me and my co-host Kip Sorensen, and that's done every Wednesday.
00:01:09.320So again, this is a show about being a better man, and I've got a good one, I think, lined up for you today.
00:01:14.700I've been pretty busy. I'm remodeling my office, which is why you hear the echo in the microphone right now,
00:01:20.920is because there's nothing in here except for my desk, my computer, some paint, and my microphone.
00:01:27.140So you have to bear with me for the next week or two while I get this thing remodeled,
00:01:29.960but once we get it up and running, it's going to be absolutely incredible.
00:01:33.140And we're going to do a lot more video moving forward as well, so you'll have video interviews from us too.
00:01:38.140So as I get into this one, or I should say before I get into this one,
00:01:43.040I do want to let you know that the Order of Man main event is filling up very, very quickly.
00:01:48.320I just took a look just before I started recording this podcast,
00:01:51.660and I want to say we have 15, 16, 17 spots left.
00:01:57.040That's held August 10th and 11th with a special exclusive Iron Council dinner on the evening of the 9th of August 2019.
00:02:04.620I'd love to have you there, but like I said, there's less than 20 spots now.
00:02:08.380Go to orderofman.com slash main event.
00:02:17.280That's it by way of announcements because what I wanted to share with you today is very, very important.
00:02:21.400As most of you listening know, you are probably in the United States,
00:02:25.960and we just celebrated yesterday Independence Day, 4th of July, 1776.
00:02:31.640And I wanted to talk with you a little bit about that today because I wonder if we have the same caliber of men that we had during those times.
00:02:43.000Those were men of conviction and men of fortitude and men of action, certainly, and men of sacrifice.
00:02:49.280And I know there's those of us who would probably fall into that camp, but I wonder if we're losing a lot of those same virtues that we had 200 plus some odd years ago.
00:03:01.680And what I wanted to share with you today is a couple of tips, a couple ideas or strategies or thoughts that I had to recapture some of this same sort of virtuous living that I think those men presented and had themselves, our founding fathers.
00:03:16.540And as I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you today, with it being the 4th of July, and we're thinking about barbecues and fireworks and summer and spending time at the lake and all the other things that we do is I really think we ought to just take some time and think about the type of men that they must have been, that our founding fathers must have been to put everything.
00:03:36.240And when I say everything, I'm talking about quite literally everything, their wealth and their status and their power and their families and friends and in many cases, even their lives for an ideal, for this ideal of the United States of America.
00:03:53.480And it's a little disheartening when I see people who mock the flag or desecrate the flag or who kneel during the national anthem.
00:04:03.420And while I spent time in the military and I fought for the right to be able to do that, I think it's extremely disrespectful, number one, but I also think it's a little bit ignorant.
00:04:13.800I don't think there's a real clear understanding of the sacrifice required to maintain our sovereignty and our independence like we have.
00:04:34.040And if we can't remember the sacrifices that are required and we can't live in accordance with those sacrifices, it's not going to be long before we may have to find ourselves in another situation fighting for the same liberties that we've been so fortunate to enjoy.
00:04:47.740But as I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you today, I came across the last line of the Declaration of Independence.
00:04:55.760And I think this last line sums up perfectly what I wanted to share with you today.
00:05:01.160When I'm talking about being a man of conviction, and fortunately and hopefully not any of us will have to sacrifice our lives and some of the other things that these men have sacrificed.
00:05:12.120But I think we ought to make ourselves more capable of doing so and being those men of conviction.
00:05:18.200The last line of the Declaration of Independence says, and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
00:05:33.280Now, not only do we not talk like that anymore, I think those are disappearing virtues, which is what I said earlier.
00:05:40.500And I get a lot of questions about how do we return to these ideals?
00:05:44.960How do we step more fully into the men that we're capable of being?
00:05:48.380And how do we live the kind of lives that I think in a lot of ways our founding fathers lived?
00:05:52.240Now, I will say, did they have their flaws?
00:05:57.680They were men with flaws, just like you and I have.
00:06:00.040But I think there's a trend that's moving away from sovereignty, that's moving away from having this level of conviction and sacrifice and really knowing what our role is as men.
00:06:12.700So what I thought I'd share with you today is very quickly, four or five different things that I thought of as I was painting the walls in my room, thinking about what I wanted to talk with you about that I think will help us recapture some of this.
00:06:25.720And number one is very simply knowing what you stand for.
00:06:28.460I mean, how often in your life have you really taken time to sit down with your thoughts or even a notepad or in front of a computer program and write down what it is you stand for, what you tolerate, what you won't tolerate, what you find value in, what is valuable, what you will sacrifice for, what you are committed to, what is the higher ideals that you're living towards?
00:06:52.500How are you serving above and beyond your own self?
00:06:56.580I think this is a critical, critical and foundational piece to maintaining our sovereignty, maintaining our liberty and independence and freedom.
00:07:06.340And then ultimately, of course, stepping into the men that we are capable of being and also the type of men that our families and our friends and our neighbors and the people that we interact with on a daily basis are relying upon us to be.
00:07:19.200And if you don't have that foundation, that moral conviction of what you will tolerate, what you won't tolerate, what you enjoy about this country, the freedoms, the sacrifices that came with this.
00:07:31.080And then, of course, at least an introspection into whether or not you're that kind of man, that you could make that kind of sacrifice.
00:07:40.060But I think it's got to be something that we are deeply connected with, that resonates with us.
00:07:46.440And I think the more clear we are about that, the more purposeful we are about what we will sacrifice for and what we're convicted in, the better off we'll all be.
00:07:55.880And that's not the only thing we should be doing, of course.
00:07:58.940Because reflection and thought and mindfulness is all a critical component of being these types of men of conviction, but it takes so much more than that.
00:08:09.800And that's where the next couple of pointers fall into line.
00:08:13.220I think the second step of this is sharing it.
00:08:17.420It's not enough to know what you stand for.
00:08:19.260It's not enough to have your own ideals established.
00:08:25.680Share it with your neighbors and friends and jump on social media.
00:08:30.040As much of a maybe shitstorm that would create, I think it's really important because it's that old adage, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
00:08:38.500And the squeaky wheel right now is to bitch and to moan and complain and play the victim card and think about how victimized we are and downtrodden we are when in all reality, that just isn't the case.
00:08:50.540And yet we hear from these whiny people who think that they have life bad.
00:08:55.200But if you were to rewind 200 plus years ago, I think it's safe to say that probably the most poverty stick stricken of us all live a better life than those who were among the wealthiest, even 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 years ago.
00:09:14.200And as we hear from these people who are, well, let's just call it misguided.
00:09:19.400And I think that's a nice way of putting it.
00:09:21.120And I think we begin to lose track more and more and more of the reality that there's more of us men in this fight, not only to reclaim and restore what it means to be a man, but to step up in our communities, in our homes, in our businesses, and every other place that you as a man are showing up as.
00:09:40.100But it's not enough to be quiet anymore.
00:09:42.120I think it used to be that we didn't hear from a lot of men because why?
00:10:13.620I think we've got to share our thoughts on social media and with our friends as we're at a Fourth of July barbecue or just hanging out.
00:10:20.220I think it's important that we potentially get involved in politics, at least know what's going on locally and casting our voice and casting our votes and really sharing what we believe about.
00:10:31.780The Declaration of Independence, what we believe about America, what we believe about freedom and independence and liberty and democracy and everything that we've enjoyed.
00:10:40.520I would hate to lose a lot of our privileges simply because the men who are moral and the men who know what they stand for are too busy or can't be bothered with sharing their opinion.
00:10:56.240I think it's harder now than it's ever been because we have social media and people refuse to or can't look into the nuances or context of the way that we talk.
00:11:06.500And we're having fewer and fewer conversations with our neighbor, it seems like, and doing more online and short, punchy jabs at each other.
00:11:13.920When discourse is critical now, maybe more so than ever, because it just isn't as prevalent as it once was.
00:11:21.800So I encourage you to share, share what you, what you know to be true, share what you believe, share what you value, communicate that with other individuals and let them know exactly where you stand.
00:11:33.720I think gone are the days where we could sit on the fence and not really get ourselves in the game, get in the game, gentlemen.
00:12:19.940We can hide behind these computer screens.
00:12:21.980We can hide within the walls of our home and we can act differently and out of integrity with the way that we believe and the things that we're saying.
00:12:30.660So, are you really a man of conviction if all you're doing is shouting from the rooftops how wonderful you are, how much you believe in freedom and liberty and independence and all the while your behavior would say anything but that.
00:12:45.760So, obviously, guys, we need to bridge what I have dubbed the integrity gap.
00:12:53.980The integrity gap is the things that we know to be true because we know what we stand for, right?
00:12:59.240Uh, the things that we believe about ourselves, the things that we believe about the way society works, and those are in accordance or in action, excuse me, in alignment with, uh, with our behavior.
00:13:12.560And the greater that integrity gap, the less credible you're going to be, the less relevant you're going to be, uh, the less fulfilled and satisfied.
00:13:20.660I think there's going to be a lot of contention and animosity and confusion and a lot of frustration in your life.
00:13:27.720When you widen the gap between what you know to be true and what you're actually doing, that's called the integrity gap.
00:13:35.140So what I would encourage you to do and challenge you to do is to really inventory yourself, like do a self-assessment, even get other people involved if you need to, and ask yourself, where am I living true to what I believe?
00:13:55.800You don't need to share with your wife or your kids.
00:13:57.480I mean, you can, I think that might be valuable, but.
00:14:00.100But be, be true to yourself, be true to yourself.
00:14:04.300This is a lot of, uh, the conversation I have with regards to accountability, because a lot of people talk about, I need an accountability partner.
00:14:10.880I need somebody to hold me accountable.
00:14:36.240And if you're not, and you're falling short, okay, well, at least we know.
00:14:41.880At least we're not ignorant to that fact anymore.
00:14:44.660And at least we give ourselves a foundational truth to be able to grow, to be able to shore up some of the areas where we might be out of integrity, where we might be lying to other people and lying to ourselves.
00:14:55.180And, uh, and not bridging that, that integrity gap.
00:14:58.720So number three, again, living in accordance with what you believe to be true and what you stand for and what you don't, and then putting your money where your mouth is, right?
00:15:05.520Making those sacrifices, honoring those commitments and really being the kind of man that we are, we're really meant to be.
00:15:11.700And the, uh, the last component of this that I wanted to share, and I know this is going to be fairly short for you today, but that's okay because I don't think we need to drone on and on about this.
00:15:20.760I think a lot of us understand why this is so important and why we need to get involved.
00:15:25.200And hopefully I'm giving you somewhat of a framework to be able to do it.
00:15:28.620But the last component is to teach it.
00:15:31.020Somebody asked me on the, ask me anything.
00:15:32.600And I think it was earlier in the week, uh, is how do we begin to share these ideals or, or communicate these ideals to, uh, other men and other generations.
00:15:46.700And because you're a man, part of that, and I've talked about this on probably just about every podcast for the last four years is that a man's job is to protect, to provide, and to preside.
00:15:58.800Now, when I say preside, I think this is the one that most people, uh, not most people, but gets most confused, I should say, or, or not understood.
00:16:09.780And because you're a leader, you need to lead.
00:16:12.940You have a moral obligation and responsibility to take what, you know, to take what you stand for, to be able to live in accordance with it, and then ultimately go out and teach it to future generations.
00:16:25.660I talked about earlier in the week, our children are being indoctrinated to live in accordance with ideals and the ideology that's at complete odds with what our founding fathers would have had us believe would have had us live.
00:16:42.940And as we continue to pawn off responsibility of raising our children to the schools and to the governments and everything else that we do, we're going to continue to see more and more of this.
00:16:53.560So if you're a father, you need to be involved in the, in the, the life or lives of your children.
00:17:00.640You can't be just pawning them off on football coaches and teachers and school activities and summer camps and all that stuff's wonderful.
00:17:09.400I'm not saying anything's wrong with that, but if you're not doing your part, you are actually part of the problem.
00:17:25.000Our children are being brainwashed to live an ideology that is at direct odds with what our founding fathers founded this country on.
00:17:34.180So you have an obligation to share for your children, but not only that, as a man, you have an obligation and responsibility to look outwards outside of the walls of your home and into your community.
00:17:46.060Because there are a lot of boys and girls who are being raised without fathers, children born out of wedlock.
00:17:52.640Dad's no longer around for whatever reason.
00:17:55.700And these boys and these girls are growing up without a masculine presence and without a father figure in their life.
00:18:01.940If you can be that, even to the smallest degree, you are going to give that child so much more of an advantage over those who don't have it.
00:18:11.840And every time I say that, I hear from guys who are like, well, I didn't have a dad and I didn't have a father figure and I turned out just great.
00:18:17.580I'm not saying you, you, it's, it's not possible, but I'm saying in an ideal world, dad would be in the home.
00:18:24.640And if that's not going to happen, at least there would be some male influences in these young kids' lives.
00:18:29.660For me, it was my mom, of course, was around, but as far as male presence and masculinity, it was Boy Scouts.
00:18:35.660And it was my high school football and baseball coaches who were there for me when they didn't have to be.
00:19:00.020They knew they had an obligation to turn outwards and to start raising children in a way, at least to some degree that, that didn't have the same opportunities that maybe they had or that their children have.
00:19:10.780So guys, I'm challenging you right now.
00:19:13.540If you're a man of conviction and you have moral principles and ideas that need to be shared, that need to be restored, then you have an obligation to go out and share that.
00:19:25.380But teach it, help other young girls and young boys understand what this country was founded on.
00:19:33.800The ideals that we have lived in accordance with, with for hundreds of years, the idea of freedom and liberty and independence.
00:19:44.100You need to combat what is being taught in a more productive and positive way than I think a lot of what we see in the school system and other places that our kids are learning this.
00:19:53.620So there it is guys, fairly short again, as I was going through this, this last line, the final line of the declaration of independence says,
00:20:01.200and for the support of this declaration with a firm alliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.
00:20:14.740Are you the kind of man that would be able to not only make that declaration, but sign your name on a declaration like that and then live in accordance with it and potentially pay the ultimate sacrifice for honoring that declaration, for honoring that statement or that commitment?
00:20:50.800I know most of you listening strive to be that kind of man as well.
00:20:53.900I don't think you'd be listening to this podcast if you didn't believe that we have an obligation to teach these things, to live these things, to share these principles with other people.
00:21:03.440And I thought this would be very fitting as we are ending the celebration, the 4th of July celebration.
00:21:10.360So remember, last night or this weekend wasn't all about the fireworks and the barbecue and the picnics and the lake and the whatever else you're doing.
00:21:20.220All of that stuff's wonderful and we should enjoy those things because we have those privileges.
00:21:24.380Remember what this day is really about.
00:21:26.160It's about honoring men who made commitments to give us these freedoms.
00:21:34.920And I don't want to say even give, to earn, to earn the freedoms that we enjoy.
00:21:39.600And are we just simply enjoying it without thinking about what went into the freedoms that we have the luxury of enjoying?
00:21:45.020Or are we honoring these men by being like these men in a lot of ways, by being men of conviction and having the same sort of moral fortitude and conviction that these guys did?
00:21:59.360Anyways, that's all I've got for you guys today.