Red Flags in Women, the Power of Urgency, and the Difference Between Value and Worth | ASK ME ANYTHING
Episode Stats
Length
1 hour and 8 minutes
Words per Minute
179.20079
Summary
In this episode, we take a deep dive into what it means to be a man and what it takes to live up to your potential as a man. We talk about the importance of self-reliance and how it can be applied in every area of your life.
Transcript
00:00:00.000
I was a closet drinker because I had shame around it.
00:00:05.860
It wasn't enough, obviously, to keep me from drinking, so I hid all of it.
00:00:09.000
I've never done one thing half-assed in my entire life.
00:00:12.760
If I'm going to do it, I'm going to go as hard.
00:00:16.040
I'm not going to be good at it necessarily when I first try something,
00:00:18.480
but I'm going to go as hard and tough as I possibly can.
00:00:28.020
I better finish everything that's in the fridge right now.
00:00:33.220
You live life to the fullest, embrace your fears, and boldly chart your own path.
00:00:37.620
When life knocks you down, you get back up one more time, every time.
00:00:42.060
You are not easily deterred or defeated, rugged, resilient, or strong.
00:00:51.380
At the end of the day, and after all is said and done, you can call yourself a man.
00:00:59.480
Had a little technical difficulties this morning, but we're battling through it.
00:01:07.280
The fact that we can have this conversation, you're four hours north of me, or when I was
00:01:10.960
in Maine, we were literally across the country from each other, and that we can do this.
00:01:14.820
But sometimes it just doesn't have that one feature you need, or it's the best platform,
00:01:20.100
And the other one has the one, but it's not the best platform.
00:01:25.120
That's actually a foundational thing in software applications, and it's simplicity or feature
00:01:35.780
But if you want all the features, it's not going to be easy to use.
00:01:39.660
Or if you want easy to use, it's not going to do all the features, right?
00:01:42.280
And it's, what are the good or sweet things about life?
00:01:45.860
And there's probably some life lesson dichotomy and lesson that we could extract about life.
00:02:03.900
One of the things that we're actually working on, guys, right now is trying to get the software
00:02:08.640
We have a big, big preview call tonight at 8 p.m.
00:02:12.160
If you go to theironcouncil.com slash preview, you can get notified.
00:02:17.200
And then at 8 o'clock tonight, you can use that same link, theironcouncil.com slash preview.
00:02:22.180
And it's going to take you to whatever platform we end up using tonight.
00:02:27.540
You don't have to worry about where we're going to be.
00:02:30.480
And what we're going to do is just pull back the curtain a little bit on the Iron Council,
00:02:35.120
We did this about six months or nine months ago.
00:02:39.060
We had a lot of guys who were on the fence about our brotherhood.
00:02:42.900
And they know they need other men in their corner.
00:02:47.140
I asked a question on our Facebook group just the other day about what was your number one
00:02:53.400
And one of the common answers was finding other men that I could be accountable to that
00:02:59.680
It's amazing to me how often we hear that and then how few people will actually go out
00:03:06.900
and invest in themselves and take the time and the initiative to find something that would
00:03:12.580
And that's why we created the Iron Council nine plus years ago, because it takes the guesswork
00:03:17.720
out of it, takes the confusion out of it, takes the headache and the frustration out
00:03:23.800
We had to do all that so that you guys don't have to.
00:03:26.360
So if you're looking for powerful, powerful guys and a framework for succeeding in life
00:03:31.320
as men, theironcouncil.com slash preview tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern.
00:03:41.940
I got to go to another church and they asked me to come speak to them around.
00:03:50.820
And Max, the guy who invited me, I was a little bit like, so I might like, you want me to show
00:03:58.720
up like in your face kind of like self-reliance or like a soft version of it?
00:04:05.400
And it was funny because at one point, someone made a comment, and it wasn't wrong necessarily,
00:04:17.420
And his comment was, I really like this subject, and it helps remind me, like, it's so great
00:04:26.300
So then that way, if I'm not self-reliant, the church is here to help me and my neighborhood's
00:04:31.140
here to help me, and I don't have to have it all figured out today, but I have the system
00:04:51.020
No, I didn't say, no, no, I didn't argue with you.
00:04:53.720
But I was like, but that's what matters, it matters what people say around us, right?
00:04:59.600
Because as he's saying this, and I wouldn't necessarily disagree, guys are like, oh, yeah,
00:05:03.600
And I'm like, no, the message is get your act together.
00:05:12.700
The Lord expects you to be an agent unto yourself.
00:05:21.880
Because the reality of it is, is most people are delaying too much.
00:05:25.200
So that's not the message that people in that room needed to hear.
00:05:28.100
They needed to hear the message of get your crap together right away.
00:05:33.100
And the only reason why I bring that up is it's just, what's the messaging that you're
00:05:43.680
But are they perpetuating the wrong messaging and the wrong thing that's not going to propel
00:05:51.120
And that's why the messaging of the Iron Council and the guys on teams is just so valuable.
00:06:01.100
One thing that I wrote down here as you were saying that is not only the messaging you're
00:06:05.660
receiving, but the messaging that you're telling yourself.
00:06:08.120
Because if you're saying, oh, the church has got me and I'm taken care of, you are going
00:06:16.800
And then I also wrote down here that I had a good conversation with Rick Trimmer, who you
00:06:21.420
know, he's a good friend of mine and a business partner in M42 Adventures.
00:06:24.160
Him and I and his dad were actually talking over the weekend.
00:06:27.960
We were at their ranch and we were having a good conversation and they both asked me,
00:06:32.700
what's the one thing that you notice all of the successful guests, over 500 now, I think
00:06:39.340
What's one thing that just runs between all of them?
00:06:43.480
And the answer is, there's a lot of things, but one that really stood out to me is a sense
00:06:48.260
of urgency in their life, whether it's working out or having the conversation or even the
00:06:57.980
Everything is urgent, not panicked, not frantic, but urgent.
00:07:02.920
They know the clock is ticking and they're actively working up against that clock.
00:07:11.100
Everything is with a sense of purpose and direction.
00:07:13.340
I mean, I see that sometimes I see that in some of the kids that I coach or even just
00:07:18.920
It's like, guys, when we do our events, they're like hunched over and like walking and wandering
00:07:24.400
and kicking rocks and picking up dandelions as they're going from station to station.
00:07:28.420
I'm like, man, this is why you're not successful.
00:07:31.400
And it may not be the reason you're not successful, but it's a clear indicator that you're not going
00:07:43.120
So don't come at me and tell me, I don't know why life's so hard.
00:07:46.860
Because that attitude is the exact same attitude you walk around, you talk, and you act.
00:07:52.060
So I think if you could just pick up the pace in life a little bit, again, not frantic,
00:08:02.640
They're intentional with the time that has been given to them.
00:08:10.320
Do you want to start or do you want me to kick things off?
00:08:13.060
Like, my headline, to be frank, you know, what we mentioned before we hit record, Josh
00:08:30.640
I've seen some videos of houses literally floating away.
00:08:35.460
And I don't necessarily have an opinion about it because obviously it probably wouldn't be,
00:08:42.160
I don't know, considerate of people's difficult situation that they're dealing with right now.
00:08:53.200
You know, like, I'm not going to have an opinion like that.
00:08:54.480
I mean, if you're doing the armchair quarterback stuff.
00:08:57.340
No, for me, I think it helps me just be mindful and present and grateful.
00:09:06.660
It's not floating away, you know, and things could be a lot worse.
00:09:10.680
And so maybe just a call out for me over this past weekend is, is this too shall pass,
00:09:16.600
but also be grateful for what I have at the same time.
00:09:23.940
The reality is the reality is the guys who were prepared are in a much better spot.
00:09:30.060
And that's not to revel in somebody's misery or laugh like a lot of people do.
00:09:37.360
I feel a lot of empathy and concern and worry, especially for our guys,
00:09:41.620
our iron council guys who, who are in affected by this.
00:09:47.120
we're talking about preparedness and emergency planning and the men who are prepared,
00:09:57.980
In fact, Josh sent me a text and I don't think he would mind sharing this with me.
00:10:05.020
And he said, you know, his, his house is, is, you know, demolished and destroyed.
00:10:13.460
He's taking supplies around to his family and friends.
00:10:22.600
We're good, but I'm taking supplies around to family and friends right now, man.
00:10:28.000
What, what better indicator that you're doing something right when it comes to being the
00:10:33.100
protector, provider and presider your people need you to be.
00:10:36.960
And it just talk about, and it was funny on Saturday where we were chatting about just
00:10:42.620
Because in the IC, we've been talking about preparedness all month and then this happens
00:10:52.260
And like I said, we're able to get themselves in somewhat of a better position had they not
00:11:00.740
Well, my headline and prayers, of course, and thoughts and everything and, you know, whatever
00:11:05.860
I know we got iron council guys on the ground doing stuff.
00:11:08.120
And if we need to make contributions financially, if we're in the position to do it, we ought to do
00:11:12.620
Um, my headline comes from a podcast I was listening to this morning and Kip, you and
00:11:18.520
In fact, if I remember right, we talked about something like this, uh, just a couple of
00:11:23.640
And this gentleman puts it into much more eloquent words that I'm able to.
00:11:29.320
And, uh, this one comes from Chris Williamson's podcast, modern wisdom.
00:11:33.360
Uh, and it came out, I think it came out a couple of days ago, maybe on Thursday or Friday
00:11:47.200
And like I said, you and I have talked a lot about emotions, but in his research, he is
00:11:52.460
saying that not only are your emotions a feeling, but there's actually a physiological response
00:12:00.180
So all the things that intuitively Kip, you and I have been talking about, about emotions
00:12:03.800
being indicators, he's confirming again in a much more well-versed, eloquent way than
00:12:10.920
But what's interesting about this, and I think this is the one that you alluded to is that
00:12:14.840
fear is not only a feeling that we have, we focus on the feeling because we think we
00:12:21.660
But one thing he said is that when you are experiencing fear, you are much more capable
00:12:28.120
of navigating the environment and world around you.
00:12:31.900
You actually are better with navigation and directions when you're experiencing fear.
00:12:36.760
And I think that's one of the things you talked about.
00:12:39.640
A couple of other things that he addressed on the podcast, the physiological responses of
00:12:45.340
love and how not only is that a feeling, but that, that emotion is actually designed
00:12:51.640
to pair bond you with another woman in order to build long-term predictable results.
00:12:59.400
Because right now, if it wasn't about love, if love wasn't an emotion, we are really, really
00:13:08.780
So we'd go hook up with every person that we possibly could.
00:13:12.340
That doesn't serve us long-term and it's love that helps us get to that point.
00:13:18.500
He said that when you're disgusted, specifically by potential pathogens like disease, airborne
00:13:26.240
illness, that sort of thing, disgust is a feeling.
00:13:30.080
Maybe you can't even figure out why, but the physiological response, and this has been proven
00:13:38.640
Your body starts to produce chemicals to make you more immune and ready and able to deal with
00:13:44.680
potential bacteria and viruses it might be introduced to.
00:13:48.600
So you're having a physiological response to whatever feeling that you might have.
00:13:54.440
Guilt is designed to make amends with the people who are closest so you can continue to
00:14:08.120
Maybe a woman, for example, or other things that you have.
00:14:16.380
Anger is designed to help you get the respect that you deserve because somebody disrespected
00:14:29.020
I mean, there's probably exceptions, but when I'm angry, it's because I feel disrespected.
00:14:36.760
And so your body is actually producing chemicals based on the emotions that you're experiencing.
00:14:47.420
Well, it's the thing that we've been talking about.
00:14:49.480
When you experience an emotion, instead of just feeling it, ask yourself, what should I
00:14:58.380
And what do I need to learn through the experience I'm currently having?
00:15:03.180
And if you can figure out what that is and realize that your body is doing something very
00:15:08.560
real, this is not just some random emotional response that we should try to tamp down.
00:15:15.400
No, your body's actually doing physiological work to protect you against what you're experiencing.
00:15:26.480
This is probably about a year or two ago, where when men hold their infant babies, it alters
00:15:39.880
Like, you produce less by having a baby around you, which is fascinating.
00:15:45.260
Because you need more nurturing instead of, you know, being angry and throwing the baby
00:15:58.260
Well, the other one that's interesting is it's been proven that testosterone production
00:16:03.800
goes up when you compete and more specifically win.
00:16:17.800
And so your body's naturally going to start producing chemicals.
00:16:21.180
My girlfriend and I were talking about this, about love.
00:16:24.140
And we're a little weird sometimes, but we had this thought about love.
00:16:31.140
And the conversation that I remember having with her is that love is basic.
00:16:40.100
It's your body producing certain chemicals in order to produce a result.
00:16:44.500
So it's really fascinating when you start thinking about all of the things that you
00:16:49.200
experience is just your body regulating your organs, doing different things, regulating
00:16:54.740
hormones, producing more of this, less of that.
00:17:01.380
And, you know, a book we talk about often, right?
00:17:05.340
And you start talking about kind of dopamine management when it comes to kids having delayed
00:17:25.920
Like they're going to get more feel goods from playing a game than pleasing you as a father.
00:17:33.780
So maybe we shouldn't introduce Timmy to video games until he's a little bit older.
00:17:38.400
Like it's just super insightful so we can navigate.
00:17:42.240
And we can understand and make better decisions.
00:17:47.260
By the way, Dr. Warren Farrell is coming back on the podcast to discuss his newest book.
00:17:52.800
I can't remember the title right offhand, but it's about building a deep and meaningful
00:18:02.600
And I love that I don't politically sit on the same aisle as him and that I like him.
00:18:13.380
No, I was not sure if he was raging, but I knew like from his book, I'm like, I know
00:18:19.740
I always put feminism and raging together, so maybe I don't need to say that.
00:18:26.280
By the way, I also have another good podcast that came out yesterday with Kelsey Sharon.
00:18:31.020
Her and I have disagreed very publicly about two things in particular, vulnerability and
00:18:37.560
And we actually had a really, I thought we were going to argue a lot more, maybe not argue, but debate a lot more than, than we did.
00:18:45.080
But it is interesting when you start to really get down into the nuance that people aren't really that far off on much.
00:18:54.880
I mean, you could take the most polarizing subject, abortion, for example.
00:18:59.280
I mean, I don't, I don't agree with abortion, but I also can see the argument of a woman wanting to be able to choose for herself.
00:19:06.500
I don't think that's what she's doing, but I can make that connection.
00:19:15.340
And my argument is, well, we're not going to kill babies.
00:19:18.400
And somebody who's pro-abortion has to make that connect.
00:19:24.520
Now, they're disconnecting a fetus with a baby.
00:19:28.400
They're one and the same, but they still want the same thing.
00:19:33.100
They are, but it's just interesting how people really aren't that far off on what we want and what we think is right and moral.
00:19:43.100
Well, and how often is our argument really not on logic?
00:19:47.540
But if we disagree, it makes me look bad because I've associated to a political viewpoint and it's a threat to my character, right?
00:19:56.800
Like, and then we're not even debating really at this point.
00:20:07.200
So we're going to fill some questions from Instagram to follow Mr. Mickler there.
00:20:17.960
As dads, we are constantly mindful of what influences shape our children's thoughts and values.
00:20:23.900
From your expertise, what are the key inputs, whether media, relationships, or environment,
00:20:29.900
that we should be most intentional about to protect and positively shape our children's minds and character?
00:20:36.960
Well, I appreciate the vote of confidence when you say expertise.
00:20:42.240
I would say experience, but I would not say expertise because I'm figuring this out with four kids and every single one of them is different.
00:20:49.400
But as far as the influences go, I mean, I think the big one, right, all of them, you listed them, right?
00:20:55.900
Media, music, TV programming, YouTube, TikTok, social media, friends.
00:21:18.920
So I would not allow them to have social media access on their phones until they're 16, 17.
00:21:28.800
So I've got four kids, my 16-year-old, he's got an iPhone now.
00:21:33.780
I told him I'm not buying an iPhone, and his mom isn't going to buy him an iPhone.
00:21:38.040
So he ended up buying it himself, but he doesn't have social media on it.
00:21:41.680
If he wants to get on social media, he's got to come get it through either her phone or my phone.
00:21:46.920
And then there's a time associated with that as well.
00:21:51.960
He's got a Gab phone, I think is what it's called.
00:21:57.400
I think they have access to some music, but we can put parental guidance and disclaimers
00:22:06.040
And same thing with my 11-year-old daughter has a phone, no social media, Gab phone.
00:22:18.360
He's got a watch, and he can call five or six people, a video call with those contacts
00:22:23.100
that I have to actually put in on the app on my phone.
00:22:26.360
He can't just go in and program a phone number on there.
00:22:33.940
And there's been congressional testimony from social media people that has explained how addictive
00:22:42.540
And just anecdotally, you can see, especially again in young women, that's where a lot of
00:22:46.560
bullying takes place, a lot of body image issues take place.
00:22:51.940
It's a really, really horrible, horrible place for kids to converse.
00:22:58.420
Their friends, be aware of where their friends are going and spending their time and what they're
00:23:04.600
With regards to their friends, I really, when the kids are with me, they're with me half
00:23:09.700
I don't, my older boys can go do things with their friends and that's fine.
00:23:14.560
But for the most part, I invite everybody to come to my house.
00:23:19.580
And it's, it's not party central or anything out here, but I try to make it a place conducive
00:23:26.040
And so this has become the hub because that's what I want.
00:23:31.060
If they're going to have friends, I want them here in this environment.
00:23:34.340
And then we can help not only keep our kids on the right path, but maybe even steer some
00:23:39.360
other kids that maybe don't have the same influence they need in their lives.
00:23:48.740
I mean, I just make sure how we're showing up as parents.
00:23:51.960
And, and I think part of, you know, Mr. New Dad, like one thing is consistency around
00:23:57.800
all of this is the key because, you know, like in your mind, like, oh, they shouldn't
00:24:05.180
And it's consistency that will shape them, not your opinion.
00:24:13.320
And, you know, even Asia and I, we were talking about this just a couple months ago about how
00:24:18.460
we were inconsistent with going to church because we're constantly traveling on the weekends
00:24:23.020
and we're like, no, this needs to be a non-negotiable.
00:24:30.340
It doesn't matter if we're in Delta, if we're up in Salt Lake City, it doesn't matter.
00:24:40.480
And if we always make these exceptions, then what will happen is you'll naturally hear kids.
00:24:53.500
When they're asking to do or not do something, that tells you you've been inconsistent and
00:25:08.860
How about teaching stranger danger to a five-year-old daughter?
00:25:12.760
I don't want to instill fear, but awareness when it comes to someone crossing the line with
00:25:22.760
You know, five-year-old, a five-year-old at this point, they're getting to the place where
00:25:27.480
they can actually have a conversation with you, right?
00:25:32.580
But what I would do and what I have done is I ask a lot of questions of my kids.
00:25:39.160
So if we're at Walmart, for example, picking something up and I see a strange person, I'll
00:25:44.680
ask them, what do you think about that person over there?
00:25:48.460
And they're like, yeah, I don't, he seems, he seems weird.
00:26:00.660
You're just kind of standing there looking around at everybody.
00:26:07.780
When we're at the park, you know, a simple question might be, hey, what would you do if
00:26:12.380
a parent or an adult came up to you and started asking you questions?
00:26:19.420
Without any prompts, see what, see what their thought process is, see where they're at.
00:26:22.500
I mean, ideally the goal in that scenario would then for them to be, hey, my mom or dad is
00:26:27.380
You can talk with them, you know, like just empowering them to have those types of conversations.
00:26:33.800
And then also, I think this is really important as well, is to be able to converse with adults
00:26:42.820
Because a lot of the times kids are under the, how do you, how would you say it?
00:26:50.080
Under the influence, I guess, of adults, there's a dynamic.
00:26:56.440
So at school, for example, heaven forbid, a kid questions one of the teachers.
00:27:02.900
I actually think a teacher, if it's done in a respectful way, ought to encourage questioning.
00:27:10.160
Or a scenario where a kid has to raise their hand so they can go to the bathroom.
00:27:18.320
If a kid has to go to the bathroom, he doesn't need to ask for permission to have the dignity
00:27:24.780
Now, if it's little Billy who, you know, is out there dinking around and getting in fights
00:27:33.120
But it should be done on a case by case basis, not just a public wide policy that a kid has
00:27:40.180
These are the problems that we create when we, and look, I know there has to be authority.
00:27:48.420
But I think if you can teach your child what is acceptable, to have the boundaries, to be
00:27:54.000
able to communicate, a small thing that we've always done as soon as the kids could speak
00:27:59.160
is when we're at restaurants, our kids order food.
00:28:08.040
And my response was, you can either order or not eat.
00:28:16.260
And every single one of my four kids are completely comfortable looking a waitress or a server,
00:28:21.620
I think you have to say now, in the eye and ordering their food clearly and with articulation.
00:28:28.520
So I think you ought to teach your child, because somebody who would prey on a child is going
00:28:39.220
Oh, I'm supposed to get you because I'm supposed to look after you.
00:28:42.220
Your mom gave me permission to come pick you up.
00:28:47.060
And if you've only taught your child to be submissive to authority, they're putting themselves in greater risk.
00:28:53.940
So help them understand what appropriate authority is and where no authority exists.
00:29:01.140
I'll even, if they want water, like I even, I had poke bowls with Koa just actually the other day.
00:29:08.640
I was super proud that he loved them, by the way.
00:29:11.180
We got some spicy tuna and he's like, this is so good.
00:29:34.660
Try to get their attention, even though your head's over the counter, barely, you know, and ask for a water cup.
00:29:42.900
And I want to call this out for J Money because this is what you shouldn't do.
00:29:50.780
You had some specialists there show us how to get out of being tied down with zip ties and to pick locks.
00:30:09.360
And I was like, oh, I'm going to teach this to my kids.
00:30:12.860
And at the time, they're probably like, I don't know, 10 and eight.
00:30:16.780
And I'm like, this is what you're going to do is someone kidnaps you.
00:30:20.140
And I'm like, they're both crying within like 10 minutes.
00:30:28.800
So don't do what I did and create this huge fear problem out of my excitement.
00:30:34.900
I should have been asking questions like what you would recommend versus just straight up, like trying to tie my kids up and have them escape.
00:30:45.920
I think it might have been Tim Kennedy where I think it was Tim where he actually he either did or he had somebody kidnap his daughter.
00:31:04.180
But whoever it was, they kidnapped the daughter and like pulled her into a van and did the whole thing.
00:31:17.340
I'm assuming there was probably some prep going into it and, you know, training.
00:31:27.920
I don't I don't know about the efficacy of that.
00:31:35.960
You know, when you see your kids being aware of the environment or situation, say, hey, I noticed you were looking around when you got out of the car.
00:31:45.060
Or you might say, hey, you know, we were at the park and I noticed that there was somebody who was talking with you.
00:32:05.640
Have those communications and those conversations.
00:32:11.060
Co-13 Navy, can you talk about your alcoholism?
00:32:22.460
So years ago, this is probably three years ago, maybe a little bit over.
00:32:30.700
You know, every weekend I might have a drink or something like that.
00:32:43.840
I was having all these thoughts about what I wanted to do with the business.
00:32:50.460
But that one drink on the weekend was actually really nice.
00:32:54.300
I could unplug for the evening and not have to worry about having my brain turned on as much as it always seems to be.
00:33:05.020
And that one drink on the weekend turned into a couple of drinks on the weekend.
00:33:08.520
And then it was like, oh, it's a Wednesday night.
00:33:16.260
And then eventually it turned into day drinking.
00:33:19.340
And at one point it was so bad that in the morning I would get up and I'd run down to the convenience store and I'd pick up a half pint of whiskey.
00:33:30.720
I'm an efficient person even when it comes to drinking.
00:33:34.120
What can I get that will get me the drunkest, the fastest, for the least amount of money?
00:33:38.580
Yeah, so you don't have to drink and taste as much either.
00:33:42.760
So I'm an efficient person in everything that I do.
00:33:47.980
So I would get drunk in the morning and then I would podcast and I'd do my work.
00:33:55.200
And by all external metrics, things seemed to be going pretty well.
00:34:02.020
I know I had maybe some contentions and things like that with my ex, but it didn't seem catastrophic to me.
00:34:09.840
And that was because I was at that point 24-7 drunk, passed out, or hung over.
00:34:14.020
My kids were getting older and so there was some contention with my oldest.
00:34:19.840
But I thought, oh, this is just the nature of him getting older and wanting to be independent.
00:34:26.480
Yeah, I was just going to ask, was your mindset that the contention had nothing to do with the drinking?
00:34:35.180
That the contention would have been there whether you were drinking or not.
00:34:40.440
I actually convinced myself that I was better when I was drunk.
00:34:46.860
That I could podcast better because I was looser, able to ask better questions.
00:34:50.980
Or at the dinner table, I could have a better conversation because I wasn't so wrapped up in work and I was a little bit more light and things like this.
00:35:06.760
There was a couple of times where I realized that it was becoming a problem and it was usually when I was drunk.
00:35:16.920
And I would, it's like, I don't like talking, I do not like talking about this stuff.
00:35:22.400
But I know there was a problem like, I'm just going to stop drinking or I'm going to just come clean and tell people and then that'll help me.
00:35:29.580
And then when I'd sober up, I'm like, I'd chicken out.
00:35:37.280
My ex-wife one morning asked me a question or said something to me.
00:35:41.400
I was already drinking by the time, this was a Sunday morning.
00:35:44.440
I was already drinking by the time she brought this to my attention.
00:35:50.360
All I remember is saying, wait, are you saying you want a divorce?
00:36:04.340
Also on Monday, I hired a therapist through BetterHelp and started going through the process of getting sober.
00:36:12.160
And I spent six months, about three or four months going to meetings.
00:36:18.000
I stopped going to meetings, but about six months trying to rebuild the relationships and keep the family together.
00:36:42.160
And I think one thing about alcoholism, too, is that probably just when you think you have a handle on it is about the time you say, you know what?
00:37:02.780
Like, I've never done one thing half-assed in my entire life.
00:37:06.360
If I'm going to do it, I'm going to go as hard.
00:37:10.020
I'm not going to be good at it, necessarily, when I first try something.
00:37:12.680
But I'm going to go as hard and tough as I possibly can that I can do.
00:37:24.480
I better finish everything that's in the fridge right now or in the cupboard.
00:37:30.900
What's your, if you don't mind me asking, what's your, when is it most tempting to drink?
00:37:46.300
So, because I'm not going to drink around people.
00:37:48.800
I wasn't even really doing that because I was a closet drinker.
00:37:56.760
It wasn't enough, obviously, to keep me from drinking, so I hid all of it.
00:38:05.740
Anything you know you shouldn't be engaged in or involved in, you're not going to do that in public.
00:38:11.000
Like, you're not going to pull up, you know, like, porn on your iPad when you're on the plane and everybody can see.
00:38:24.620
And so, I have to be really careful in those moments of being isolated, being bored, and being stressed.
00:38:33.460
When you started AA, did you have a hard time getting aligned with, there's a problem?
00:38:42.480
Like, did that take a while where you're like, no, like, these guys are pushing against it.
00:38:47.520
Like, I want to get better, but maybe I'm not really on, in an agreement that I have an issue.
00:38:56.180
I mean, because I had let it get so catastrophic that my wife of 18 years, my ex-wife of 18 years, was considering leaving at that point.
00:39:06.460
So, that kind of helped me realize, okay, this is a real issue here.
00:39:11.080
And maybe I was just looking at it from an external perspective, but I was able to internalize that.
00:39:16.060
I will say, when I went to AA, though, in all fairness to everybody who was there, I had a really hard time resonating with them.
00:39:24.580
And many times, I remember vividly having the thought, how in the world did I end up in this room?
00:39:42.840
I know I look at it differently just based on my behavioral issues and the way that I show up.
00:39:52.540
But I also know that there's other people who say that about themselves.
00:39:58.320
And if that's what helps them stay sober, that's great.
00:40:02.100
If something else helps you stay sober, that's great.
00:40:07.840
I'm just trying to figure out a way that works for me.
00:40:12.660
I'm telling you it's the way that's working for me.
00:40:14.920
Yeah, I remember you making that distinction, you know, over a year ago.
00:40:23.740
But like the way I saw it was almost like if you're overweight and you're fat and then you start being healthy and going to the gym,
00:40:32.420
you don't walk around with the identity of I'm fat.
00:40:39.180
Like when you have the mindset of transformation, it's like, no, I am this.
00:40:46.000
And so, I always, what you've, the way you've said it, that's how I relate it to you.
00:40:51.740
Not to hold on, drag it forward with you, but to your point, if you're at risk a lot, then maybe holding on to the fact that like you are an alcoholic and it only takes one.
00:41:05.400
Like the seriousness of that maybe is what people need.
00:41:08.900
And I think that's what somebody who would identify with a term like that would say is they would say, hey, that reminds me of the danger that I'm in if I expose myself to this poison.
00:41:20.160
And I've heard people, notable people, guys like Andy Frisilla.
00:41:30.240
But he, I think, I don't want to put words in his mouth, but if I had to analyze that to the best I can, I think he's saying that because he has to be very aware and fight against a natural tendency to overeat or be lazy or whatever his thing is.
00:41:50.160
But as I get older and get a little gray in here and I see a lot more men dealing with and overcoming a lot of hardships in multiple ways, I realize maybe there is some gray area or maybe there is some nuance or maybe what works for me doesn't work for that guy and vice versa.
00:42:09.800
And I actually love the story, especially to tell my boys that are young men, that how many men don't drink alcohol?
00:42:26.680
And how many guys in the IC don't drink because they know it's just not an ideal state for them, period.
00:42:37.180
You know, I've heard people say that alcohol is really interesting because it's the one drug that if you don't engage in, people think something's wrong with you.
00:42:46.820
So there's been this huge since the dawn of this country and as long as men could ferment grapes that we've been consuming alcohol.
00:42:59.060
And look, I don't have anything against alcohol.
00:43:07.980
But if somebody wants to have a beer on the weekend, that's no issue of mine.
00:43:11.080
And I was up with some friends at the ranch the other day, and one of my buddies was having a couple beers.
00:43:20.800
And if you can handle it and be appropriate and you just like to let loose and that's okay for you, then by all means.
00:43:30.140
But I'm telling you, if you have an issue, then you have to change your life and you have to do something different if you want different results in your life.
00:43:40.340
The Michael Streno, curious question, not pertaining to me, but I'm just curious.
00:43:59.040
No, it's actually – I don't even know why he would say this because it wouldn't reflect negative on him if it was the case.
00:44:04.560
But how can you help manage the relationship between your wife, girlfriend, and an ex-wife slash mother of your children?
00:44:12.000
So navigating the relationship between the girlfriend and the new wife versus the ex-wife.
00:44:18.960
I mean I think there has to be a lot of conversations about it with your girlfriend about what type of involvement she's even comfortable having.
00:44:29.240
Is it she wants complete distance and that's where she's comfortable?
00:44:32.820
Is it that she wants to be cordial or say hello?
00:44:36.220
And I actually have friends that their ex and their new girlfriend are actually friends.
00:44:55.660
But I think the conversation really is going to be centered around what is your girlfriend comfortable with when it comes to the type of relationship.
00:45:05.440
And also, what is she comfortable with the type of relationship you have with your ex too?
00:45:11.740
Because look, I mean obviously she's not going to want you to be buddies I don't think with her.
00:45:19.680
There's some concerns I think that come up when that's the case.
00:45:24.240
But if there's kids involved, there has to be communication.
00:45:28.540
And so I think it's fair to ask her, hey, does this bother you or what are you looking for or what are you comfortable with?
00:45:33.840
And whatever it is, I think you just kind of have to respect that.
00:45:38.900
And if you can't do that, then maybe the relationship isn't going to be one that you can pursue because you're not interested in it and what she's after.
00:45:47.040
And she's not interested in the way you're doing the rest of your life.
00:45:49.720
So I don't really see that being a relationship that can continue.
00:45:52.620
Now, there might be some compromise and some different things.
00:45:56.440
I also tend to believe, I'm just assuming here, that just be open.
00:46:06.660
You know, if you send a message to the ex about plans this weekend because they're trying to coordinate kids, I think probably you can disclose that.
00:46:15.840
I would imagine that the biggest issue is when the girlfriend knows conversations are happening, but she doesn't know what is happening.
00:46:26.220
And it's not nefarious or anything like that, but I have been guilty of not disclosing that.
00:46:30.700
And what that does is it creates concern and worry and possibility for contention.
00:46:37.060
So I think there's communication that needs to take place.
00:46:39.180
And then I think it's just disclosing what's happening so she doesn't have to guess because usually when people guess and assume, it's way worse than it actually is.
00:46:59.600
The second is eventually if girlfriend turns to wife, she's the priority.
00:47:15.400
I think sometimes she's the priority now because if you're dating her, I mean, for the most part, you're dating her because you want to be in a long term relationship with her.
00:47:27.940
The only reason that's a priority is because your kids are a priority.
00:47:38.460
And if she's not comfortable, then you need to make some pivots.
00:47:42.120
The other thing is usually this becomes a bigger issue when there's struggle in the relationship.
00:47:49.360
And so how, you know, so double down and make sure that the relationship with your girlfriend and your current wife is like buttoned up, that it's solid.
00:47:59.920
Yeah, no, your relationship with your current wife is established and strong.
00:48:04.400
That way you can deal with ex-wife without much difficulty.
00:48:09.060
But if we're on rocks, oh, man, that's just another item that's just going to make things even more difficult, right?
00:48:17.460
So just make sure those relationships are buttoned up.
00:48:20.880
I think it's like anything, the more you communicate about it and the more level-headed you are about it.
00:48:27.620
I think, guys, not just in this context, but it would be easy if you didn't think anything wrong about, let's say, the relationship you had with your ex was no issue.
00:48:38.860
And then she comes to you, but she's got a concern about it, and then you get super defensive.
00:48:45.000
That also indicates to me, it's not always true, but I think a lot of people read that as guilt.
00:48:52.300
So when you're, in this case, I think your girl, is it his girlfriend or his new wife?
00:49:00.800
Okay, so in this case, if she comes to you and says, hey, I have concerns about the way that you're communicating with so-and-so, you don't need to get defensive.
00:49:20.380
And you don't need to say, well, the reason I do this, and you don't need to, she knows why.
00:49:29.840
Like, when people explain things to me that they're upset about, I sometimes have a tendency of, like, it's not a big deal.
00:49:40.860
And what I'm doing when I do that is I'm invalidating how they feel.
00:49:45.180
Yeah, because your explaining doesn't take away the feeling.
00:49:48.380
No, because they already know the rational explanation.
00:49:51.820
They think it's irrational, which is why they have an issue with it.
00:49:59.100
El Gringo, Lobo 97, biggest red flags in women.
00:50:07.480
I think I did a podcast on this and green flags.
00:50:11.680
I think, I think how, well, one thing we talked about this last week is one thing is a level of awareness.
00:50:22.280
And so if she has no self-awareness, I'm not interested in that relationship.
00:50:33.020
That's not the issue because we know that's going to be the case.
00:50:39.740
And if she does and she's actively working on addressing those things, I think that's, that's certainly something I can work with.
00:50:54.160
Um, I definitely think relationship with, with men and, and specifically her father is a big thing.
00:51:01.080
Like if she has a toxic relationship with her father, that would concern me.
00:51:07.960
She learned about how to have a relationship with men through her father.
00:51:15.280
So if she's got a, just a destructive, toxic, again, these aren't deal.
00:51:29.020
We just had somebody on the Facebook page just the other day in the, in the group actually say that he was, he's been dating this woman for a couple of months.
00:51:37.580
She's not, her marriage isn't, her divorce isn't finalized yet.
00:51:44.640
And he doesn't know if it's his or no, he doesn't know.
00:51:48.500
But the, the baby or the soon to be baby or the medical expenses are going on the current husband's health insurance stuff.
00:52:08.160
I mean, first of all, don't, well, that's another red flag.
00:52:10.880
If she's married, I don't care if she's going through the divorce or like if she's married, you stay away from it.
00:52:22.880
But if you're still married and it's not finalized, cool.
00:52:25.540
We can sync up in six months if we're still interested in each other then.
00:52:31.600
Um, I think also, you know, how, how she treats people, just people in general, you can get a pretty good indicator.
00:52:43.060
We can all be really pleasant and be really nice, but that's going to go away.
00:52:49.020
So you need to see how she treats people that are not connected to you and that can't really help her in any meaningful incident, significant way.
00:52:58.220
Cause if she treats those people like that, then it's probably pretty safe to say at some point she's going to start treating you like that.
00:53:08.840
Like, yeah, when you're annoying and obnoxious and you will get that way.
00:53:14.620
I, the only thing I'd add, and it's kind of kind of this self-awareness side is just, just any triggers or any areas by which she is a victim.
00:53:26.980
She's always blaming, not taking responsibility for anything.
00:53:30.420
I think you would naturally get past that if they're self-aware, but that would get old really quick.
00:53:38.080
Cause they're just going around, just being a victim by everybody and they take zero accountability for things.
00:53:43.060
Um, and that tells you that they're not, they don't have a growth mindset, right?
00:53:50.440
Well, and that, and that the growth mindset is what I thought you were going to say before you said, and it's the same, same category, right?
00:53:56.260
But is this a person who's willing to grow and get better and improve and has goals and desires and dreams and ambitions and aspirations?
00:54:03.060
Or is this a person who just wants to plop their butt on the couch and do nothing the rest of their life?
00:54:08.820
Um, I would say one other red flag is misalignment in important values.
00:54:13.700
You know, so if you guys have, if you're Catholic and she's Christian, that's not a misalignment.
00:54:20.160
But if you're a Buddhist or Muslim and she's Christian, that's probably going to be an issue.
00:54:26.020
Or if you're into earthly spirituality and you are, are very deep in, into, you know, baptism, uh, like the Baptist faith, like that's probably at some point going to be a real issue.
00:54:38.980
Uh, if she's a, uh, a liberal and you're ultra conservative, I mean, what do you do with that?
00:54:48.340
Like, yeah, I mean, I think there's exceptions, but that takes a couple of very patient, tolerant people and not, most of us are not like that.
00:54:58.820
Once you have kids, like all of a sudden it's going to be a conflict all the time.
00:55:04.660
Or if, or if, you know, you like to go adventure and explore and she's a bit of a homebody, it's like, I mean, that's kind of an issue.
00:55:15.040
Like she'll be at home and you'll be out adventuring.
00:55:17.600
And if you drag her along, she's going to be bothered.
00:55:20.420
If you're sitting at home all the time and not going on hikes and doing the things that you enjoy, then you're going to be bothered.
00:55:25.360
Like, I think really date to figure out, is this a person that I could see myself spending all the time with?
00:55:33.080
And again, as we opened up this conversation, love is chemicals.
00:55:37.340
And, and you can have chemical reactions with a lot of different women and, and many of them will be aligned and a lot of them will not be.
00:55:48.440
You just end it respectfully and find somebody who is more aligned.
00:55:52.600
But I mean, relationships are hard when people are aligned, let alone when they're not.
00:55:57.800
So this is kind of a good segue from the question before.
00:56:03.000
Rick Henfer, what are your thoughts on con contact with an ex partner, particularly when you're both in a loving, committed relationship?
00:56:17.260
I have contact with my ex, but it's a 100% around my kids.
00:56:23.940
But I don't, I don't talk to my ex about like, how's your day?
00:56:34.020
And not only do I, I'm not interested in those conversations.
00:56:37.920
And it's also not respectful to the other relationship that you're in.
00:56:50.940
The least amount of contact that you can have to accomplish whatever it is you need to accomplish.
00:56:57.460
If it's to schedule the weekend with the kids or to trade schedules or to, I don't know,
00:57:06.260
to tell them about a new medication one of the kids needed, or they broke their arm when they were with you.
00:57:23.980
I would lean in the direction of what's the intent.
00:57:29.080
And, and are you seeking something in that ex-partner relationship that you wish you would be getting out of your current relationship?
00:57:42.580
End the current relationship and try to work on the previous one.
00:57:46.040
If that's what you, if that's what you feel, or if you're just trying to get validation, that's an issue.
00:57:50.320
But yeah, so I would, I would pulse why, and then, and then it goes back to the comment I mentioned earlier, priorities.
00:57:59.540
Well, yeah, but my expectation is, yeah, well, who's your priority?
00:58:07.000
Like that's part of getting married is putting that person as the priority.
00:58:11.840
So I would just look at those two things primarily.
00:58:17.100
I mean, I think, you know, what your intentions are when you're reaching out, like, you know what they are, whether they're on the up and up or not, like, you know, so just don't, and don't even, don't even open it.
00:58:32.580
And when they end, they're over, they're done, they're over.
00:58:35.680
But also, you know, one thing that somebody has to keep in mind is that you may love that woman, you may have been in a long-term relationship, and there may not be feelings now, but I've seen so many relationships, like, get back together, and it ends up being toxic anyways, most of the time.
00:58:53.920
And you can have feelings about the past, but it's done.
00:58:58.740
Move on with your life so you can focus on an incredible woman to come into your life or a new job to come into your life.
00:59:09.660
I would also say one other caveat to this, Kip, and I think you would agree with this, is if you are going to take the idea of what is my intent and then work into my suggestion, which was minimum effective dose, minimum effective dose does not mean be short and rude and a jerk because that's not effective.
00:59:32.140
So, even with limited contact, you can still be respectful even if she's not.
00:59:36.620
You can still be the higher person even if she's not willing to be.
00:59:52.860
Superman Sexton, when does knowing your worth and ego meet?
01:00:01.020
How do you know when you're asking for what you're worth versus what you think you're worth?
01:00:05.960
How can you drill down the difference and recognize your worth from just hyping yourself up to be more than what you are?
01:00:12.880
Well, you're talking about two different things here, I think, and you're saying that they're one and the same.
01:00:19.580
And maybe it's semantics, but this might help clear this up a little bit.
01:00:22.740
To me, when somebody says worth, that verbiage, to me, means you're worth as a human being.
01:00:35.300
I have an infinite level of worth as a divine son of God.
01:00:47.020
So, because now you started talking about going to an employer and asking for a raise, that's not worth to me.
01:00:59.120
So, what you have to do is you actually have to look at what other people are getting paid for the work they're doing.
01:01:06.420
You have to look at the revenue that you're generating and bringing in.
01:01:09.040
You have to look at the goals and objectives of your employer and see what he needs.
01:01:13.300
And you actually have to take into consideration his perspective.
01:01:17.020
And that's one thing a lot of people don't realize about value and also about capitalism.
01:01:23.140
When we're talking about capitalism, let's say that I wanted to buy this pen from you, Kip, because you make great pens.
01:01:33.820
So, you come to me and you say, hey, this pen is $2.
01:01:38.240
If I think that this pen is worth more than $2, then I'll pay $2 for it.
01:01:48.540
If you thought that this pen was worth more than $2 because of what it cost to make, then you would charge more for it.
01:01:56.320
So, what's interesting about a voluntary transaction like this pen is I think I'm getting a better deal than you.
01:02:04.400
And you think you're getting a better deal than me.
01:02:08.080
And when those two ideas mesh and converge, we have a sale.
01:02:20.120
So, you go to your boss and you think that whatever he's going to pay you is more than your worth.
01:02:28.180
And he thinks whatever you provide is worth more than what he's willing to pay you.
01:02:35.620
And if you can't come to a consensus, then you have to go look elsewhere for another job.
01:02:39.700
So, the reason I even bring that up is because it's important to take into consideration what your boss might value.
01:02:48.820
Because right now, you might only be seeing it through your lens.
01:02:52.420
Well, I have a mortgage and I have kids and I've been in this business for 30 years.
01:02:56.520
And I have this expertise and I know how to do this.
01:02:59.000
And I have this credential or this designation or this degree.
01:03:02.380
And your boss is like, I just need you to sell more shit.
01:03:09.340
Because that's what he values in that relationship.
01:03:12.580
But if you really spend some time thinking about what he might want.
01:03:21.220
Maybe it's just understanding the market and competitors are doing.
01:03:25.700
And that's where research and development comes in for you.
01:03:35.940
In fact, Superman Sexton, there's no room for ego.
01:03:42.020
This is a, do I provide value to the organization in this position?
01:03:48.860
And if you don't, increase capability, increase your skill, make pivots and necessary adjustments.
01:03:57.500
We get this way with, well, I've been here for so many years.
01:04:02.180
And I'm just intrinsically valuable just because of being here.
01:04:07.480
Like, I even think the value over replacement is a valuable thing to consider.
01:04:16.600
Could they get someone to do my job better for a cheaper price or at the same price?
01:04:24.580
And if the answer is yes, then they should fire your ass and go find someone else.
01:04:40.580
If you don't think that you could go find someone as great as you at the salary that they're paying you, then start working on your exit.
01:04:50.380
Go find someone else that's willing to pay you for your worth.
01:04:52.860
Yeah, I forgot about the ego component of that.
01:04:58.060
But yeah, the ego is going to get you hurt for sure.
01:05:04.360
Well, I think the way that you, where you address that is back to the value.
01:05:08.840
You know, who, who gets to determine in any relationship?
01:05:14.240
In any relationship, romantic, platonic, professional, who is it that determines the relation, the value of the relationship?
01:05:23.720
The receiver of, the receiver of, of what you bring to the table.
01:05:34.240
The other party in any relationship always gets to decide what, what's valuable.
01:05:43.840
And they're still not going to value you more than what they're going to value you for.
01:05:48.080
In fact, so if you, they'll value you less and you're annoying, you know?
01:05:55.380
So I think the way that you get rid of the ego is just always knowing that it's the other party who gets to determine what's valuable.
01:06:03.660
And think about it in the context of a romantic relationship.
01:06:05.980
If you're showing up and you think you're doing everything right and she's like, man, this guy's a jerk and he's not showing up for me and he's not expressing his love and he's never here.
01:06:14.880
Again, you can bitch and moan and cry about that all you want, but she's out after so long of doing that.
01:06:19.680
But if you're always like, hey, how does my wife receive love?
01:06:24.160
What can I do to make her know that she's important in this relationship?
01:06:31.980
There's no ego in that because you're not worried about yourself.
01:06:34.640
You're worried about how you can serve her in the relationship.
01:06:44.240
Or you're doing it wrong, which is a story for all of us.
01:06:47.880
I was going to say, that's a whole other episode.
01:06:59.500
Again, guys, we've got the Iron Council preview call.
01:07:02.720
Actually, now that I say that, I shouldn't have even brought that up.
01:07:06.340
The preview call is tonight, Monday, and this won't come out till Wednesday.
01:07:14.180
If you didn't get the preview call, then you're out.
01:07:20.120
Maybe because of that, maybe I should leave it open till Wednesday because now I feel a
01:07:23.880
little bad that I was teasing you guys with the Iron Council.
01:07:30.440
Today's your last day to join us for this fourth quarter.
01:07:43.840
We will be back on Friday and hopefully we'll see you inside the Iron Council.
01:07:47.280
Until then, go out there, take action, and become the man you are meant to be.
01:07:50.980
Thank you for listening to the Order of Man podcast.
01:07:57.560
You're ready to take charge of your life and be more of the man you are meant to be.
01:08:01.660
We invite you to join the Order at orderofman.com.
01:08:14.280
We'll be back on Friday and hopefully you'll see.