Know that. You're incredibly important to your children. And even if you're not a dad, you're still important because you're going to have little men look up to you, whether you want that or not. It's a responsibility you may not pursue and you might even try to avoid, but you can't. You will be a role model for someone.
I love being a dad. It's my favorite job in the world. The above picture is from our most recent vacation to North Carolina. I took the boys out fishing a few times and with them being 2 and 3, I probably spent more time casting and untangling their lines than I did ACTUALLY fishing. But that's okay. I get to be their dad. (not pictured: our 5 month old daughter...she's not quite ready to be a fisher-lady)
I've always wanted to make an impact in people's lives. One of the reason I started Gray Man was because I wanted to help men in their struggle to understand what it means to be a man. The "Gray Man Lifestyle" is ultimately about being a protector of those around you - a doer of good - a man that puts his head down and does what needs to be done. And it's easy to just think about that aspect when it pertains to society as a whole. "THE WORLD NEEDS PROTECTED!" we think in our minds, but there's more to that than carrying a firearm. In fact, I would say that's a superficial way of thinking about it. Instead, true protection of the world from "the bad guys" starts within the home and expands outwardly to those we interact with.
The Gray Man Lifestyle begins with taking care of yourself and your family properly. And that can be a hard thing - because it can involve working on yourself instead of focusing on the "evil" in society.
So let's start here. My first email and my first blog post for Gray Man Lifestyle - here are 3 SIMPLE WAYS to start your day and be a better man.
Number 1. Wake up early.
For the past 5 years, I've tried to wake up around 4:30am every morning. Some days have been impossible with interruptions throughout the night, but for the most part, I wake up before everyone else in the home. And this has been crucial to me being a dad and a husband. Why? Because this allows me to be alone and organize my thoughts about my day. It's also how I build my YouTube business, even while having a full time job (www.youtube.com/tactigamer). It's how I can be productive and also prepare myself each day without having to take care of anyone else. It's MY time so that I can get focused so that when my family is awake, it becomes THEIR time. And if you don't have a family or kids, this is just a good way to learn some discipline, in general.
Number 2. Ground Yourself
I don't trust myself. My mind is scatterbrained 85% of the time and sometimes I'm so focused on instant gratification that I make stupid mistakes that most definitely could have been avoided had I not been so focused on myself. And this is why every morning, I need to ground myself into something bigger than myself so that my heart and my mind understand that every day is NOT about me. For me, I'm a Christian. So what I do every morning is read a chapter out of the Bible. This helps me to calmly understand that there's something bigger out there and that I am but a speck in time. It's comforting. If you're not a Christian, I would recommend reading short proverbs, daily wisdoms, or the book of your religion to ground you into understanding there is something bigger to life than just being a consumer.
Number 3. Workout.
Look, I'll be the first to admit I need to do this more. Since having kids, it's easy to make the excuse that you don't have time or you've got too much on your plate. And sometimes - that's true. But it's easier now more than ever to hop into workouts - even without any weight. I've found some of the best workouts for me now, as a 32 year old male, is body-weight Hight Intensity Interval Training exercise routines. It builds my muscle up quicker, boosts my mood, and makes me feel good about the day ahead (or better about the day I had). I find the best time for me is to do this in the morning before everyone else gets up and if I'm able to pull off these 3 things in the morning before everyone wakes up, I'm going to have a good day, regardless of what happens because I'll be in the right mindset. Wake up early, grab a light breakfast, get a scoop of Gray Focused Energy, and get that workout started. And even if you don't know what exercises to do, have you heard of ChatGPT? I'll attach an example it created for me. It can do the same for you.
There you go. It's as simple as that. It doesn't mean it's an easy thing, as discipline is a difficult thing to master, but they're simple and effective ways I've seen myself improve and have been a better father and husband.
My hope with this newsletter, along with many others in the future, is to encourage and help you be the man you need and, I think that you probably want to be. To be a force for Good in a dark world - a beacon of Light. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.
Be bold. Be courageous. Stay Gray.
Happy Father's Day.
Use code HappyFathersDay at checkout for 15% Off All Products
