Being A Better Man

Today’s topic might seem redundant, or too simple, or even silly to some people at first glance, because it is a part of our common language so everyone assumes they know what it means. I’m talking about your word. People use it all the time in phrases like; I give you my word, you have my word on it, my word is my bond, his word is good, I’ll keep my word, etc., etc…you have all heard these phrases before. So, we all know that to keep your word is the same thing as keeping a promise right? You say you are going to be somewhere at 6:00…that means you will be there at 6:00…not 6:05. If someone confides something to you in confidence and you give your word that you won’t tell a soul…you better not speak of it to anyone. What puzzles me is…if everybody knows what giving your word means, then why do so many people on a daily basis break their word? What puzzles me even further is why other people seem to just accept word breaking, as though it’s part of human nature or something and the people couldn’t he

The phrase; “to live with honor” implies that there is a code or list of rules to follow. While the phrase; “he is an honorable man” implies that honor is a matter of reputation that is earned. Both of these are correct…honor is both of these things, but it isn’t ONLY these things. The word honor is a simple noun but the word honor as I am applying it today is also a complex concept with many components. Honor is a complex composition of things that includes your earned reputation as a man. It is also a personal code that you design and live by and in so doing preserve that reputation. Truth and courage are also major components of honor because you cannot accomplish all this without them. Other components of honor are more internal. Honor is a deep abiding commitment to one’s self that you will live and react and interact with others in a way that is consistent with what you believe in the core of your being. At times it takes great courage to do this; you also must be truthful with yourself at all

Confession Of A Former Bully...Story Time With Alf is here…Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories. In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories

Today we are going to talk about authenticity; what it is exactly, and why it is important for a man or anyone, to be authentic. The dictionary tells us that to be authentic is to be real or genuine; not copied or false. Rather to be true and accurate. Basic common sense informs us that to be real, genuine, true and accurate are all good things right? Then why are there so many people in the world who are not authentic? Like with many things I think the answer to that question is rather simple. Most people simply have not made being authentic a priority of any kind. If you make something a priority in your mind, then it happens. For example, the purpose of this show is to help guys make being a better man a priority…when you listen to this three times a week it works on your brain and it becomes a priority…then it happens. Authenticity is one of those human qualities that is expected from others, and assumed to exist even though it isn’t talked about much…which I think is kind of goofy. That’s why

That's right! This is episode 51. That means there have been 50 episodes before this…which is one half of 100. I don’t know about you, but I find that to be…significant. So, I decided to spend this episode kind of re-capping what we have done together so far you and I. Thank you for listening and helping me celebrate the first 50 episodes. Without you, this podcast wouldn’t exist. Thank you for the feedback…keep it coming. Thank you for getting with me on social media, thank you for telling your friends about it, and thank you for signing up on the email list. Remember…I’m always just an email away if your have something you want to tell me. The post 051 – Celebrating 50 Episodes! appeared first on Being A Better Man.

Make A Memory...On Purpose! Story Time With Alf is here…Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories. In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories to

For very good reason Larry is known as “The Pitbull of personal development”. He has spoken to nearly 400 of the fortune 500 companies, and is in the international speaker hall of fame. He has been the host of his own show on A&E. He is a regular contributor on several national news programs talking about business, parenting, personal finance and personal development. Larry is a prolific author of several books, some of my favorite titles are Grow A Pair…Shut up, Stop Whining and get a life…You’re broke because you want to be…people are idiots and I can prove it…and your kids are your own fault! He is a six time wall street journal / New York Times best selling author. I first noticed Larry a couple years ago and was immediately a fan of his straight forward, logical, common sense, unapologetic no-nonsense approach…about things that matter…When I was in the process of starting this podcast I knew that one day…I would try and have Larry on the show…That day has arrived my friends. The post 049 – Guest Lar

As we talk about being better men on this program everyday there is a lot of emphasis on fixing things that are wrong, on making note of things we need improvement in…and we do that because it is a critical component to becoming a better man. Today I want to talk about the other side of the coin…Today I would like you all to consider those things about you that are exemplary, special, and unique. These are our particular human gifts, and I believe everybody has some. Just as important as identifying and improving the things that need improving…is identifying what your personal unfair advantage is, and capitalizing on it. What do I mean by unfair advantage? Well…I believe that everybody has some talent, ability, aptitude or gift that the majority of other people do not have. That is your unfair advantage. The post 048 – Your Unfair Advantage appeared first on Being A Better Man.

THE NICKEL Story Time With Alf is here…Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories. In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfir

We naturally spend a lot of time on this show talking about men, about fathers…about male role models and all that manly stuff. But today…it’s mothers day, and a good time I think to reflect for a moment about moms. You know there are a few things that we all have in common. Certain things that we can say without a doubt that we all share regardless of where you come from or what culture you were raised in or what your socio-economic level may be. These are things that transcend religion, politics, race and creed. One of these things…is that every single one of us is a son to a mother. Every one of us were carried inside a woman, during which time she provided us with every drop of sustenance we needed to grow and develop and eventually be born into the world we now inhabit, as the person we have now become. It is accurate to state that without our mothers, we would not exists. The post 046 – Mothers day appeared first on Being A Better Man.

The other night my wife and I watched a documentary called the Mask You Live In. It was basically about the state of masculinity in America today. How boys are being raised badly and then they turn into men who are all screwed up. The mask in the title refers to the difference between what guys feel on the inside and what they project to the world…their mask. Like most documentaries it was a little lopsided, it had an agenda. I did agree with a lot of it…but I did not agree with some of it. For example, I do not agree that gender is purely a social construct, as this documentary alleges. That men and women are exactly alike and it is society alone that establishes, identifies and maintains gender roles…and without societal influence men and women would act the same. I think that is ridiculous. I address all these questions in this podcast and raise some of my own. We talk about the societal image of masculinity that is being promoted to our young people, we talk about emotions…and yes, we talk ab

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories. In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shap

Today we will be talking about how to deal with criticism…and deal with it, like a man. Not only that, but also how to effectively deliver criticism. First lets establish that no one really enjoys being criticized, I get it…it’s no fun. But it happens to everyone, everyone on earth from the Pope to the pan-handlers will be criticized at some point, I think it’s fair to say that criticism is something to be expected during our human experience. It is also equally likely that at some point you will be the one providing criticism…and it is important to know the best ways of doing that as well. According to the dictionary, criticism is: The act of expressing disapproval and of noting the problems or faults of a person or thing. So, someone see’s something that they perceive to be wrong in some way, they make a judgment, and then verbally express that opinion. That’s what criticism is, and in this episode I explain the different types of criticism, how to identify them, and share a technique or two of how

Does heritage matter…that’s the topic of todays episode. Now-a-days there are plenty of people that never even think about heritage, others might think the very concept of heritage is divisive and to them it has become a bad word, other people are huge advocates of heritage. A lot of people start getting nervous when you talk about heritage…because people often equate it with race or ethnicity, and it can have something to do with that…but it doesn’t have to. So, does heritage matter…and what does it have to do with Being A Better man? What is heritage anyway? In this episode I will answer all of these questions. The post 042 – Does Heritage Matter? appeared first on Being A Better Man.

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories. The post 041 – Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hungry appeared first on Being A Better Man.

Today what I’m talking about is very important, and it affects every one of us without exception, and that is…our friends. Those people in the world who we spend time with of our own free will who are not our blood family. In this episode I explain the power of knowing who your friends are and how that can directly impact your life! The post 040 – Who Are Your Friends? appeared first on Being A Better Man.

The topic of today’s show is “being wrong…like a man.” I realize most guys don’t like to talk about being wrong. I definitely don’t like it myself…but, believe it or not, it’s an important skill. To be clear, when I say “wrong” I am not talking about a moral judgement I am using wrong as a synonym for “incorrect”. Wrong has way less syllables so thats what I’m using. It’s an important skill because it involves our relationships, and relationships as I’ve said before, are the most valuable thing we have. Talking about the people we keep around us, the people we care about. The post 039 – Being Wrong…Like A Man appeared first on Being A Better Man.

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson. Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained. As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It's almost like learning it all over again. That...is the purpose of these stories. The post 038 – The Tough Guy appeared first on Being A Better Man.

I have mentioned in other episodes how much I dislike excuses, in fact it is even mentioned in the intro of this show that excuses do not exist. It’s really true, I hate excuses with a deep, abiding passion…so that’s what I’m going to talk about today; excuses. Because if we are intent on being a better man today than we were yesterday…it is imperative that we get excuses under control. So if excuses are such a common part of being human, why do I hate them so much? Because…they are pure weakness. And being pure weakness they don’t do anything to improve or enhance the person making them, on the contrary…making excuses diminishes you. The post 037 – Excuses Do Not Exist! appeared first on Being A Better Man.

In my opinion, Eric Williams story is one of perseverance and victory in spite of seemingly insurmountable odds. Among many other things, In spite of being severely dyslexic in a world that doesn’t understand dyslexia, he became an accomplished author. He has met the challenges of raising a severely autistic son. As an American he was able to battle and win over the powers that be in the Country of Norway, to create and deliver one of that countries most popular tv shows ever, Alt For Norge! No small feat. His novel The Gift of No-Water is available on Amazon.com and this summer his new book Copperman will be out as an Audiobook. besides being an author Eric Williams is a husband and father of two, an avid fisherman, woodworker and artist. He is the co-creator of the award winning Norwegian TV show Alt For Norge. He currently lives and works in Oslo Norway. The post 036 – Perseverance & The Theory Of Manhood appeared first on Being A Better Man.