Our gender expression can be an important and valued part of our identity, touching on every aspect of our well-being, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or even financial. But social pressure and cultural messaging focused on our gender—and how well we can live up to or “perform” to those expectations—can have a great impact on our feelings of self-worth and can make us struggle with self-acceptance. However, we can also gain great personal satisfaction in living up to those expectations. Our unique and shared experiences as men create a tapestry of community that we can rely on to help us grow more fully into ourselves. Every one of us has the right to live a vibrant life in our full identity, and our struggle for well-being can find support from those who understand and validate the complexities, nuance, pain, and joy of our community’s lived experiences.
Most American men today do not have enough awakened or living warriors inside to defend their soul houses. And most people, men or women, do not know what genuine outward or inward warriors would look like, or feel like.
