Now on Self-Growth.com

Self-Growth.com

Someone suggested this site to me and I checked it out. It seems to me that the truly hard work of becoming and remaining self-aware is something that men really don't spend much time thinking about or pursuing. Of all the resources on the site, much of what is geared toward men has to do with E.D. or with how to get women into bed. Sad, disturbing, not a very hopeful sign for our world. In fact, I think that most men consciously avoid self-awareness and connection. The fear and shame stirs when a man is faced with someone (man or woman) who speaks from a place of authentic awareness is not easy to overlook - so most men do their best to avoid it.

I know a lot of great men. And many of them suffer from isolation, depression, anxiety disorders, or chronic numbness (they just don't seem to feel much of anything). Most of them act happy. Most of them say that life is good. Many of them are quite successful in the world - and yet the things that seem to be missing are the conscious connection to self and connection to a purpose larger than the immediate day-to-day demands of living.

So this is what I stepped up for on Self-Growth. To offer more men the possibility of meaningful connection to themselves and to the wider community and world around them through the ManKind Project.

If you are living with self-awareness - SHARE IT - I believe that it is the responsibility of all awake beings right now to rebuild the connections of love, service and community that continue to be seriously damaged by our consumer media driven culture.

If you are looking to confront the emotions that stir below the surface when you catch a glimpse of your deeper self in the mirror - come sit with some other men who are willing to hold that mirror up for you. Call me for more information or visit www.openmen.org - the web site for the Springfield Open Men's Group.

Youtube Interview - the ManKind Project

This is an interview that I did last September in Keene, NH.
This provides a fairly broad overview of the ManKind Project. To learn More ... go to www.mkp.org or call 877-THE-NWTA.

All the best - Boysen

What is Men's Work? the ManKind Project

I have had several men ask me - what this is all about … what do you do?

We sit in a circle on chairs. We talk to each other about ourselves. We listen intently. We do not shame or criticize. We do not spend time giving advice. We use processes to ‘dig in’ to those parts of ourselves that we find confusing, upsetting and STUCK. We resolve conflicts, both internal and external, by taking responsibility for ourselves.

A men’s group is a place to figure out what you want in your life, take steps to making it happen and continually look at what is getting in the way of you being fully alive and empowered.

Do you want better relationships?
Do you want to learn how to better handle situations that stump you over and over?
Do you want to break out of a rut that you have been living in for years?
Do you want to sit with men actively working to make the world a better place?

Here’s an even harder question … do you instinctively NOT trust men (or women or yourself)? You learned this somewhere. Not only is it bad for your physical health, but it is probably preventing you from living fully.

WE ALL HAVE FEELINGS.
As men, we all share a lot of common understandings, feelings and experiences that we rarely share.

About 90% of what is happening in our daily interactions is UNCONSCIOUS. Our bodies are constantly feeding us a stream of information that we may or may not have thoughts about. Many of the reactions we experience with people on a day to day basis have little or nothing to do with the present, and everything to do with the psychological patterns that started being created in our brains from the earliest days of our lives.

As Men, it is culturally acceptable to deny, repress and shut down the emotions.
But the interesting thing is - those emotions that we shut down tend to pop up in other ways and other places, many of them counter-productive to what we actually want in our lives. Addiction, violence, depression, lack of close relationships, anger, uncontrollable sadness, apathy, lack of motivation, chronic fear, chronic shame, anxiety, feelings of powerlessness. These are all related to repressed emotional states. Learning to connect to these emotions opens a huge array of new possibilities - for your family, your work and the world.

What choices do you need to make? What skills do you need to build? What boundaries do you need to set?
And WHO is going to be there to support you and offer you an honest look at who you are?

Many of us rely heavily on the women and intimate partners in our lives to meet our emotional needs.
And that is great, but it is not their job - and they have probably let you know that.
Many of the blocks you experience in your relationship are probably related to over-dependence. You can learn new ways of relating.

It is up to us to deal with our own internal landscape, to clean up our messes and to create the world that we want to leave behind for the next seven generations.

THAT is what a Men’s Group is for.

In order to show up, you will have to take a risk. You will have to show up at a place you’ve never been.
This may feel scary. That’s good. It means you are open to learning.

Hope to see you.

Open Men in Holyoke, MA June 26th

Greetings!

The Springfield Uprising Men’s Group is holding an Open Meeting on this Thursday, June 26th from 6:30 until 8:45 pm at 242 Suffolk Street, Holyoke, MA MAP. The entrance is off the Suffolk street parking lot. You are invited to attend this meeting - to learn more about men’s work, the ManKind Project and the New Warrior Training Adventure.

What is a Men’s Group? We are a group of men that share our experiences, our wisdom and our presence with one another to support self-awareness, positive change and transformation. We challenge the destructive aspects of masculinity and our own personalities that hurt us, our families, our communities and our world. We form a community of peers who take risks for ourselves to improve our lives and help others. All kinds of men are involved. We are non-religious and non-profit. Any man ready to follow some simple ground rules and take responsibility for himself is welcome.
read more …

Why Men’s Work? Because the way we see it, the world really needs men who have courage (heart) enough to get real with one another. Dominating, chest pounding, ‘tough it up’ or ‘laugh it off’ masculinity is a facade that often covers up the truly effective, powerful, compassionate, nurturing, mature man. Men supporting men by fostering a greater sense of self-awareness and personal responsibility has profound impacts on families, friendships and communities. Remaining in denial about the harmful effects of being ‘disconnected’ from ourselves and each other, whether through machismo, addictive behaviors, cynicism or isolation is bad for our health, dangerous to society and bad for the planet. read more …

What is the New Warrior Training Adventure? The NWTA is an intense 48 hour experience that challenges a man to look at himself honestly and deeply while being supported by a non-shaming group of highly skilled facilitators and volunteers. It is an opportunity for a man to truly examine himself in a way that few men do in our world. It is an initiation made for the modern man - we call you into community with yourself. Parts of it will rock your foundations, parts of it may seem ridiculous to you. You will have fun, you will be challenged, you will enter altered space and return safely. read more … To read and watch testimonials about MKP CLICK HERE.

What’s in it for me? Many men experience profound shifts in their lives as a result of the work that they do in our circles and at our trainings. Greater emotional intelligence can bring you stronger more intimate relationships with your family, your spouse or partner, your children, your friends, your co-workers. Personal satisfaction, a greater sense of internal peace, more successful business ventures, more happiness, the courage to make the changes that you have been scared to make. Men leave our training empowered with a sense of personal purpose for their lives that often translates into service in the world - a mission that they create for themselves and a renewed sense of agency to make it happen. read more …

What are you trying to sell me? We are selling a new way of seeing men and of being a man. The values we hold are timeless. Compassion, Awareness, Integrity, Accountability … to name a few.

• If you are looking for a community of men to collaboratively make a difference in the lives of others - to awaken yourself and serve the world - we’ll see you there.
• If you are feeling stuck, depressed, full of anxiety and fear, dissatisfied with your situation … if you are standing at the crossroads,
  you might find a second chance.
• If you feel you’re on the right path in your life, feeling ready for the next step, feeling a calling to fully express yourself … we are offering you a community of like-minded and empowered men to help you overcome your internal obstacles and challenge your self-limiting beliefs and behaviors.
• If you feel happy with who you are and satisfied with your life … we are offering you a deepened connection to your own brilliance and a community to share it with.

We are not selling Perfection, Salvation or a Weekend Fix-it All. The work of being authentic, connected, emotionally intelligent and self-aware is ongoing and not something that ANYONE can promise you on a weekend. We are not out to save you, we are only here to hold up a mirror to your life. You get to choose whether you look in that mirror.

The NWTA costs $650 for the full weekend. The deposit is $150 and is transferable for 2 years. In New England we use a payment process that is based on the value received & the ability to pay for the weekend. Call to learn more. There is limited scholarship money available.

Put simply, how much is a better life worth to you? How much is a better world for your children worth? To read and watch testimonials about MKP CLICK HERE.

To register call 1-877-THE-NWTA.

Involvement with a ManKind Project Men’s Group is FREE unless there is an agreement to pay for a rented space or an agreement to support the New England Center with a donation. You can visit a men’s group in your area, call 877-THE-NWTA for more information.

Risk Free? Nope. There is always a risk in opening up. There is always a risk in being honest with yourself and with those around you. We won’t be hard selling you on attending a training. What we will be inviting you to do is to take a chance and look at your life in a new way.

If you would like to talk to someone about MKP and can’t make this open circle … give me a call.
Thanks

Boysen Hodgson
877-THE-NWTA