For the last 20 years I’ve traveled around the world seeking wisdom from the most powerful and effective teaches I could find. I’ve searched vehemently for answers to questions like: Who am I and Who are we.
I am not special. I am like you – a by-product of a culture gone mad.
For whatever reason my particular response has been to seek what’s missing – and to understand if there are simple and obvious tactics our generation can reintegrate to create a more peaceful and kind existence.
One of the most evident discoveries I’ve made is that that many of humankind’s ancient ‘ways of being’ and ‘ways of relating’ to the world – and to each other – have been lost.
And while this is true for all human beings I’ve been particularly focused on the repercussions on men because, well, I am a man and also because the state of Manhood in our world is seriously in question right now.
Whether you are aware of it or not, countless generations of men have practiced certain techniques to help us ‘make our mark’, pushing us to uncover, and enact, our unique talents in the world.
In virtually every culture around the globe men have utilized the power of ceremony and ritual to pass through various stages of life.
These rituals symbolize the movement from child to boy, from boy to man, from man to elder – and they represent important shifts in consciousness where the ‘wisdom’ accumulated at a stage can be expressed and celebrated.
But these ceremonies also represent an important rite of passage for the proper flow of masculine energy to transpire in one’s life. The reason men have always done this is that it creates spaciousness for a man’s unique gifts to become realized.
Each man is looked at with honor, with compassion, and is seen for his particular version of manhood. This creates an experience of freedom and brotherhood, and ultimately the chance for each man to live a truly successful life.
Now, naysayers will quickly let you know that in many ancient cultures some men ‘didn’t make it’ and suffered death from ultimate failure of the tests. And while this is true, it deflects the main point:
Men require rites of passage, rituals and brotherhood in order to be fully expressed in their lives.
This law is written in our very DNA, and its one of the primary reasons men in our modern world suffer.
The repercussion of losing this art is what I call ‘the disease of isolation’ where millions upon millions of us are now living completely cut off from the authentic connections that are absolutely necessary for us to be happy.
Our world of sprawling technologies – TV, games, online porn and endless distractions – have sucked us away from our true potentials into lonely and painful existences. The worst part is that we don’t have anyone to talk to about this because there is virtually no frame of reference as to WHY we are feeling this way.
Over the last 20 years I’ve worked with thousands of men, many of whom have ‘followed the playbook’ and done everything expected of them.
They went to the right schools, go the right jobs, married the right partner, have the right amount of money – yet secretly these men are absolutely miserable and they have no idea why.
Many of these outwardly appearing healthy, normal and successful men have ‘private’ lives filled with addictions and detrimental behaviors. And most of them are anxious, unhealthy and depressed (and these are the ‘lucky’ ones who’ve made it)!
The reason is that men have become completely cut off from the important strands of growth behaviors that are necessary for them to become the greatest versions of themselves. The current ‘playbook for success’ has completely deactivated some of the most effective and necessary rules for men to be men.
So what’s the answer? We must actively commit to seeking the root causes of our pain and suffering – and heal the wounds where they begin. We must re-integrate healthy forms of ritual, brotherhood and rites of passage.
This means we must end our lonely existence of isolation, and seek community and practices that can empower us to generate a vibrant future for ourselves.
This doesn’t mean that you need to leave your job, your family, and go off on a vision quest for several years. But it does mean that you need to get in touch with the primal yearn that is at the base of your suffering. And then you need to do something about it….
And just by admitting that something deep down is ‘off’, and becoming humbled that you don’t know exactly what it is, you enable yourself to be naturally be drawn to answers. Perhaps the words you are reading right now are part of your answer.
The great news is that our modern world comes with some benefits. Meaning, we don’t need to risk our lives in order to experience the incredibly positive benefits of ritual and rites of passage.
–> We can find, connect, and practice with men from all over the world using technology.
–> We can mimic the energetics of ritualistic ceremony and toggle into powerful states of healing consciousness from the comfort of our own homes.
And we must do this. We must say Yes to the potent masculine frequencies that live within each one of us. Not honoring this energy is the cause of so much pain – and no amount of TV or games will ever ‘solve’ the problem.
If you are ready to unburden yourself, and feel unleashed for the first time in a very long time (perhaps ever), watch our video that describes our timeless process for unlocking these man codes right now…..
With Love, Todd