Knowledge For Men

Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitor in the lightweight division with an overall fight record of 19 wins and 8 losses. After leaving the UFC two years ago, Charlie has devoted himself to helping other people achieve the success that they desire and deserve through professional coaching, speaking, and entrepreneurship. Favorite Success Quote “You are what you repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit” ~ Key Points 1. Success is About Giving Everything You Have In our materialistic and results driven society, it is easy to get caught up in this idea that success is all about making a certain amount of money, winning every competition, and reaching every goal. But the truth is much deeper than that. While accomplishment should certainly play a central role in every man’s definition of success, the missing piece of the puzzle is the effort that you devote to achieving your goals. If you put everything that you have into the attainment of a goal, if you are relentless and driven to a point that many people consider you insane and you still don’t achieve your desired outcome, then guess what? You are still a success. You showed up, you put in the work, and you did everything that you could do. Sometimes despite your best efforts, the stars simply don’t align. And it’s times like this where you can look at yourself in the mirror with pride, knowing that you gave it your all and are still a man of success despite the perceived failure. 2. A Life of Fulfillment Comes from the Habit of Pursuing the Uncomfortable  So many people believe that fulfillment will come whenever they reach a certain goal. Whenever they have seven figures in their bank account, are married to the model wife, or driving the Ferrari. In reality, however, as men, we derive our true sense of fulfillment from constantly pursuing a life of “uncomfortability.” A life where we don’t know whether we will succeed, a life of struggle and triumph, a life, as Teddy Roosevelt put it, “In the arena, with your face marred by blood, and sweat, and tears.” If you want to be fulfilled and live every day with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, then get out of your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable and start pushing the boundaries of what you think is possible in your life. 3. Humility is a Hallmark of the Greats  No matter how successful you become, there is always someone out there who is better than you. And if you want to truly succeed at any endeavor, then you need to have the humility to learn from others and devote yourself to constant improvement. If you look at any great man in sports, business, or life, you will notice that no matter their stature, they were always willing to take criticism and look for ways to improve their craft. From billionaires like Sam Walton to All-Stars like Kobe Bryant, they all approached their field with a deep and genuine humility, accepting that they did not know everything and had plenty of room to improve. If you truly want to be one of the greats, then you need to take the same approach to your life. 4. Accept the Struggle  Whenever you start out at anything, whether it is a business, a sport, an instrument, or improving your social skills, you are going to suck. It’s not pretty, it’s not nice, but it is the cold hard truth. You are going to suck, and you are going to suck for a long time. The quicker that you can come to terms with this and accept that the journey is part of the joy of mastery, the sooner you will be able to overcome your own egotistical nature and truly become an expert in your craft. So embrace the suck. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and get ready for months or even years of fumbling through until you become proficient in your field. 5. Surround Yourself with the Best  The quickest way to accelerate your own growth is to surround yourself with people who are playing the game of life at a higher level than you are. Find people in your field who are performing at a level 10X your current level and get around them. Figure out what habits, tactics, and mindsets are separating them from the 99% and putting them into the proverbial hall of fame. The sooner that you can build up your circle of friends and mentors who are playing at a higher level, the quicker you will achieve your own goals and truly embrace your own potential.

Mark Manson is a blogger, author, and entrepreneur. He specializes in writing personal development advice that doesn’t suck. His website MarkManson.net is read by over 2 million people each month. He has written two best-sellers Models: The Art of Attracting Women Through Honesty and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counter-Intuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. markmanson.netYou can connect with him and learn more at Key Points 1. There is No Such Thing as a Problem Free Life Life is not easy, anyone who tells you otherwise is full of crap. Life can suck sometimes and that is just the reality. However, you should not see this as a bad thing, in fact, you should appreciate it. If life is going to be painful no matter what, this means that you have a choice to choose what kind of pain you want to endure. You can endure the pain of failure or you can endure the pain of struggling to achieve success. 2. Pain Isn’t Always Bad Pleasure Isn’t Always Good  Something that most people misunderstand is that pain is not always a bad thing and pleasure is not always a good thing. You can achieve pleasure by purchasing mounds of cocaine and heroin, but that would not be expedient for achieving your goals and living the life that you want. You can also be in pain by pursuing your goals and trying to achieve greatness but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Accept the fact that life is not about being in a constant state of euphoria, it is about overcoming challenges and living a life of meaning. 3. Your Behaviors Dictate Your Values Whenever you ask people what they value they will tell you all sorts of things and about how they value family, fitness, or personal growth. However, their actions say otherwise. They say that they value family but they spend all of their time working. They say they value health but workout only once a month and treat their body like sh!t. Maybe they even say that they don’t value their sex life and yet they are out every week trying to get with a new girl. If you want to know what you truly value, take a look at your actions. Be willing to examine yourself and your life without any bias or judgment and make changes accordingly. If you don’t you will spend your whole life spinning your wheel and accomplishing very little. 4. A Constant Pursuit of Happiness Leads to Dissatisfaction Most self-help movements in the modern world seem hell bent on helping people achieve this constant state of euphoria. But the sad fact is, by pursuing happiness, you actually make yourself less happy. In every moment, you are always wondering “Am I as happy as I could be right now? What more could I be doing?” and you end up feeling depressed and frustrated because you are not happier. The same is true with your physique, bank account, and game. If you are constantly trying to be the absolute best, you will never be able to appreciate where you are. Learn to just accept that you may not be the richest, best looking, or most charismatic man in the room and work with that. Accept yourself for who you are and work to improve in the areas that are truly lacking. Otherwise, you will be like a dog chasing its tail and end up living a miserable life. 5. You are Going to Die  This is one of the most important things to remember in your life. No matter what you achieve, not matter how much money you make, who you marry, or how many people’s lives you affect, at the end of the day you are going to die. There is no way around it. Death is the only constant in every human being’s life. But this should not depress or scare you. It should liberate you. The inevitability of death means that you can free yourself from the expectations of others, the drama of daily life, and the fear that accompanies big decisions. If you are going to die, then all that matter is the legacy that you leave behind you. Remember this and live life to the fullest.

Joshua Hathaway, M.A. Holistic Clinical Psychology, is a Tongue Fu black belt and master of the Art of Connection. Through his private and organizational training in No Bullsh!t Communication, as well as coaching and consulting, Joshua is radically empowering people’s success in the changing landscapes of modern love and leadership. Favorite Success Quote “All good things are wild and free” ~ Henry David Thoreau Key Points 1. Your Body Language Effects Your Psychology If you are approaching life in a weak disempowered state, with your shoulders hunched over, your head down, and your arms closed off, you are going to be playing life at a smaller level. Have you ever noticed how powerful people all have similar body language? They all stand up straight, project forward with their bodies and voices, have open postures, and own their space. They do this because your body language affects your psychology, your mood, and even your hormonal balance. From today moving forward, start making a conscious effort to change your body language and watch how it changes how you show up in the world. 2. Your Breath can Change Your Life If you want a quick and easy way to change your life and your relationships, I will give it to you in one word: Breathe. It is that simple. If you are feeling stressed out… Breathe. If you are fighting with your significant other and getting losing your temper… Breathe. If you are in a beautiful place and simply want to appreciate the sweetness of life… Breathe. Breathing more deeply, more fully, more regularly will help you to stay grounded and present and can completely change your life in a way few other things can. 3. Stop Telling B.S. Stories  In relationships, we are often tempted to make up b.s. stories and wild claims that are not grounded in fact. If you want truly satisfying relationships, you need to stop this immediately. Instead of saying that someone never listens, stick with the facts. Say something like “That is the third time today you have cut me off while I was talking and it’s really frustrating me” This approach focuses on facts instead of accusations and it will allow you to get to the root of your relational problems easier than name calling and b.s. storytelling. 4. Just Listen  Seriously, this point is so simple but so profound. Just shut the hell up and listen. Don’t take things personally or get angry about whatever is being said. Just listen, ask better questions and try to get to the root of what is really happening. Stop talking and just listen. 5. Talk about observations, feelings, and values  Whenever you are in a serious conversation with a significant other, talk about three things. First, your observations, or what you have noticed is happening in your relationship. Are they respecting you or not? Are they showing up in a certain way? Have they been caught in a certain pattern of actions? Next talk about how the observation has made you feel. Are you feeling loved? Upset? Frustrated? Finally, discuss your values. Do you value integrity and honesty but have observed a pattern of lying? Say so.

Coach Michael Taylor is an entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker and radio show host who has dedicated his life to empowering men and women to reach their full potential. He knows first hand how to overcome adversity and build a rewarding and fulfilling life and he is sharing his knowledge and wisdom with others to support them in creating the life of their dreams. Favorite Success Quote “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own Soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” ~Carl Jung Key Points 1. What You Focus on Expands What you focus on will expand, and if you aren’t intentional about what you are focusing on, you may wake up and realize that you don’t like the life that you have created. If you set the wrong goals and focused on the wrong things, you may wake up one day, wealthy, healthy, with plenty of “notches” on your belt and completely miserable. Instead of focusing on being wealthy, focus on first being happy. Instead of focusing on becoming the next Arnold, focus on being comfortable in your body and feeling alive and energetic when you wake up. Instead of focusing on sleeping with loads of women, focus on deeply connecting with many women. Be intentional about where you set your focus. If you aren’t, you are setting yourself up for failure. 2. Use Life’s Challenges as Stepping Stones Challenges are a chance for you to learn and grow. Instead of seeing them as this negative and terrible thing, choose to view challenges as an opportunity for you to mold yourself into the man that you want to be. See them as a way that you can strengthen yourself and equip yourself for the future. If you approach every challenge with this attitude, you will find that challenges become fun. They become something you look forward to, not something that you dread. 3. You are 100% Responsible for Your Life Until you accept this truth, you will never achieve success. If you have the technology to read this article and listen to this podcast right now and you are not where you want to be in life, it is your fault. End of story. If you are out of shape, in a miserable relationship (or no relationship), broke, or unhappy, it is your fault and no one else’s. You have the power in every moment to take responsibility for yourself and make the changes necessary to become the person you want. 4. Leave Your Comfort Zone Far Behind Life is not lived in your comfort zone. It is lived whenever you are out to sea with no shore in sight, no boat, and no clue what is going on. Life is lived whenever you do things that scare you half to death and make you question yourself. Whenever you are willing to take the leap, jump off the edge, and build an airplane on the way down. The more you get out of your comfort zone, the more you will uncover your own strength and the quicker you will achieve your goals. 5. You Must Have a Positive Mental Attitude  Look, life can suck. It’s that simple, there will be days when nothing goes right, when the world seems like it is conspiring against you to make your life a living hell. It is during times like these that your attitude is everything. You have to maintain a positive focus and be willing to see the good in every situation. If you can do this, any adversity will become something positive, and there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Zachary Stockill, a writer and author known for helping people tackle jealousy, reveals insights for building deeper relationships. He emphasizes that giving love without expecting anything in return is essential for fulfillment. Zachary also advocates for honesty in communication, urging listeners to share their truths fearlessly. He discusses the challenges of retroactive jealousy and how self-awareness can foster trust. Additionally, he highlights the importance of personal growth and maintaining friendships outside of romantic partnerships.

Shawne Merriman, nicknamed “Lights Out”, is a former American football player who was a linebacker in the NFL from 2005 to 2012. He was among the top linebackers in the NFL in his first three seasons with the San Diego Chargers, where he was a three-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. Merriman was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. He earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season and recorded 39 1⁄2quarterback sacks in his first three seasons Favorite Success Quote “Keep working and everything else will fall into place” Key Points 1. Don’t Do Anything Unless You Want to be Great  We live in a world that is filled with mediocrity. People are willing to simply show up, do the bare minimum, and then head off. This cannot be you. If you want to succeed at life and live with passion, fulfillment, and joy, then you need to only do things if you want to be great. Don’t compete to be good, compete to be the best. 2. There is Always Light at the End of the Tunnel  No matter how difficult your life is right now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We all struggle through hard times, some of us more so than others. Just remember that this too will end and when you push through it, it will be better on the other side. 3. Get Out of Your Own Way If you want to succeed, then you need to drop your ego and get out of your own way. Be willing to take advice, listen to mentors who are wiser than you, get out of your comfort zone and be willing to take the action necessary to succeed. 4. Hustle Like You’ve Never Achieved Success No matter how successful you are, you need to keep hustling like you have never even tasted success. It doesn’t matter whether you are a multi-millionaire, a titan of your industry, or the leader in your field, the day you stop hustling is the day that you die. 5. Remember the Babysteps Whenever you are stuck in life and feel like you cannot move forward, you need to remember to focus on the babysteps. If you are struggling to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be, then take a step back and focus on the small things. Just lay 4-5 bricks a day in your business, health, wealth, and relationships and one year from now, you will have built yourself an incredible home.

Rich Litvin is a high-performance coach who helps Olympic athletes, presidential candidates, and special forces members achieve  more in their life, business, and relationships. He is also the Co-author  of the bestselling book “The Prosperous Coach.” Favorite Success Quote “Confidence is a result, n0t a requirement” Key Points 1. You Need to Live a Life of Integrity If you want to be respected in life and succeed at the highest level, then you must be a man of integrity. This does not simply mean that you keep your word when you make a promise. It means that your thoughts, words, and actions are all in congruence. You don’t lie and blow smoke to appease others, you don’t hold your tongue to avoid pissing people off, and you don’t live a life that is incongruent with what you want to make others happy. You live a life of congruence where everything is in line. This is the pathway to true power. 2. If You Want to Live Life Fully Kill the Nice Guy Most men play life small. Why? Because they are nice. Or at least, that’s how they appear on the surface. They are agreeable, amiable, and work very hard to make others happy, but in reality, they are living a lie. They say yes when they want to say no, they suppress emotions, and they do all of it out of selfishness, hoping that their perceived niceness will result in some sort of gain. To live fully, to live a powerful life, and be a grounded man, you have to kill the nice guy. Speak your truth, live in integrity, and do not set out to appease others. Be kind, of course, but do it from a place of abundance, where you are giving to the world because you are already so full, not from a place of scarcity where you are kind because you want something in return. 3. You Need to Burn Your Bridges Want to succeed? Burn your bridges. While everyone has their own path, one of the quickest ways to ensure success is to cut off all chances of failure. If you quit your job, move to a new city, leave a relationship, or sell a home, that’s it. There is no turning back. When you give yourself no choice but to succeed, you will find that you are stronger than you ever thought. 4. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There  Something interesting about high achievers is that the actions that got them to where they are today will not get them to where they want to be. Everything you have done to become successful in the past will hold you back from becoming successful today Life is in a constant state of change, and when you are doing the same actions you were doing years ago, odds are you are playing it small. You need to have powerful men, coaches, and mentors in your life who can call you on your bullshit and help you step things up. You will never become a billionaire doing what you did to become a millionaire. 5. You Need to Improve Only 4% Most people think they need to improve 100% to achieve their dream lives. The truth is, they only need to improve about 4% in the right area of life. If you can find that critical 4% in your dating, health, and business, your life can change completely. The key is, once again, finding people who can help you to pinpoint that critical 4% and help you on the path to its achievement.

Master Business, Relationship, and Success Coach, TV/Radio Host, Author of 9 Books, Inspirational Speaker David began his career in the health and fitness industry and quickly was named “Mr. Motivation” by Lifetime Television and “The Master of Motivation” by American Fitness magazine. Favorite Success Quote “Every action into the uncomfortable ensures our success in life” Key Points 1. You Have to become Uncomfortable  Life is not lived within your comfort zone. If you want to achieve success, you cannot sit on your couch  and visualize it, you have to get up off your butt and go after it. Want to get shredded? Get yourself to the gym, lift weights, and track your diet. Want to make more money? Work 80 hours a week intentionally on your business for 90 days and see what your results are. The only way to succeed is to do the things that are uncomfrotable and painful. 2. We Cannot Live for Instant Gratification If you are living for instant gratification, you will never acheive fulfillment. You must learn to delay gratification, giving up what you want now for what you ultimately want. It might not be fun to wake up early and workout or miss partying with friends to grind it out on your business, but you will thank yourself in the years to come. 3.  The Path to Success Rarely Feels Good  Success can suck. It’s just that simple. Getting up early isn’t fun. Working 12 hour days isn’t fun. Cutting off unhealthy friendships isn’t fun. But it is worth it. Success requires you to be in pain, it is that simple. The sooner you accept that, the easier the pain will be. 4. What You Think About You Do Not Bring About  Thinking about something day after day does nothing to move you closer to its attainment. If you want something, then go and get it. Don’t wish for it or visualize it, GO AND GET IT! Work for it. Sweat, cry, and bleed for it. Then and only then can you truly acheive the things that you want. 5. Success in 80% Action 20% Mentality  For all of this talk bashing the law of attraction and visualization, the principles behind the psycholgy of success do have some merit. If you want to boost the speed with which you achieve success, then using visualization techniques, affirmations, and other pop psychology tactics work when used in conjunction with massive action. Your goal should be to devote 80% of your time to taking action and 20% of your time to mastering your psychology.

Kute Blackson is an influential thought leader, a transformational coach, and author of You Are the One. He has spent the past several years of his life dedicated to helping men and women live lives of true purpose. Discovering who they really are and how they can share their gifts with the world. He has appeared on the Larry King show and has been endorsed by influencers Jack Canfield, Rhonda Britten, Lisa Nichols, and John Gray among many others. Favorite Success Quote “The real does not die, and the unreal never lived” ~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Key Points 1. Be in Constant Surrender  Life is unpredictable. The more you end up trying to control it, the more it ends up controlling you. One of the keys to living a truly happy and fulfilled life is to learn to surrender to the flow of life. Allow life to happen. Understand that things happen for a reason. Do not try and force life, rather surrender to life and you will be amazed at what it brings to you. 2. You Need to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone Life is meant to be lived. If you are staying in your comfort zone, you are not living. You need to constantly push yourself to do new and exciting things. Things that scare you, things that make you unsure of yourself, and things that you are unsure you can accomplish. Because the funny thing is, you will be just fine. You will survive, and likely thrive, and the more often you push yourself to do things outside of the normal for you, the more you will grow and the more confidence you will have. 3. You Have to Question and Feel yourself  There is an old saying that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” You need to question yourself, question your life, question the decisions that you have made and your assumptions about who you are and what your identity is. The more you question your life, the more you will realize the beauty and power of your life. Once you have begun upon this realization, you need to feel yourself. You need to feel who you truly are. Not who society says you are, not who your parents say you are, and not even who you say you are. You need to feel into who you truly are. Once you can do this, you will be amazed at how your life will change. 4. You Are Not Your Thoughts  You are not your mind. You are not your thoughts. You are much deeper than that. You are an infinite being that is part of an infinite universe, and you have to learn to accept that fact and see your life as it really is. Your thoughts are merely a vessel for a tiny part of you that is on this great journey called life. Learn to disassociate from your thoughts and witness them instead of being a slave to them. 5. Happiness is About Truth  There is no happiness when you are living in a lie. If you want to live a life of total fulfillment and genuine joy and happiness, you have to start telling the truth. Tell the truth to the people in your life, yes, but more importantly, tell the truth to yourself. Stop lying to yourself and get real. The sooner you can do this, the better your life will be.

Personal trainer, peak performance coach, and podcaster Ted Ryce has overcome a tremendous amount in his quest to live a legendary life. Ryce has worked with Fortune 500 CEOs, busy professionals, and celebrities, including Richard Branson, Ricky Martin and Robert Downey Jr. He helps his clients develop and stick with high-performance habits that help them manage stress and adversity and lead more successful lives. His philosophy is that being a high-performance person, one who chases and achieves their biggest goals, isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity to survive and thrive in the modern world. Favorite Success Quote “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is more people to come alive” ~Howard Thurman Key Points 1. You Need to Come Alive  The world is full of people who are dead on the inside. They are living and breathing in the literal sense, but their lives lack the passion. They wake up in the morning with no fire in their bellies. They simply go through the motions, doing things that they dislike because of societal conditioning. What the world needs, what you need, is to come alive. To live a life every day that is of your choosing, doing things that you love and spending every day of your life living with deep passion. Forget what society and your parents taught you. You need to do what will make you come alive, period. 2. You Need to Push Yourself Physically to Succeed at Life  Your health is a critical part of succeeding at life. If you are not pushing yourself physically in the gym and challenging your body on a daily basis, then you are doing a disservice to your career, your family, and your personal growth. Whenever you push yourself in the gym, you can push yourself harder in life. You wake up with more energy and can live life on a level 10. 3. Consistency is Key You will never have the body of your dreams, the woman of your dreams, or the millions in the bank account if you are not consistent. You need to be consistent. Set a plan and stick to it. Don’t make excuses, don’t allow life to get in the way. As Nike says, “Just do it!” 4. You Need More Experiences  If you are feeling lost in life, you need to experience more things. Pack up your bags and travel around the world. Move to a new city. Try out a new career. Do whatever you have to do to give yourself more experiences and grow into the man that you want to become. 5. Life is a Marathon  Life is not a a sprint, it is a marathon. You cannot expect to achieve all of your goals and dreams within a year. It takes decades of dedication and consistency. And even then you will never truly arrive at any sort of destination. Life is a never ending journey. You will never arrive, and that is ok. 6. Training Routine to Build Strength  If you are looking to build strength and become (literally) the strongest version of yourself. Follow the below routine. Workout 4 Days a Week  Monday: Upper Body Tuesday: Lower Body Wednesday: Rest Thursday: Upper Body Friday: Lower Body Weekend: Rest Exercise Selection For exercise selection, stick to big lifts. Deadlifts, squats, bench press, and overhead presses should comprise the majority of your workout. Pick 2 based on the training day, for example, if you are doing upper body, complete Bench Press, and Shoulder Presses. Then pick 2-3 supplementary exercises of your choice that are in the same muscle groups to compliment your workout. Sets and Reps Option 1 Month 1: 4 sets of 12-15 Month 2: 4 sets of 6-8 (higher weight) Month 3: 4 sets of 4-5 (higher weight) Option 2: Week 1: 4 sets of 6 Week 2: 4 sets of 8 Week 3: 5 sets of 8 Week 4: Deload (Same sets and reps as week 1 with 30-40% less weight) An Added Note The most important part of any training program is called linear periodization. This is the concept of basically incrementally increasing the weight that you are pressing or pulling to continue forcing your body to grow and adapt. Always seek to add one more rep, just a little bit more weight, or another set to your workouts so that you are continually improving and pushing your body. 7. Bonus Routine for Fat Burning  An easy trick to help you burn some extra fat is to complete the following workouts either on your off days or as a finisher to your workouts. Week 1: 5 Minutes of Bodyweight squats in aerobic heart rate range (or some other bodyweight exercise) Week 2: 10 Minutes of Bodyweight squats in aerobic heart rate range (or some other bodyweight exercise) Week 3: 15  Minutes of Bodyweight squats in aerobic heart rate range (or some other bodyweight exercise) Week 4: 8 Minutes of Bodyweight squats in aerobic heart rate range (or some other bodyweight exercise) 8. Sleep Better Here are a few tips to help you improve the quality of your sleep. -Download the app F.lux to dim the lights on your computer so that don’t disrupt your natural sleep cycle. -Invest in a sleep master mask (or just cover your face with a shirt) -Invest in a nicer mattress – Set your thermostat to 64 degrees F -Get ear plugs for noisy environments -Get to bed at the same time every night, preferably before 11 p.m.