"Man up!"

"Don't be such a p*ssy!"

"What are you doing, you little cry baby?"

Phrases like these are tossed around often among men who have been taught that to show emotion and vulnerability is weakness, and that to stuff one's feelings down and isolate through them is the answer. We live in a world where our understanding of ourselves and each other is changing, and men in particular are learning to let go of a false narrative that says that they need to be impenetrable and tough one hundred percent of the time in order to be valuable or worthy of love and respect.

In honor of Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, I am sharing with you a deeply insightful and intriguing conversation I had with the incredibly remarkable Joshua Wenner. Joshua leads the K4 and Valor Men's Groups, holding space for men to learn to self-regulate and process their emotions, hold them accountable in brotherhood, and allow them to thrive as initiated adults in multiple aspects of their lives. He also works with high-ticket clients who have cultivated financial mastery, yet still lack the skillset and understanding required to master their emotions. He is a motivational speaker who helps people uplevel their emotional resiliency and find their personal power, and he has a documentary film coming out called The Gift of Grief that explores the depths of grief and is meant to shed some light on this all-too elusive emotion.

During this thought-provoking conversation we dive into the topics of the self-exploration and initiation process; somatic work, techniques and tools; self and nervous system regulation; and the deep need we have as a society for right of passage ritual in our culture today and the ramifications of the lack of it in our lives, especially for young men.

Side note: I misquoted the year of Thomas's death during our conversation. Thomas died in 2018, the same year as Joshua's brother, not 2017.

Please enjoy this extremely valuable and informative episode, and remember to be gentle with yourself today and everyday, because being human is hard, and you as much as anyone deserve your love and care.

Resources:

Find Joshua on social media - Instagram - Facebook

Joshua's Podcast - Spotify - Apple

Check out Joshua's website to sign up for his trainings, book a speaking gig, and stay informed about his upcoming film and services!