The internet was ablaze in the 2000s with quips featuring American actor Chuck Norris (aka Carlos Ray Norris). Some of the best examples included, “Chuck Norris’s mind is connected to the internet. He refreshes Web pages by blinking;” and “Chuck Norris grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils water with his rage.” Another is, “Chuck Norris can ride a motor without a cycle.” Add to this, “When Chuck Norris crosses ...

When persecution or injustice comes your way, how do you decide whether to turn the other cheek or to take a stand? If you have come to this post because of Israel Folau, then read on. But this post and podcast ask the more broad question. How do we as Christian men decide to flee from or head towards a fight? Read on if you want to know the answer. The ...

Jordan Peterson says, “It is necessary to be strong in the face of death, because death is intrinsic to life. It is for this reason that I tell my students: aim to be the person at your father’s funeral that everyone, in their grief and misery, can rely on. There’s a worthy and noble ambition: strength in the face of adversity.” I wish I had heard the wisdom in his words ...

Men are killing themselves in record numbers, yet we refuse to talk about it. Men achieve all that they are told will satisfy them, and yet they can not see enough joy and hope in life to keep going. It is time to speak up and stop this silent epidemic of death against men and their families. 13 months ago I wrote a post on this website about dads who kill ...

What do the first man to run a sub-4 minute mile and an 85-year-old man who hit rock bottom following a family tragedy have in common? Answer: they both opened the door for future generations to walk through, and left for themselves a lasting life purpose. Read on and listen to their story in this latest blogpost & podcast. Do you wonder if your life will have a lasting life purpose? ...

Other than headlining Hollywood blockbusters, Denzel Washington is also a sharp, and gifted public speaker. Staying true to the latter, Washington delivered a 30min address during this year’s Better Man event in Orlando, Florida.   The John Wayne Formula In a sit-down interview with the Reverend A. R Bernard, Washington talked about the meaning of manhood in today’s world, and how faith takes centre stage in his life. Addressing the Better Man ...

Life is getting more complex, and decision-making under uncertainty is getting harder. As real men, how do we approach important decisions without being paralysed by worry over the outcome? That is the topic of this week’s podcast. My teens like the privileges that come with getting older. But one thing they don’t tend to like is the increased stress they feel with having to make ever more important decisions. They have ...

More than just a movie, The Longest Day captures for us many life lessons that we would do well to take note of still today. In this post, Guy shares 7 as he watches the D-Day film with his family. Life Lessons from D-Day As I write this, I am sitting with my father-in-law, 3 of my kids and my Irish Setter watching the war classic, ‘The Longest Day’.  It is, ...

How is it that despite looking like we have the things we need, we are unhappy, frustrated, even angry? As the world looks to behavioural change programs to deal with tragedies like domestic violence, Guy argues that perhaps, for men who are at risk of ‘snapping’, an answer is more deeply hidden but oh so easy to get. Meet Jim I want to introduce you to Jim. Jim is the unhappiest ...

True fatherhood means the world to your kids, and, whether they know it or not, you have a massive influence on their lives. Dads, you’re kind of a big deal! Dad the Superman! Recently, we celebrated my hubby’s birthday and discovered, all too late, that we’d run out of ‘grown up’ candles. Of course, our boys were poised on their daddy’s lap in anticipation of the official ‘blowing out of birthday ...

Oprah Winfrey said that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time. Was she right? Today we unpack work-life balance and ask if it is still possible. And if it is, then how? When the term work-life balance is raised, it usually stirs some sort of emotion in you. There are a few who don’t desire ‘work-life balance’, but on the whole, most men I speak to have ...

“Can you help me?” These were the words I first heard when I picked up the phone. “I can’t see my kids and I don’t know what to do. I feel like giving up and I am thinking about killing myself to shut off the pain.” The matter-of-fact way he said these words told me that this was no veiled threat, but a carefully considered option. Men don’t usually tell you ...

Are you living in the now, or in the glory days of your memory? With life moving ever faster, the cost is high if we fail to keep up. This is a challenging podcast (#47 Real Talk for Real Men). There was a time when you could build your life around a single career, even a single employer. Work hard and you had a job for life and a secure retirement.  ...

What are the life skills that you need through life’s journey? Guy & Chris reflect on this in episode #58. As you are journeying through life, are you continuing to build the life skills that underpin your growing maturity and success through life, or will you revel in being both ignorant and arrogant? Life Skills for Life’s Journey In episode 58 of Real Talk for Real Men, Chris and Guy encourage ...

Tony Robbins said, “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” We all make a life by the decisions we make. A great man I once knew said to me, “Life is a decision.” So how do you make the right decisions in life, both for yourself and for your family? The simple reality is that you must have a basis for your decisions. Think of it ...

“As iron sharpens iron so does the face of a man’s friend,” is a saying from the book of Proverbs. It really sums up the mysterious masculine healing power that is released when men gather together for a noble purpose. I have experienced this mysterious force in men’s gatherings at so many different levels and in so many different ways, for the last 40 years. I just love it when men ...

At last, the tools to help you cope with change. Get them here in this feature-rich podcast: part 5 of Thrive Through Change. Do you struggle to cope with change? Are you trying to battle through change in your life and not really coping? In part 5, we round off the series with the tools that you can use to help you move through the 4 phases of change discussed in ...

In part 4 of Thriving Through Change, Guy and Chris continue the discussion on how to cope with change. In this episode, Guy explains the 4-part Hudson change model for understanding where you are at in the change cycle. Ever been chasing a dream, a big goal, a vision, but then become disillusioned with the whole thing? Things you assumed were constant are now being questioned? Can see change coming, and ...

Back by popular demand, Darren Lewis shares the 5 essentials for guiding your sons into authentic manhood. How can a 29-year-old male be married and have 3 kids, and only then discover that he wasn’t really a man? That was the experience of former Queensland Father of the Year and founder of Fathering Adventures, Darren Lewis. Darren realised he had no vision for manhood, fatherhood and husbandhood. What we cannot define, ...

My good friend Robert Day sent me a link. He said, “Check out Gavin Topps and his ‘Fight Like a Pro’ Program”. Rob is a Dads4Kids board member. He has worked with men all his life. He knows men. So, I just had to check it out for myself. Below is the challenging call to Manhood from the Gavin Topps Rite of Passage for the Modern Man landing page. “Friend, if ...