Masculine Messages

A male's gender identity - his masculinity - has been and continues to be volatile. It has to be earned and proved on a day-to-day basis. A man can't just be masculine, he must constantly "prove" it. Masculine attainment refers to this persistent, lifelong quest for gender identity among American males. Being a man means achieving, accomplishing, having a good job, and providing adequately for oneself and one's family.

Gender-role strains are the difference between individuals' views of their personal characteristics and the norms taken from gender-role standards. Gender-role strain is seen as an intra-psychic process that can lead to psychological maladjustment, especially low self-esteem. Men are being forced to face issues about themselves that heretofore were accepted without question: place and role in society, patterns of relating to women and to other men, ways of expressing themselves; in a word, their very male identity.

The socially prescribed male behaviors require men to work against the fulfillment of certain needs, to be competitive, aggressive, and to evaluate their life successes in terms of external satisfaction. Every man is caught in this no-win bind: if he lives out society's prescribed role requirements his basic human needs are unfulfilled. On the other hand, if these human needs are satisfied there is a chance that he may be judged, or may judge himself, not to be a real man. Being emotionally inexpressive is a vital part of the very nature of "manliness. Many men are socialized to ignore feelings and become out of touch with their bodies, not to recognize internal stress, strain, and symptoms of sickness. If men are aware of these inner distress signals, they refuse to accept these signs of poor health, thus opening themselves up for cancer, strokes, breakdowns, heart attacks, and even suicide.

The male sex-role requires that men be independent, strong, self-reliant, competitive, achievement-oriented, powerful, adventurous, and emotionally restrained. These characteristics both take a toll on men's physical and mental health, and make it difficult for men to seek and utilize psychological services. The traditional male role is self-denying and stoic-heroic combination of characteristics.

"I pray this article empowers you to M.A.N. up!"

Be on the lookout for my new highly anticipated book; “Don’t Let the 4 Wheels F.O.O.L. You”!!! If you have ever felt as though society has counted you out! You won’t want to miss this inspirational road map to success!

An Inadequate Father

An inadequate father is one who behaves in unacceptable ways towards his son.
Prolonged absence of the father for whatever reason. Unresponsiveness to the child's need for affection and attachment. The father's threats of abandonment, which are used to coerce or discipline the child. The father's induction of guilt onto the child. The father clinging on to the child. Fathers who regularly beat their sons. Fathers who make their sons into scapegoats for everything that is wrong in the family.

Behavioral and Psychological Outcomes for Men

	Emotionally restricted.
	Aggressive and/or Violent.
	Tendencies to Isolate from others.
	Rape and Sexual Harassment.
	Lower life expectancy.
	The objectification of Women.
	Feels a lack closeness with men, except in socially acceptable ways (i.e., sporting activities).
	Experiences low levels of self-satisfaction.
	Difficulty receiving anything from others.
	Gives to others in the form of doing something which often includes providing protection, money, possessions, and financial security.

"I pray this article empowers you to M.A.N. up!"

Be on the lookout for my new highly anticipated book; “Don’t Let the 4 Wheels F.O.O.L. You”!!! If you have ever felt as though society has counted you out! You won’t want to miss this inspirational road map to success!

Goal Setting for Men

Goal setting is an important method of

	deciding what is important to you
	separating what is important for you from what is irrelevant
	motivating yourself to achievement
	building self-confidence

Failure to meet goals is useful in improving the likelihood of long-term success as long as you draw useful lessons from it and feed it back into your goal setting program.

You should allow yourself to enjoy the achievement of your goals and reward yourself appropriately.

Goal Setting Steps

Step 1 – Desire is the great motivation. The powerful force that drives you toward your goals.

Step 2 – You must believe with all your heart and have no doubts that you have the ability to achieve your goals.

Step 3 – The third and most important step is to write your goals out in complete detail, exactly as you wish to have them. Until your goals are committed to paper, they are not goals; they are simply wishes backed by fantasies.

Step 4– Determine all of the benefits you will receive by achieving your goals. Write out all of the benefits you will receive and enjoy by accomplishing your goals.

Step 5 – Set a deadline. Decide exactly when you are going to accomplish your goals and put it down on paper.

Step 6 – Identify the obstacles you will have to overcome to achieve your goals. You will discover major lingering obstacles in your mind.

Step 7 – Clearly define the knowledge you will need to learn in order to accomplish your goals.

Step 8 – Take all of the details that you have identified in step 6 and 7 and create a plan of action. Be sure and make it complete in every little detail.

Step 9 – Get a clear mental picture of your goals as if they are already attained. Picture in your mind repeatedly seeing yourself succeeding and achieving your goals. Just let your imagination run wild.

Step 10 – Back up you plan with determination, persistence, and a burning desire to never, never, give up until you have achieved your goal.

Additional Tips

Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.

If you need help form someone in achieving your goal, will you have his or her cooperation?

Write your goal on the positive instead of the negative. Work for what you want, not for what you want to leave behind.

Write your goal out in complete detail.

Make sure your goal is high enough.

Reviewing your goals daily or weekly is crucial part of your success and must become a part of your routine. Each morning you wake up read your list of goals that are written in the positive aloud. Visualize the completed goal, see the new home, smell the leather seats in your new car, feel the new smaller outfit on your body. Each night before you go to bed repeat this process. This process will start both your subconscious and conscious mind working towards your goal. This will also replace any of the negative self-talk you may have and replace it with positive self-talk.

"I pray this article empowers you to M.A.N. up!"

Be on the lookout for my new highly anticipated book; “Don’t Let the 4 Wheels F.O.O.L. You”!!! If you have ever felt as though society has counted you out! You won’t want to miss this inspirational road map to success!