The Book
Fire Inside Evades Fire Outside. At 2:30am in the middle of winter we were almost caught in the dark before the firey light took over. Thanks to the teamed effort of a 2 and 62 year old, all ended well (except for the house!) on the ranch in Virginia (Ontario). From Right Action Man - Unblocked, Uncovered, Rediscovered, Chpt. 1. "Finding Your Spark to Power."
Jump In! Taking a daring leap to soar into authentic adulthood can be messy at times but well worth the journey.
Right Action Man, Unblocked, Uncovered, Rediscovered is a book about the challenges of largely the male side of humanity as told through the eyes and heartfelt experience of an ordinary guy. Just what is the transition from ordinary to extraordinary? The answer is only for each person to seek of themselves.
As a toddler, like all of us, I had these innate superpowers. No-holds-barred. One time, in my mind's eye, I saw danger looming outside of our family farmhouse. Alerting my caregiver through cries, she woke up at 2:30 am to see the danger herself. She snapped into action to get us to safety before the event would destroy our home, almost taking our lives. It's true. Many of us were deeply connected or in touch, as children. We had insights. We often spoke truth. While our immaturity made us self-centered, we were kind. We burned brightly. Then, elements of our environment - society, guardians, peers, even our own self-talk - teamed up to try 'normalize' us. Some put us in boxes. Others told us we don't fit right. The model offered and demonstrated to us about being a man was fairly standard issue. Don't cry. Be strong. Get a six pack. Be an individual success. Enjoy freedom away from home. Get a girl like this. Fill up with pleasure. Before we know it, our unique flame of personality, character and core essence was snuffed by adults around us.
Years passed. All 'grown up,' self identified as a somewhat 'progressive guy', I watched my adult life fall short in many ways. What happened to me? I wasn't the partner I thought I'd be. Relationships were something I seemed to change much too often; I didn't stand up to be as strong a Dad like I knew I was; I lost a daughter from the subconscious choice not to find inner strength. Financially, I kept finding I was reaching all the time, looking for more money, while climbing further into debt. While I had always defined myself by my work, more and more I was losing my 'edge' as an effective 9 - 5 conservationist. Many of these challenges in my life were brought on by my own mental attitudes and the subtle self-deprecating habits that I had learned early on in my life.
Where did these childhood superpowers go? Why me? Why do so many guys act without true power, leaving their partners, kids, communities, and the planet with the weak fraction of a powerful guy? I had become a master at creating my own blocks. I learned how to cover up the best of my personality. I hid the fact that I knew my powerful core essence lurked strongly within... waiting to emerge as a Right Action Man. After soul scouring, getting my ass kicked by life experiences for years and years, I noticed similar patterns in many other men. I got to work. I saw patterns. I let the answers pour through me as I was determined to figure out what was 'wrong' with me and many other men the world over. I turns out the 'wrong' was nothing but a simple shift. Sure I say simple, but it's also simple to slip back into the patterns and beliefs that caused the pain and consequences in the first place. Right Action Man is the story of a man, of many men, and others taking their power back. Power in this sense means you are fully in charge in the moments, finding the ability to act in right relationship; to be successful in a new way. It's a way that we rediscover the strong powers within to build right relationships with ourselves, other people, our communities and the greater planet.
The journey can be a quantum leap, meaning our ultimate rediscovery of our core essence and thus individual brilliance is a heartbeat away. Or, one's journey could be about finding the pathways around broken pieces. It doesn't matter. Get on the road. Let's make it a 4 billion man march to rejoin our power and sensitivity.