Get a Straight-Razor Shave (Day 30 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Get a Straight-Razor Shave

     Well, here I am at the end of the 30 days. I still have some tasks to finish (haven't finished memorizing "If," haven't taken the Marine Corps Fitness test yet, etc.), but I'm working on all the tasks I haven't done yet. They should all be done within the next month, I think. But this is the last one.

     I have never done this before, but I am looking forward to it. I've researched some barber shops that offer the service in the area (one of the few in the city is just a cross-street up from my home!), and I just need to make sure of a few things, and I'll schedule it (for today, tomorrow, or the next day). So I'll try to update this when I have more information . . .

UPDATE - So I did get my straight-razor shave on the 30th! Wow! Smoothest, closest shave I have ever had! Amazing! And it was immensely manly! Although now I look rather boyish - I still seem to lose about 10 years from my apparent age whenever I shave off the beard . . .
     The process was longer than I expected, and it did hurt a bit. I got a few nicks and cuts, and my face tends to bruise very easily when doing the kind of heavy shaving necessary to remove my beard, so my face is still covered in bruises . . . but it was worth it!

Conquer a Fear (Day 29 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Conquer a Fear

     I don't feel like I have many of these that I haven't faced yet. The author of the challenge points out that he is more concerned with irrational fears (like fear of telling someone the truth, or telling someone how you really fell about them, or fear of doing relatively safe things like driving a car or riding in an airplane) than with natural, biological fears (like what you feel when you see a rattlesnake slithering towards you in the wilderness, or looking over the edge of a cliff). The fears in my life of which I am aware are all ones with a biological component, and things I have faced (I have a fear of heights - which is in the author's category of rational, biological fears - but I did not hesitate to step up to the edge of the Grand Canyon and look over the edge. I suffer from some claustrophobia - especially because I am a large person - but I spent an hour of my morning yesterday walking through caves 75 feet underground at Colossal Cave). Social fears, anxiety, etc. - I don't really let those hold me back anymore. 

Write a Love Letter (Day 28 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Write a Love Letter

     Another one of those "lost" arts that "The Art of Manliness" wants men to recover . . . yet again, not something I find difficult to do. And not really the kind of thing I think one ought to be doing because of a challenge, but rather because one feels moved by emotion - oh, y'know, say, LOVE - to do so . . .

Start a Book (Day 27 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Start a Book

     The people over at "The Art of Manliness" are under the impression that men don't read enough these days. True, as far as I can tell. I mean, I never feel that I can read enough, and I read a lot. So . . .

     The task for day 27 is to start reading a book, and read for at least 30 minutes. Ummm . . . yeah. No problem. Reading for 30 minutes is . . . not a challenge, for me. Unless the challenge is to stop after only 30 minutes . . .

Take the Marine Corps Fitness Test (Day 26 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Take the Marine Corps Fitness Test

     This task is certainly more than a little daunting! My brother is the one who bleeds crimson and gold, not I. But I shall attempt the test when I have the chance - I have work today, will be traveling over the weekend, back to school with long days after the weekend (the last 2 days of the month). So this one may not be comnpleted within the 30 days. But I shall get it done . . .

A Stoic's Evening Regimen (Reposted from Hypomnemata De Philosophia)

Reposted from my blog on philosophy,  http://hypomnemata-de-philosophia.blogspot.com/

    From Donald Robertson's The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, more daily routines constructed as a modern approximation of the daily practice of Stoic philosophers:

Evenings

1. Retrospection
     1.1. Mentally review the whole of the preceding day three times from beginning to end, and even the days before if necessary.
     1.1.1. Ask yourself what mistakes you made and condemn (not yourself but) what actions you did badly; do so in a moderate and rational manner.
     1.1.2. Ask yourself what virtue, that is, what strength or wisdom you showed, and sincerely praise yourself for what you did well.
     1.1.3. Ask yourself what could be done better, that is, what you should do instead next time if a similar situation occurs.
2. Relaxation
     2.1. Adopt an attitude of contentment and satisfaction with the day behind you. (As if you could die pleased with your life so far.) Relax your body and calm your mind so that your sleep is as tranquil and composed as possible; the preceding exercise will help you achieve a sense of satisfaction and also tire your mind.

Start a Debt Repayment Plan (Day 25 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Start a Debt Repayment Plan

     Well, this is another one of those tasks that requires some budgeting figures and such that I'm simply not going to post publicly, but suffice to say this is something on which I am already working. It is one of the few areas of my life that divorce has not made easier (e.g., there is an outstanding medical bill on my debt that was supposed to be paid by my ex-wife's insurance, when I was on her insurance. They never paid it, a problem we were disputing for a couple of years. Now that we're divorced, I'll probably never get it resolved any way except by paying the damned bill. Annoying, but I'll have to just do it, eventually . . .). Anyway, according to national statistics, my personal debt is about average . . . but I'd like to see it below average (which I can do with some hard work) or nonexistent (difficult to accomplish in the modern world, perhaps impossible, but who knows?). Anyway . . . working on the plan . . .

Play! (Day 24 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Play!

      These days, I have 2 primary play interests - the solitary pursuit of playing "Skyrim" on the PS3, and running my Pathfinder RPG campaign "Heroes of Midhgardhur" (which is a very social pursuit - currently I have 4 regular players, 1 occasional player, plus myself). Neither of those will be happening today, and unfortunately I shan't be running my next Pathfinder session until early May, but I'll definitely get in some "Skyrim" when I can . . . working on level 50 . . .

A Stoic's Daily Regimen (Reposted from Hypomnemata De Philosophia)

Reposted from http://hypomnemata-de-philosophia.blogspot.com/

     A modern regimen based on ancient Stoic practice, from Donald Robertson's The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy:


"Throughout the day


1. Self-awareness. Continually bring your attention back to the use you are making of your mind, your mental activity in the here and now, during any given situation.
1.1. Logic. Remember the difference between what is under your control and what is not, in any given moment. Separate your thoughts from the real facts. Stick to the facts and avoid using rhetoric to distort your own emotions. Remain objective. Question each impression that enters your mind, especially those that are accompanied by distress, asking yourself whether it is true or false, i.e. objectively true, or an emotive distortion of things. Remember what is under your control and what is not.
1.2. Physics. Serenely accept the given moment as if you had chosen your own destiny, 'will your fate' after it has happened. Accept the hand which fate has dealt you. Trivialize trivial things. Contemplate the transience of material things, how things are made and then destroyed over time, and the temporary nature of pleasure, pain, and reputation. Think of the essence of things, and what they really are.
1.3. Ethics. Take full responsibility for your own judgments and actions. Continually remind yourself to question each thought and ask whether it is true or false, healthy or unhealthy. Does each thought contribute to your long-term happiness and well-being, or not? Reject false or unhealthy impressions immediately, and replace them with more healthy and accurate ones. Pursue your own enlightened self-interest, seeking genuine well-being and happiness. Try to act as if you were already a sage. Recall your principles often and affirm them to yourself in a word, or a short phrase.
2. Oneness.
2.1. Empathy. Contemplate the virtues of both your friends and your enemies. Empathize with everyone. Try to understand their motives and imagine what they are thinking. Praise even a spark of strength and wisdom and try to imitate what is good. Ask yourself what errors might cause those who offend you to act in such an inconsiderate, unhappy, or unenlightened manner. Love mankind, and wish your enemies to become so happy and enlightened that they cease to be your enemies.
2.2. Cosmic consciousness. Think of yourself as part of the whole cosmos; indeed, imagine the whole of space and time as one and your place within it. Imagine that everything is interconnected and determined by the whole, and that you and other people are like individual cells within the body of the universe."

A Stoic's Morning Regimen (reposted from Hypomnemata De Philosophia)

     Reposted from my blog about philosophy and especially practical Stoicism,
 http://hypomnemata-de-philosophia.blogspot.com/

     A modern adaptation of the kind of daily regimen practiced by ancient Stoics, taken from Donald Robertson's The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy:


"Mornings


1. Meditation
1.1. Take time to calm your mind and gather your thoughts before preparing for the day ahead.
1.1.1. Be still and turn your attention inward, or isolate yourself from others and walk in silence in a pleasant and serene environment.
1.1.2. The View from Above. Observe (or just imagine) the rising sun and the stars at daybreak, and think of the whole cosmos and your place within it.
2. Premeditation
2.1. Mentally rehearse generic precepts, for example,
2.1.1. "Follow nature," i.e., accept the here and now, and,
2.1.2. "Make good use of your impressions," that is, monitor your thoughts and forcefully question their logic and objectivity where it is necessary to do so (Epictetus)
2.2. Mentally rehearse any potential challenges of the day ahead, and the specific precepts required to cope wisely with them, perhaps making use of the previous evening's self-analysis.
2.3. Periodically contemplate catastrophe and death, rehearse facing such calamities "philosophically," that is, with rational composure; contemplate the uncertainty of the future and the value of enjoying the here and now. Remember you must die, that is, that as a mortal being each moment counts and the future is uncertain.
3. Contemplation of the sage
3.1. Periodically try to contemplate the ideal of the sage, try to put his philosophical attitudes into a few plain words, what must he tell himself when faced with the same adversities you must overcome? Memorize these precepts and try to apply them yourself. Ask yourself, 'What would someone with absolute wisdom do today?' Adopt a role model such as Socrates, or someone whose wisdom and courage you admire."

Learn a Manual Skill (Day 23 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Learn a Manual Skill

     I've just embarked on a project to re-teach myself some things I used to know about drafting, design, drawing, art, etc. Does that count? Hmmm . . .

Improve Your Posture (Day 22 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Improve Your Posture

     Definitely something I need to work on while working seated at a desk. I already stand and walk with the kind of posture described in this challenge. But I really do suspect that my poor seated posture, especially while seated and working for long periods, is having a negative impact on my health.

Write Your Own Eulogy (Day 21 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Write Your Own Eulogy

     At one point, I did this task, and now I seem to have lost the one I wrote and I also seem to have forgotten what it was that I wrote. So I need to do this again. When I do, I shall try to update the blog.

Update: Something like this:

     Colin was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, on September 10th of 1975. He didn't stay there long, however. Soon his family moved to California, where his younger brother Eric was born. Then his family returned to New England, settling in the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, where Colin spent his formative years, and which state Colin always considered his spiritual home. In adulthood he lived for a time in Massachusetts and settled in Arizona, but he always considered himself a Rhode Island expatriate living abroad in a strange land.

     Reading was always Colin's foremost preoccupation. Were it possible for reading to be his occupation, he probably would have found a way to make it so. Anyone who knew Colin knew that his nose was always in a book - often several at once, in several different languages. He was especially enchanted with European and American history, and traveled to Spain and France with a school tour when he was 15 years old. This only increased his love of classical, medieval, and Renaissance history. It was no surprise that he chose a life in academia. His particular field was classical languages - he became a fluent speaker of Latin, had reading competency in Ancient Greek, and dabbled in dozens of other languages, both ancient and modern. He attended the University of Rhode Island from 1993 to 1998, where he completed a double major in History and Classical Studies. The whole time he was at U.R.I. (and for quite a time beyond that) he worked for the Metakos family at Famous Pizza in Charlestown, Rhode Island, who were like a second family to him. During his last years at U.R.I. he met and dated Heather Hewitt, with whom he remained friends for the rest of his life despite the end of their relationship. The two had traveled to Scotland together while dating, and through Ireland (including Northern Ireland) years later when, after finishing his undergraduate work, he proceeded to complete his M.A.T. in Latin and Classical Humanities at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he met and worked with Emily Ellis and T.J. Howell, both good friends. The same year that he graduated, 2000, he also became a citizen of Nova Roma, under the name of Gaius Valerianus Germanicus, later amended to Gaius Tullius Valerianus Germanicus. 

     Colin entered the Classical profession as a teacher of Latin and Classical Humanities in "America's Hometown" of Plymouth, Massachusetts. There he taught for six years at Plymouth North High School. During that time his room-mate Michael Bastoni became a close friend and collaborator in many of his intellectual explorations. The Bastoni family welcomed Colin as a virtual member of the family, and he was forever grateful for that fact. He felt exceptionally privileged to teach amazing people, some of whom kept contact with him long after graduation. Indeed, he was always exceptionally proud to hear of former students with whom he worked who went into linguistic fields, or who remarked upon the continuing impact of the classics on their lives. Colin also built a large network of correspondents and penpals, many of whom corresponded with Colin in Latin rather than English. It was in his final year at Plymouth North High School that Colin led a student tour of Italy that included Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Assisi. That experience stayed with Colin for the rest of his life. 

     It was during those years in Plymouth that Colin began working for the now-defunct Borders bookstores. Though he eventually decided to relocate back to Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, he continued to work for Borders, moving from the store in Kingston, Massachusetts to the one in Cranston, Rhode Island. Soon after returning to Rhode Island in 2006, Colin met the woman who was to be his first wife, Danyell Marshall. They moved in together in an apartment on Park Avenue in Cranston in 2007. During that time, Colin worked for both Borders and UPS. Soon after moving to Cranston, however, he left UPS for a job teaching Latin at Saint Mary Academy - Bay View. Around the same time, he (a lifelong pagan of one sort or another) became committed to the cultus deorum Romanorum - the reverence of the gods of ancient Rome. In 2008 he and Danyell married. Their life together began to fail in 2009, and as Colin struggled to support them both in the wake of Danyell's inability to find and keep work and Colin's loss of his job at Borders as the company began its final descent into bankruptcy, they moved to Mawney Street in Providence in 2010. 

     In 2011, Colin became an augur, a priest of the College of Augurs in Nova Roma. His inauguration as an augur marked a great achievement in his religious life as a cultor deorum. He also decidedly embraced Stoic philosophy around this time. 

     In 2011 Colin and Danyell chose to accept the help of friends, including Aleksandr Normandy, in moving to Phoenix, Arizona, to start a new life. Despite a number of setback on moving to Phoenix, Colin was able to find work for Amazon.com. However, Colin and Danyell separated by the end of 2011, and soon divorced. But as Colin was building his new life in Phoenix, he met Tanya Bergstein in 2012, and they fell in love. Colin was happier than he had ever been in his life, feeling he had finally met someone who was a true equal and partner in every way. Colin went back to teaching, this time at the BASIS Chandler charter school. Colin and Tanya, together with her two boys Andrew and Eli, traveled extensively in Arizona and the surrounding area, something Colin always loved and appreciated. In 2013, Colin and Tanya were affianced, and married later that year [projection]. 

    {They lived happily ever after . . .} Very few who got to know Colin can say that he did not touch and change their life in some way, and mostly for the better. He was dedicated to his friends and especially to his family. He will be missed, but his legacy and his gifts to the world live on, both directly and indirectly through his students and friends. 

Perform Service (Day 20 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Perform Service

     This task is to perform some service for others. I need to think a bit about what service I want to do; I was thinking about giving blood (something I used to do quite regularly and haven't done in a number of years), but I do need to consider it some more . . .

Schedule a Physical ( Day 19 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Schedule a Physical

     I admit it - I haven't done this yet. I have been putting if off, mostly for financial reasons. But I intend to schedule one before the end of the 30 days. I just need to figure out when I can afford it and when to go.

Find Your N.U.T.s (Day 18 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Find Your N.U.T.s (Non-negotiable, Unalterable Terms)

     A term coined by Wayne Levine, N.U.T.s (Non-negotiable, Unalterable Terms) refers to those principles  a man will absolutely never violate and the lines he absolutely will not cross. To compromise them means to compromise oneself. These are things like:

* I shall not knowingly deal in falsehoods.
* I am faithful to my fiancee.
* I live in accordance with the precepts of my faith and my philosophy, to the best of my ability.
* Family is more important than anything except personal integrity (without which a man is useless to his family)
* I am a man of my word.
* I seek to become better than I am.

     This challenge encourages a man to think about these things and meditate on what is non-negotiable for him and an individual man.

What about the 30 days?

     If you've been following my "30 Days to a Better Man" challenge, you may have noted the lack of updates. Well, last week was AIMS testing, and as a teacher, that meant a lot of late nights and VERY early mornings at work. I've been keeping up as best as I was able, but I had no time for updating the blog. I write this on Tuesday, 4/23/13, and although Tuesday is the busiest day of my work week, I'm going to try to find time to update the blog. Prepare for the flood of updates!

Talk to Three Strangers (Day 17 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Talk to Three Strangers

     This one isn't as easy for me to accomplish anymore - I don't take public transportation much these days, and have few opportunities for conversations with random strangers. But today I was proctoring exams for students I don't know, and observing the lunch and break time of students who were not known to me, so I ended up having quite a few conversations with people I don't know. I grew up exceedingly shy, but these days, there are few circumstances in which I will not strike up a conversation with a stranger . . .

Create A Budget (Day 16 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Create A Budget

     Not an easy task in my current circumstances, but one on which I shall be working. Not something about which I shall be posting details publicly, though, thank you very much!

Make a Meal (Day 15 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Make a Meal

     Probably not going to happen tonight, since the kids will have respite with Ginny, and Tanya and I shall be going out to do some shopping, but I can get the ingredients needed to make a meal while we're shopping tonight . . .

Update: Made some pepperoni pizzas! Yum!

Write a Letter to your Father (Day 14 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Write a Letter to your Father

     I may do this tonight, if I have time. I just sent him a post card, and pretty soon we'll be sending him a save-the-date card, but I owe letters to him (and a few other people as well!) . . .

Declutter Your Life (Day 13 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Declutter Your Life

     Well, yesterday Tanya and I took 5 or 6 boxes of books and movies to Bookmans, one of our favorite used media stores, and got some store credit for some of it (which we promptly used most of - 3 books for me, 2 for Tanya). Admittedly, we still had quite a bit they didn't take - so we donated most of that at a book donation bin at our local supermarket.

     There is so much more to do, but we made a good start on some decluttering . . . and we are going to have that spare room ready for Eli to move into it in no time!

Create a Bucket List (Day 12 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Create a Bucket List

     I created one of these before and I lost it. So, some things I would like to do before I die:

* Marriage to Tanya (already planned for December 21st of this year, but it's still on my list)
* Travel Italy again, and make sure I visit Pompeii this time! (what we plan to do for our honeymoon, but it's still on this list)
* Travel to Greece (separate trip)
* Travel to Iceland and/or Scandinavia (separate trip)
* Be a father (this was always on my list - I'm sort of a father-figure already, and I guess I'll be a stepfather, but it's still on my list)
* Get myself back into some kind of reasonable physical shape (hopefully a much shorter-term goal than the others)
* Own and operate an olive farm (yay olive farm!)
* Publish at least one book (preferably several)

That's a start. I'll want to add to it, but that's off the top of my head . . .

Give Yourself a Testicular Exam (Day 11 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Give Yourself a Testicular Exam

     I don't really feel the need to comment on this one in a public forum . . . nor a private one, really, come to think of it . . .

Memorize "If" (Day 10 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Memorize "If"

     OK, I admit it, I have never completed this task, no matter how many times I have done the "30 Days to a Better Man."
 
     The purpose of this "challenge" is to get modern men to memorize a poem. And the folks at The Art of Manliness chose a Rudyard Kipling poem that is a favorite over at AoM - "If." Makes sense. If you're going to challenge men to memorize a poem, a poem that you think epitomizes "manliness" would be the way to go.

     Now, unlike many men these days, I have memorized a few poems and long pieces of poems. In multiple languages. The other day I astonished my 8th grade Latin class by reciting the first 4 lines of Ovid's Metamorphoses (in Latin) from memory. "How did you DO that?!?" "I memorized it in college, and never forgot it."

     I'd like to use this as an excuse for my failure to complete this challenge. My head is already stuffed with poetry, mostly poetry I need for my professional life, as well as personally enjoy. So you can see why I haven't devoted the time and effort needed to really memorize a poem that - frankly - I don't care too much about.

     But I committed to the 30 day challenge. And it wouldn't be very "manly" at all to make excuses and refuse a challenge to which I committed on the excuse of "well, I don't like that one." So I guess I'm going to do it. Memorize "If." It's about 32 lines. There is a rhyme scheme, which ought to make it a bit easier. So. I have my work cut out for me . . .

Take a Woman on a Date (Day 9 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Take a Woman on a Date

     Well, I did this on Saturday, not because I was looking forward to this "challenge," but because it was fun. I am not going to be able to do this today (nor for several days to come), so I am glad that I just did this. Our date was simple - we went to Starbucks and spent the entire afternoon and early evening there, sitting out in the shade, reading our books (to ourselves and each other), discussing ideas, planning our wedding. It felt like a perfect day. Tanya and I had a great time. 

     The date we had met the criteria of the "challenge" as laid down by The Art of Manliness: it was paired off (just my bride-to-be and myself!), it was planned ahead (I had asked her out the day before, but we didn't confirm plans until that morning), and it was paid for (I had a considerable number of Starbucks gift cards stocked up, so we had our date for free!). Best of all, it was fun!

Defiant Gratefulness

Defiant Gratefulness

     This morning, I received in my e-mail inbox this link from The Art of Manliness to an article entitled "Every Man's Call to Defiant Gratefulness" - http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/04/08/every-mans-call-to-defiant-gratefulness-book-giveaway/

     I was struck by the fact that this coincides almost exactly with how I have always attempted to integrate painful experiences into my long-term consciousness and personality - with an attitude of gratitude for the opportunities granted me by adversity. I shan't claim that I am always successful in doing so, and certainly it is hard to do so in the immediate aftermath of disaster  - one almost always needs time to process truly traumatic events - but certainly, what has not killed me has only made me stronger (to paraphrase Nietzsche).

     I cannot help but reflect that this is just the way I was raised - my parents encouraged this attitude in me, in different ways - so I've had it all my life. But as I have grown older and my education and reading have advanced, it also reminds me of the teachings of the Stoics. One can easily imagine Marcus Aurelius counseling a radical gratitude for adversity in life. I know of several letters to Lucilius in which Seneca counsels exactly that. So for me, this is an aspect of life in which the philosophies I have adopted coincide with and grow from beliefs with which I was raised - it is nice not to have to unlearn something I have learned, in order to be true to myself.

Start a Journal (Day 8 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Start a Journal

     I have kept a journal for years, so this is not much of a task, in some ways. But in recent months I have not been keeping my journal very diligently - mostly for special events (like getting engaged!). I do need to make more of an effort to keep my journal up to date!

Reconnect With An Old Friend (Day 7 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Reconnect with an Old Friend

     My task for Sunday was to reconnect with an old friend. Well, I do try not to lose connections with old friends, but it can be difficult, especially now that I live in Arizona and just about everyone I have ever known lives in New England! Anyway, I did recently send out a batch of postcards from the Goldfield Ghost Town (our first stop on the Apache Trail, when Tanya and I went out to Roosevelt Dam last month - and incidentally the trip on which we got engaged!). But I always feel like I have so much more reconnecting to do. I intend to try to reach my old Latin correspondents soon (since I haven't written to any of them in over a year, I think!). Much to do . . .

Update Your Resume (Day 6 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Update Your Resume

     Well, I'm back again. I was dreadfully ill Friday and Saturday, and so I did not keep up my posts, but now I'm feeling better and I'm anxious to get back into it. My day 6 task (for Saturday) was to update my resume. Never a fun task, I'm afraid, but an easy one, since I just updated it last year when I was searching for the job I have now. So I don't have too much work to do. And that seems to be the key, here - update your resume at least once per year. It makes it so much easier to do. On to Sunday's task . . .

Cultivate Your Gratitude (Day 5 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Cultivate Your Gratitude

     I do keep a gratitude journal, and I do try to let people know when I am grateful to them. I would write more, but I'm not feeling well at all today . . .

Increase Your Testosterone (Day 4 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Increase Your Testosterone

     Fortunately for me, I see no signs of declining testosterone yet, but as I get older, maintaining a healthy level could be difficult. Here is the Art of Manliness' checklist of things a man can do to increase testosterone. One is supposed to do at least 3 of them to complete this challenge. Ideally, one should do at least 3 of these every day:

* Get at least 8 hours of sleep
* Do not smoke at all today (doesn't count as one of the 3 if you don't smoke)
* Do not eat anything with soy in it
* Meditate for at least 10 minutes
* Do resistance training
* Eat a serving of fat (preferably monosaturated)
* Eat a serving of animal protein
* Eat a serving of cruciferous vegetables
* Have morning sex (if your partner is willing)

     So far today, I already got more than 8 hours of sleep (12 last night, in fact - not like my usual 5 hours!), don't smoke (which doesn't count), and have meditated for at least 10 minutes. I am most likely to eat a serving of fat and a serving of animal protein, if I can manage that, and maybe do some resistance training.
     Unfortunately, my breakfast did contain soy, and I don't ever eat cruciferous vegetables if I can help it!

Find a Mentor (Day 3 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Find a Mentor

     This is always a tough one for me - I'm way outside my comfort zone when asking for help or advice. A remnant of how shy I was as a child, I suppose. But this time around, I think it will be easy - I'm planning on asking a co-worker who teaches 5th graders now to mentor me so that I'll be prepare for next year (when it seems I shall likely be assigned to teach 5th graders myself). So, I am in need of a mentor anyway, at the moment . . . that makes doing this challenge a bit easier!

Shine Your Shoes (Day 2 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Shine Your Shoes

     Well, I have brand new shoes which are not yet in need of polishing, but I can give them a bit of a shine when I get home from work. I do like to keep my shoes polished, though . . .

     This one is quick and easy. Some days are so much harder than others!

Define Your Core Values (Day 1 of 30 Days to a Better Man)

Define Your Core Values

     I spend a lot of time thinking about this sort of thing, as it happens. My core values rarely shift much - sometimes a slight reordering of priorities, perhaps, but I'm pretty confident in who I am and what my values are and ought to be. Nevertheless, it can be a valuable exercise for anyone to revisit their core values from time to time.

     The exercise as defined in The Art of Manliness' "30 Days to a Better Man" activity involves defining 5 things that really are essential to who you are, and prioritizing them from most important to least. My list is as follows:

1. Integrity - Without my personal sense of honor and integrity, any other values would be meaningless. Integrity must come first.
2. Family - Family is the most important thing to me (besides my sense of integrity - what good would I be to my family without that?). Sometimes honoring family is a delicate balancing act - like spending time away from your family at a job, but doing so in able to support and feed your family.
3. Reason/Education - The life of the mind is of extremely high importance to me, and I honor both the faculty of reason and the acquisition of material for reason to process (through education).
4. Philosophy/Spirituality - Nearly on par with reason and education is the care of the soul. Philosophy (particularly Stoicism) and spirituality (including religion - cultus deorum Romanorum - and valued spiritual teachings - like Unitarian Universalism) provide the soul with comfort and nourishment.
5. Discipline - I pride myself in my self-discipline. I know that my other values lend themselves well to a disciplined life. Left to my own devices, I tend to develop well-disciplined patterns of behavior. The problem is, I do let my personal discipline be swayed by circumstances, particularly when the circumstances involve other people (I don't feel comfortable demanding that others live by my code of discipline, so I let it slip . . .).  Lately, moreover, this is the value that requires the most effort and concentration from me. My health, my physique, my financial discipline . . . all are in ruins, at the moment. Going forward, I place "discipline" at number 5, but need to attend to it diligently (whereas values 1-4 come fairly easily to me . . .).

     Looking forward to the remainder of the 30 days . . .

Thirty Days to a Better Man 2013

     For the month of April 2013, I've decided to revisit the "Thirty Days to a Better Man" challenge from The Art of Manliness. I intend to blog as I go to keep myself accountable and track my progress. Let the games begin!