Crusade To Manhood

Farewell... For Now.

In today's CTM Episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the importance of connecting with people as well as some new ideas to connect with people during the pandemic. 

Man wasn't made to be alone. We need to connect with other people to help us grow in every aspect of our lives. In these days of lock downs and restrictions it is easy to become stagnate in our life journey, and this is in part due to the difficulty finding new people to connect with, as well as strengthening connections we have already established. 

Churches are a great way to get connected. Look for life groups, bible studies, or men's group that your church may be holding. Whether they are in person or online they are a great way to get in touch with people. And if your church isn't currently doing anything you can take the initiative, and make your own opportunities by starting your own group through the church. 

Another great way to connect with like minded people looking to grow is to take classes. These classes could be through a formal institution, or an online class. Either way the class will put you in the proximity of others who are interested in similar things and looking to grow as well. 

In Today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss how to make massive progress in our lives with minimal risk. 

Today too many people get stuck in analysis paralysis. If we want to get anything done we have to take action. 

One way to reduce analysis paralysis and help yourself to take action is to realize that the first step you take doesn't have to be a big one, in fact it shouldn't be. 

The key to massive progress with minimal risk is to take many tiny steps, and then doing quick reassessments after each step to determine what the best thing is to do next.

Don't get stuck trying to plan out big steps. You can always take some sort of action. 

Often times people that look like they are taking huge steps are really just taking many small actions and reassessing in between each step, but they do it so quickly it seems seamless. 

Don't allow yourself to be stuck by analysis paralysis. Take action. 

In today's CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss the different core motivations people have, how those core motivations drive us to act in different ways, and how those core motivations make different things easier and harder for different people. 

This episode was based on concepts and ideas from the book The People Code by Dr. Taylor Hartman, so if you like what we talk about today go check out the book.  

Our core motivations are at the core of everything we do. We are born with our core motivation and from our interactions in the world and our own unique experiences we develop into the unique individuals that we are. 

Understanding your core motivation can help you to understand why some things feel natural, while others things are extremely difficult. 

Each core motivation has its positives and negatives, but if we are living our best lives then we are living in the strengths of our own core motivation, while learning the strengths of other core motivations to replace the weaknesses of our own. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss how our negative views of the school system may be taking away from our ability to learn the most important lessons from school....

Too often we get stuck thinking about how we will never need to know any of the information that schools teach us, and while this is often true, you are missing the biggest lessons of school if you are focusing on this. 

The most important lessons we all need to learn from school is the learn how to learn new information, and to learn how to think. 

Sure not all schools are good at teaching this to us but you cant control your teachers, what you can control is yourself and your attitude. Tune in to today's episode if you want to find out how....

In today's CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss the power of positive thinking. 

The power of positive thinking is an awesome book about how you can change your life by viewing the world through a more positive lens. 

Many people when confronted with this idea of being positive all the time confuse it with blind optimism and say they would rather be realists, but being positive doesn't mean you have blind optimism. Plus, most people who say they are realists are hiding behind being pessimistic. 

By being more positive it will significantly decrease the stress in our lives. It will help us to see the silver lining in our situations as opposed to focusing on whats going wrong. 

Being positive will also help us to take action in our lives, which will allow us to live a much better life than if we were hampered by negative thoughts, unable to take action. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the importance of maintaining a sense of humility in your life and a couple of things you can do to help you stay humble as you become more successful in life. 

Humility is key for anyone who wants to become successful, or maintain their success, in life and in relationships. Everyone prefers to work with and for humble people. Humble people are inherently more driven, and more likely to seek out advice and knowledge because they know that their is always more to learn. 

If you are having difficulty with humility in a particular area of your life, get around people who are better than you in that area. They will put you in your place and it will be impossible for you not to be humbled. 

Another good practice to maintain humility is to remember that God gave you all of the gifts that you have, and he put you in the position to be able to develop and pursue any gifts that you have. 

Thank for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah will be speaking with Harrison Hix. 

Harrison is one of Anthony's good friends from Clemson, who has been happily married to for almost 2 years now. His relationship with is wife was unique because they lived in different states up until they were married.

Harrison discusses how he was able to manage a long term relationship, what he learned during the process, and some of the keys that he feels helped him to have a successful long distance relationship. 

So if you are in a long distance relationship, or are about to get into one, this is the episode for you. 

In today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the importance of slowing down to God's speed.

In today's world it is so easy to get caught up with how fast everything moves. We want to go a million miles an hour, and we feel like there is never enough time in the day.

In moving so fast through life we miss opportunities and we make mistakes. God moves slower, but his moves are perfectly precise.

By getting out in nature and listening to God, we can begin to get in touch with his speed, and slow our lives down.

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode, Anthony and Isaiah discuss the scripture James 1:19-20 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

When we are slow to speak and swift to hear we are seeking to understand, we are seeking to learn, we are seeking to grow. If we are too fast to speak we may miss the point or turn a discussion into a heated argument that gets nowhere. 

When we try to take wrath into our own hands we are taking it away from God. 

How can we judge another for their sins when we are sinners ourselves? Leave judgement up to God and learn to control your angers and frustrations. 

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony break down Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind".

It is important that we don't give into the pressures of the world. We must remain strong. 

God created us for more, and if you listen he is calling you to more. It won't be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. 

We must begin our journey by pursuing God, when we do he will pull us out of our old mindset and teach us a new way to live. 

Practice mindfulness and detachment from your flesh so you can gain a higher perspective. 

Ensure that you are consuming information and perspectives that will build you up and make you better. 

Thanks again for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure to follow and share the podcast and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM Episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the scripture Colossians 3:23 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”.

This is a powerful scripture that outlines how we should be working in our day to day lives and also who we should be working for. 

You should be working heartily, diligently, and making the most of every opportunity that God is giving you. You job, your schooling, you situation has been given to you by God and its time that you started stewarding it. 

We need to put our focus on God and working for him. He is the ultimate motivator. We can't get sustained and meaningful motivation from money or man alone. 

Thank y'all for listening we really appreciate it, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss the importance of Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."

This is a powerful scripture that can help us vastly improve our relationships by addressing our mindsets towards other people. 

Selfish ambition and conceit will cause you to think of yourself as superior to those around you, and may cause you to act in ways that only benefit you, as opposed to benefiting everyone. 

However, if you act and think as though those around you are better than yourself, then you will have the key to developing many healthy and powerful relationships. 

Listen in to find out how...

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

On today's episode of CTM Anthony and Isaiah discuss tactics they've used in their lives for dealing with anxiety.

They discuss the power of surrendering to God and how you can begin working to surrender you life, problems, anxieties, and victories to God. 

They mention the power of detaching from the source of your anxiety, and how the new perspective can help to reduce anxiety. 

In addition they mention a final tactic that may be more valuable than all the the previous ones combined.... But you'll have to listen to the episode to find out what it is... 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it! Make sure to follow and share the podcast, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss the importance of speaking life into people, and how powerful our words can be. 

Hung By the Tongue is an amazing book that was the inspiration for today's episode, so if you enjoy the topics that are covered make sure you go and buy the book. 

Our words carry enormous power. They have the power to build people up, or tear them down. 

Our thoughts are determined based on the information we take in on a day to day basis. Make sure you are taking in good information, and avoid useless negative information. 

Our hearts are shaped over time by the repetitive thoughts we have. If we have a good heart we will naturally be more uplifting, if we have a dark heart we will tend towards putting others down. 

When you speak, avoid putting people down at all costs. If 99% of what you say is positive, but you allow that 1% negative to hang around, then in a time of weakness you will hurt someone, and that percentage of negative speech will grow over time. 

What you say is also an input that can drive your thoughts, so ensure that you are speaking life into yourself and not putting yourself down. Too often we are our harshest critics and we only hurt ourselves. 

Thanks for listening, make sure to follow and share the podcast, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss how you can take extreme ownership over your life. 

Extreme ownership is an awesome book written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. The book is all about the concept of how taking ownership of things when they go wrong is better than trying to shirk responsibility. In today's episode Anthony and Isaiah only cover a fraction of the material and lessons from the book, so if you like what was discussed, make sure you go check it out. 

No matter what happens to you, to your team, or to the people you serve, you take ownership and responsibility for it, especially if youre the leader. 

You don't have to be the leader to take ownership of a situation and make it better. 

Taking ownership means that you take responsibility for what happened and for fixing the problem so it wont happen again. 

If you are going to be able to take extreme ownership you are going to have to check you ego. 

Our ego is what drives us to achieve and become successful. The right amount of ego is good, because without it we wouldn't have the drive to do anything. But too much ego clouds our judgement, makes it so we wont take responsibility, and prevents us from figuring out how to fix the problem. 

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure to follow and share the podcast, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Isaiah will be interviewing Anthony.

They discuss Anthony's background, life growing up, and mentors he had along the way. 

Anthony talks about life lessons hes learned and some of his humbling experiences. Anthony also talks about his relationship with God and the unlikely story as to how he truly began to pursue God. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's CTM episode Anthony will be interviewing Isaiah. 

They discuss Isaiah's story growing up, mentors he's had along the way, and the hardships he has faced throughout his life. They discuss how they met and how Isaiah has grown over the years. 

Isaiah talks about his relationship with God, how it has grown, and how it eventually lead to him meeting is now fiance. 

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Anthony and Isaiah interview Mr. Fred Williams. 

Fred has worked with Anthony for 2 years, and currently mentors Anthony along with several other young men. 

In this interview, Fred shares the secrets to his success in the workplace. He explains how he maintains humility, builds lasting relationships, influences the people around him to see the Lord, and many other life lessons. 

If you are looking for a way to increase your effectiveness, influence, and satisfaction in your workplace, this is the episode for you. 

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure to rate and follow the podcast for more awesome interviews like these, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In this CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss who we should be comparing ourselves to. 

It is completely natural for us to compare ourselves to others and we do it all the time. However when we compare ourselves to other people too often, it can begin to have detrimental effects. 

Don't compare yourself to people who are farther down the path than you. Don't compare your year 1 to their year 10.

Sometimes people are younger than us and more successful than us, don't compare yourself to them either. They could have far more experience, they could be naturals, they could have had different circumstances that allowed them to develop faster, or they could just value it more than you. 

Remember that we often only see the best sides of the people we are comparing ourselves to. No one is perfect.

You should be comparing yourself to who you were yesterday, not anyone else today. Only you know your values, and only you know if you did something today that moved you along the path towards your goals. Your life is unique, so you cant compare it to others.

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure to follow the podcast and share it with your friends, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In this CTM episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss what it means to be biblically meek. 

In Matthew 5:5 Jesus states "blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Today's definition of meek is "quiet, gentle, easily imposed on, submissive". This doesn't sound like someone who will inherit the earth, so what are we missing? 

It turns out that "meek" as we use it today isn't a good translation, a better translation is "those who have weapons and the ability to use them but are determined to keep them sheathed will inherit the world". Now that sounds more like it. 

Isaiah and Anthony go on to discuss the importance of being "biblically meek" the way Jesus intended us to be, as well as how you can live a more biblically meek life. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure the follow the podcast and share it with friends, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony interview their friend Todd on his keys to having a successful relationship. 

Todd shares his journey of growing into the man he had to become before he met his wife Laurent 10 years ago.

He discusses how women test their men and why its so important for you to pass those tests. 

Todd also dives into specifics of how he and his wife defuse disagreements before they ever have a chance to turn into fights, and much much more.

Thank you for listening, don't forget to follow and share the podcast with your friends, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the lessons on how treat women from Tony Dungy's book Uncommon. 

When you are around women you shouldn't act like the big tough guy, but you also should act just like a nice timid guy. Don't put up some fake persona because if you do she will eventually figure it out. 

Make sure you honor women with respect in direct and indirect ways. Direct ways would be uplifting her with you words or holding the door for her, be purposeful and active in doing nice things for her. Indirect ways would be respecting her friends and family. If her friends and family love you, then she will feel love from you as well. 

Make sure you are present with her, not just physically but mentally. Make sure you are paying attention to her when you are with her and that you aren't distracted. When you give her your full attention she will know it and she will love you for it. 

Listen to her, not to solve her problems, just to let her know that you are there for her, but you have to be actively listening. If you are listening half way or not paying attention you will only make things worse. 

Remember that God is not only your father, but hers as well, and remember that God so loved her that he gave his one and only son for her. 

If you are single take your time in finding the one. Pray that God will reveal her to you. It will be important that your basic values in life are in alignment, but in order for you to know if your basic values are in alignment you will have to spend time determining your own values and whats most important to you. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss what you should do to find the woman of your dreams. 

Before you can find the woman of your dreams however, you must first become the type of man that would attract her. 

You will need to develop maturity in your life. Men with maturity take ownership of their life and admit when they are wrong. A man with maturity will walk his talk, and a will face his emotions head on. 

A sense of purpose in your life will also be key in becoming the man you need to be. You need to have a goal larger than yourself and you need to begin working towards some kind of ideal. 

Finally you will have to learn how to sacrifice. You will have to sacrifice some things you want to do in order to be there for her and uplift her. You will need to ensure that you are making the right sacrifices however, because not all sacrifices are created equal and some good intention-ed sacrifices can completely miss the mark. 

Thank you for listening, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss how you can better handle pressure and stress in your life so that you can operate in the chaos. 

Pressure is a normal consequence of life and living in society, we are pressured by friends, family, and everyone around us, but pressure doesn't have to be a bad thing. We can use pressure to fuel us and to push us to be better. We get to decide how pressure is going to affect us, and how we are going to respond to it. 

The first line of defense to handling pressure better is to know who you are at the core, and the best part is that you have a say in who you are at the core. Are you someone who never gives up, someone who is handles pressure well, someone who is going to make the most of every opportunity? Over time you can shape how you respond to, and handle pressure, simply in the way that you define who you are. 

The second key to reducing pressure is through mastery. When you have a lot of knowledge about something, or have practiced it relentlessly you will feel the pressure surrounding that thing decrease. When you practice, develop you skills, and increase your knowledge of something, you will increase your confidence and as a result, decrease the pressure. 

Thanks for listening, we really appreciate it, make sure to like and share the podcast, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss the power of reading, and why you should make reading a part of your daily life. 

Reading won't be fun until you find something that you enjoy reading, and/or until you find sufficient motivation to read. One of the best motivators is to realize that you don't know nearly as much as you think you do about life, and that if you want to achieve any level of success in anything, you will need to learn, and one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do that is by reading. 

While reading fiction books can be great and fun, it is important that the majority of your reading be non-fiction. The reason is that you likely aren't learning any lessons by reading fiction books. By spending the majority of your time on non-fiction you will get the most out of your reading and your time.

Schedule out times of your day for reading. You will do what you prioritize and set time aside for. 

Books can be a great form of mentorship. People will take their life knowledge and condense it into a book that you can read in a week. By reading that book you are effectively earning years back on your life because you aren't having to spend nearly as much time learning those same lessons through trial and error. You get to take the short cut. In addition, if someone you really admire and look up to writes a book, go out and read it. In reading their book you will get insight into how they think and operate. 

Continuous learning will be crucial in your life if you hope to achieve anything of significance. And this doesn't have to be money, wealth, or fame. This could be as simple as being an outstanding dad and husband. But you won't get their by accident, you will have to be intentional and set aside time to learn how to be those things. 

The one book that everyone should read no matter what is the Bible. The Bible includes more information and lessons that any other book on earth, and it contains the fundamental truths of humanity that are still true today. You should be setting aside some time each and every day to explore the lessons in the Bible and broaden your horizons. 

Thanks for listening to this episode, make sure follow and share the podcast, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss the importance of finding purpose in your life. 

Too many people wonder through life with no direction. These people are miserable and are searching for something more, but they don't know what it is. What they are searching for is purpose.

Our purpose is something given to us by God. Your purpose is your mission in life, its and ideal that you work towards, its like and overarching goal. 

In your pursuit of your purpose you will need to seek out new experiences, face your fears, and reflect on your life. 

New experiences are crucial to your development. New experiences are how you learn about yourself and the world around you. This new knowledge will allow you to better understand what your purpose is, and equip you with new tools in your search for your purpose. 

Facing your fears is the next step to finding your purpose. Everyone has a "false self", and this false self is always trying to hold us back. This false self is where our irrational fears and selfish desires come from. If we hope to truly identify our God given purpose we will have to break away from the false self, and one of the best ways to do this is by facing your fears and pushing thought them. 

Finally, you will need to reflect if you hope to find your purpose. Both self reflection and reflection with peers will allow you to learn the most about yourself when you face your fears and seek new experiences. Whats the point of doing these hard things if you don't learn from them? By reflecting and taking time to internalize the lessons you have learned you will grow into a man that is capable of finding and pursuing his purpose. 

Thank you for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss many of the different positive impacts that playing sports can have on your life. 

They discuss their backgrounds in sports, how they got into playing sport, what sports were their favorite, and what lessons they learned. 

Sports will allow you to form some of the strongest bonds in your life. You will have to battle through adversity in sports, and the people on your team that you battle with will become some of your best friends. 

Obviously sports keep you healthy, and teach you how to be healthy, which allows you to pursue things in life that people who are out of shape cannot. 

Playing sports will build your mental toughness through lifting, conditioning, long hot days in practice, or having to push through soreness. This mental toughness will serve you well in life when you have to do something you don't want to do. 

Sports will also build your character. You will learn what its like to win and loose. You'll likely learn what its like to suck at something, as well as what its like to be really good. Having that experience on both sides will give you a broader perspective and allow you to be a better leader and person in general. 

Finally, sports also give you practice operating as a part of a team. Teamwork is a skill that you will be forced to learn if you play sports for an extended period of time and have any hope of succeeding. This is one of the most important skills to develop in life. 

Thank you for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In today's episode Isaiah and Anthony discuss how mentors can take you to the next level in whatever you may be pursing in your life. 

Mentors can help you learn and grow significant faster than you would on your own. They will share their life experiences, knowledge, and past mistakes so that you can take what they know, apply it to your life, and achieve success much faster than if you had to acquire all of that knowledge on your own.

Anyone can be your mentor as long as they are more experience or knowledgeable than you in a specific subject, but it is crucial that you look up to, and respect, you mentor. Without respect you won't learn as much from them, or take them as seriously. 

Mentors can be paid or free. Paid mentors can be great because the more you pay, the more you pay attention. Meaning, when you are financially invested in a mentor you will take everything they say and apply it to your life, you will want to ensure you get your moneys worth so you will take it more seriously. Free mentor ship can also be great because often times that come from someone that you have a deep bond and strong relationship with, potentially making their advice more impactful to your life. 

Whenever approaching a potential mentor, make sure you lead with value. Try to provide value by taking them to lunch, offering to work for them for free, or helping them with some special skill you have. 

Thank you for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

In todays episode Anthony and Isaiah discuss how you can increase your self control, and what things are holding most people back from developing their self control.

Self control is difficult, everyone struggles with it from time to time, but increasing your self control is vitally important to being successful as a man and in life. 

Self control is like a muscle, we have to exercise it if we want it to be stronger, but at the same time we need to rest it by eliminating some of the scenarios from our life where self control may be necessary. 

You can practice self control by choosing just one thing in your life that you know you shouldn't be doing it, and begin to phase it out. It is important however that by eliminating that thing you will see some reward, otherwise you wont have the motivation to continue on in the long run. 

Emotional self control is also vitally important. Take stalk of whenever you have a strong emotional reaction to something, it is your subconscious mind trying to tell you something important, just ensure that you don't let that emotion take over and cause you to do something you regret.  

To help you not get emotional during conversations or arguments you have to detach from the situation and try to observe it as objectively as possible. Try to understand the other persons position. Its easy to get frustrated or emotional if you have no idea how another human could think something, but as soon as you can rationalize how another human might think that it will be significantly easier to maintain your composure and have a civilized conversation.

Finally, in the areas of your life where it is possible, eliminate the need for self control. Trying to maintain self control in hostile environments all day is near impossible, so eliminate temptations to loose self control. If you have a problem with sweets dont keep them in the house. 

Thank you for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we cant wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

On todays CTM Episode Isaiah and Anthony interview Chad Zueck. 

Chad is the lead Pastor at Dublin Bible Church, a Navy Veteran, a husband, and the founder of A New Kind of Man where he helps men learn what it means to be a true man through his four pillars of intellectual ability, spiritual maturity, physical strength, and relationship integrity. 

Chad dives deep into his childhood, the adversity that he faced, and how he was able to overcome it thought the support of the strong men in his life. 

Chad talks about his time in the military and what he learned during that time of his life. 

Chad also discusses his relationship with his wife, how they have grown their relationship thought God, and how they were able to overcome their own adversity. 

All throughout this podcast Chad continuously gives value though all of the insights he has gained in his life.

Thanks for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

You can find more about chad in the links below:

http://beanewman.com/

https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZGDsn4wB10Ro6f5q96pXg

On today's episode of CTM Isaiah and Anthony discuss how you can conquer your shyness. 

Being shy isn't necessarily bad, but there are attributes that come with being shy that result in missed opportunities, friends not made, a girl you can't ask out, and jobs you fear interviewing for. 

Much of shyness comes from self sabotage, and this sabotage comes from an internal voice of weakness. The longer we wait, the longer we let this voice speak, and the louder it gets. 

Many people confuse introversion and shyness. Being an introvert simply means that a person prefers spending time alone, and that spending time in large groups take a lot of energy. An introvert can be outgoing and talkative, it will just require more effort than if he was extroverted. 

Shyness is something we learn from factors such as schooling, parents, siblings, social interactions, etc. 

How can we conquer shyness? 

Often times it begins with self improvement. Master a skill, improve yourself in some way, this will give you confidence and help you to branch out. 

Mentorship can also help you to grow your confidence because you have someone that is investing in you, someone that is helping you to succeed and grow, which builds your confidence. 

Remember that you can't please everyone, and you shouldn't try, and when it comes to awkward moments try to own it. The person that can own an awkward moment and laugh it off displays supreme self confidence that others will take note of. 

Thanks for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, make sure to follow the podcast, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

Today Anthony and Isaiah will be discussing three powerful mindset shifts you can use in your life to help you become a more positive person, and why becoming a positive person is so important. 

Today too many people are habitually negative and it is detrimental to their health, productivity, and relationships. If you are always negative you wont be motivated to do anything, and no one will want to be around you. 

At the same time you shouldn't live with blind optimism because that brings on a whole other set of problems. 

Mindset Shift #1: Practice Gratitude Daily

Begin each day by writing down 3 things that you are grateful for, and the end of each day write down 3 things that were good that happened to you. 

You may be surprised how difficult this is for many people, but if you are alive at the end of the day you can be sure that 3 good things happened to you. This exercise will begin to train you to see all of the good in your life and help you to focus on that instead of the bad. 

Mindset Shift #2: Gain Perspective

Often times our negative mindset comes from us thinking our lives suck or because we are comparing ourselves to others. 

Remember that millions of people in the world have it worse off than you, and many of them are more happy than you. This is another exercise that will help you to see how blessed your life is and help you to focus on what you do have rather than what you don't.

Mindset Shift #3: Have an Internal Locus of Control

People with an external locus of control believe that they don't control what happens to them and they are a victim of life's circumstances. If you believe that you have no control in life it is inevitable that you will eventually become cynical.

By having an internal locus of control you will believe that you can control your life. You control what happens to you, or at the very least you control how you react. When you make this mindset shift you will spend less time sulking and complaining, and spend more time taking action to make things better. 

Thanks for listening to the podcast, we really appreciate it, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM! 

Too many people thing that wealth and money are bad or evil. Money is simply a tool. Like any other tool it can be used for good or bad, and it is up to you how you use it. 

We have to come to realize that our money is not our own, it is Gods money, we are simply the stewards of it. 

The Bible teaches us to do three things with out money: give, save, and spend. 

By giving your money you not only help the church or other people but you also help yourself because you begin to switch from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance. It also reinforces that money is not the thing to be desired, but what money can do with money, the good you can do with it is what is important. 

Saving is necessary to ensure future financially stability in your life. When you are not financially stable it adds unneeded stress and uncertainty into your life. 

Finally you should spend you money. After you have given some money, put money away for savings, and paid for necessary expenses you should enjoy your money. You worked hard for it. 

Thank you for listening, don't forget to follow and share the podcast, and we can wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

Today society has basically given the free pass to sleep around with whoever you want and do whatever feels good. We all know the standard downsides that come with sleeping around such as getting an STD, pregnancy, or potentially getting charged with rape.  But that's just the physical domain, there is a deeper and more significant level...

Sex hits on an emotional and mental level.

When you sleep around with people, sex begins to loose its meaning, it becomes less special, it becomes nothing more than a cheep thrill that can create babies. 

When you give into your flesh it makes you weak, and you feel that weakness on an emotional level, but you don't know what the cause is. You begin to be confused  about what you want in relationships, what relationships are supposed to be like, and as a result your love life in the future will suffer. 

Sex also deeply affects women. When you sleep with a girl and then break up with her, or have a one night stand with her, she will ultimately feel unloved and like she is undeserving of love. This can lead to a downward spiral where she continues to participate in harmful practices.

God created sex and he intended it to be beautiful, but he gave us boundaries to operate within for our own good. Just like a child may not understand their parents rules doesn't mean that they get to go around breaking them, the rules were put there for a reason. 

Is your view of sexuality based on God's view, or the worlds view?

Thank you for listening to the podcast, don't forget to follow and share the podcast, and we can't wait to see you on the next episode of CTM!

This is Part 2 of the How to Build High Performance Habits series where Isaiah and Anthony will dive into the step by step process on how to form new habits and break existing bad habits. 

Before you can form any new habit you first need to discover your motivation. Without motivation you won't be able to follow through on the process and you will fail in your endeavor. This motivation could come from yourself or it could come from for someone else or God. 

The first thing you must do in the process of forming a new habit is writing down your goals. You then have to write down the specific steps you will take to achieve the goal. Then you have to come up with all of the possible adversities you will face in the pursuit of your goal, and you must come up with a plan for how you will overcome each of those adversities. 

Intrinsic rewards are better than extrinsic rewards. Sometimes you have to rely on extrinsic rewards to begin a habit, but overtime you should reduce the extrinsic reward and rely more on the intrinsic reward because intrinsic rewards are more sustainable. 

Remember that you will not succeed 100% of the time. Failure is okay, but make sure you don't fail in a systematic way, make sure it is random so you don't form a habit of failure. 

To get rid of an old habit the process is a little different. Once a cue, routine, reward loop is formed its not going anywhere. So instead you have to keep the cue and reward and replace the routine. 

Once you have identified the habit you want to change, you must then determine what the reward is. Go though a series of experiments of trying to satisfy your craving (the craving for whatever the bad habit is). Once you have found an alternate activity that satisfies the craving that will be your new routine.

The next step is to isolate the cue. When you have the craving write down these five things: where are you, what time is it, who is around you, how do you feel/what is your emotional state, what was your immediate preceding action?

After enough time a patter will emerge and you will have identified the cue. Now that you know the cue you can eliminate it or plan ahead for it by performing your new routine before the craving emerges. 

This process will not be easy and it will take time, but if you persist you will succeed and you will be better for it. 

Thanks for listening to the podcast and make sure to follow and share this episode!

In Part 1 of the How to Build High Performance Habits series Anthony and Isaiah dive into the foundation of what a habit is and how you can begin to attack bad habits. 

Habits are a routine that may be hard to give up and is in our subconscious mind. The fact that habits are subconscious indicates that the majority of what we do every day is a habit. How we drive, how we eat, tying our shoes, when we do things, how we do things, our routines are all habits.

Our minds have to make habits in order to simplify the world and our decision making process. Habits allow us to think about more important things while our body performs medial tasks. However, if we leave our mind to make habits without any direction from us it often forms bad habits. Why is this? The answer lies in what a habit is.

A habit consists of a three part cycle: a cue, a routine, and a reward.

The cue initiates the routine (what we typically think of as the habit), and then our brain releases dopamine as the reward. If the cycle is repeated enough times our brain will store that habit in our subconscious mind. The issue is that a lot of things that are bad for us cause our brains to release dopamine such as sugar, watching TV, or social media. So we have to take an active role in forming our habits. 

The rate at which habits are formed is dependent on the number of times the cue, routine, reward cycle is performed. The more often it is performed the faster the habit will take hold. 

We will discuss how to use this information to form new habits and break bad habits in next weeks episode, but for now you should practice identifying the cues to your current habits. You can do this through mindfulness meditation. After some practice you will be able to detach from your thoughts in everyday life and evaluate what is happening within your head and access why it may be happening. 

Thank you for listening, make sure to follow and share the podcast!

Anthony and Isaiah discuss what it means to have a platform, how you should use your platform, and the benefits of properly using your platform.

Did you know that you have a platform? 

Everyday people are watching you and you have an influence on them. 

It is up to you to decide whether you are going to make a positive impact, uplift them, motivate them, set a good example.  

It wont always be easy, and its something that you have to practice, but if you can add value to other people you will begin to see your platform grow, allowing you to impact even more people!

Thanks for listening and make sure to follow the podcast!

Anthony and Isaiah discuss whether or not there can be a place for video games in a mans life and how video games can impact a mans life. Video games can allow you to have access to a community, take a break and decompress, and even introduce people to new ideas.  But there is also a dark side to video games... Does playing video games prevent you from fulfilling other responsibilities? Does the real world feel boring compared to the games you play? Are you struggling in you relationships with family and friends because of the time you spend playing video games?  Video games can be like any other hobby, but just like any other hobby, you have to enjoy it in moderation.  Thanks for listening and make sure to follow the podcast!

Anthony and Isaiah interview James hall, founder of the Restoring Heroes Project.  James, Isaiah, and Anthony discuss James's upbringing in Ohio and how it lead him to starting the Restoring Heroes Project.  James dives deep into the inspiration behind his podcasting intro "restoring real biblical manhood in a counter fit world". James has used his experience in martial arts to improve discipline and grow as a man.  James also discusses what we can be doing today to counter racism in a Christian and Godly way when we see it.  

Thank you for listening and don't forget to follow and share the podcast!

https://www.herostuffbro.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restoring-heroes-project/id1451544513

Isaiah and Anthony discuss how to find independence while you are still living and home and how that independence can help you with your transition as you leave the nest. 

Anthony and Isaiah discuss what it means to love through listening and how we can become better listeners in our lives. 

Isaiah and Anthony discuss how the people you spend the most time with affect your values and your actions as well as the importance of having the right people in your life.

Isaiah and Anthony discuss the importance of delayed gratification in ones life as well as how to implement it in your own. 

Speaking on manhood and its connection to the natural world.

Encouraging fitness and its positive affects on discipline.