The road to manhood

Last night my church again hosted a seminar from Steve Biddulph, this time about "The Road to Manhood." (and no, it is not cruelly ironic that I put this post after one about kittens)

Again, it was really good.

One thing that caught my attention were the five truths guys need to appreciate to be mature men. (the numbers are from the talk, the rest are my ramblings)

1 - You are going to die... and that's ok.

The stats, when it comes to death are fairly convincing. 1 in 1 people die. You will not live forever, no matter how great or indestructible you feel at 19. You are mortal and will need to leave a legacy.

2 - Life is hard... but you're not alone.

Of the truly worthwhile things in life, most are not easy. Of the things that produce great worth, risk is a part. Life will not always be fair. But no matter how things develop, have a supportive band of people around you (particularly other blokes) to help, encourage and lift you when you fail.

3 - You are not that important... but your not meaningless.

Sorry to burst your bubble. You just ain't the center of the universe. In fact, you should try to avoid being the center of your own existence.

4 - Your life is not about you... this is a relief.

The planet does not depend upon your daily success. Use your time, talents, skills and resources to make the lives of others better. Don't be scared to serve others.

5 - You are not in control of the outcome... don't be so anxious.

Make wise decisions. Consider the consequences. Plan well. But be aware that you are not always in the driver's seat of your live. That's no surprise... see number 2.

Actually, Steve should write this down somewhere. Luckily, he has. The talks were based on an updated version of this book.