VisionForce

07/11/2024

WHY YOUNG MEN WENT FOR TRUMP

"The young men ... were voting for a different view of history and human nature. In their world, individual greatness matters. Male ambition serves a purpose. Risk-taking and defiance create progress.

This is why the Trump victory ... signals a resurrection of old truths: that civilisation advances through the actions of remarkable individuals, that male traits can build rather than destroy, and that greatness—despite our modern discomfort with the concept—remains a force in human affairs."

What I learned about Trump’s landslide victory from one night in New York City.

30/10/2024

I awoke at about 420am this morning, hearing this song in my head...

Anne Murray--my mother's favorite singer, singing You Needed Me.

My mother passed 2 years and 2 months ago in a high rise condo on the coast of Ecuador with glorious views of the Pacific Ocean...

Doors open, sea breeze flowing...

Just her and her little dog.

In 2011 (11 years prior to her passing) she wrote me an email scolding me.

I was stranded in the Andes mountains of northern Argentina. I'd lost my credit card, sold my phone and my laptop and was out of cash.

I'd written an email update sharing with family and friends back home what had happened... not at all from a place of desperation, but from a place of adventure.

I've lost everything--now what?!

I'd embarrassed my mom, who all her life had prided herself on having the best of everything.

She "replied all" with a scolding email. She told me I must have some "limiting beliefs" around money.

This began a back and forth email thread with my mother that gives me great joy to reflect on this morning.

I challenged her. Was it truly I who had the limiting beliefs?

She'd talked for decades about traveling the world... one day.

She had a Jaguar, a Porsche and a new SUV, a gorgeous new house in an upscale gated community in Austin, Texas.

And yet she assumed she needed more money before she could travel the world.

Meanwhile, for the last 2 years I'd been traveling the world, exploring 5 continents with one way tickets, visiting friends around the world and making new ones as I went...

The first year of my travels, I brought in a couple hundred grand from coaching part time. I'd chased Lance in Le Tour de France, I'd led my 4-day retreat in Australia, I'd led a safari in Africa, and so much more.

Then I'd gone broke in the summer of 2010, when my adventures in business and life had been perhaps a bit too risky...

And instead of settling down, doubling down, getting loans and working my ass off to get ahead in business again...

I'd sold my things and taken off to Europe with a 1-way ticket. I'd lived there, then the middle east, then led workshops across the South of Brazil, and finally ended up cashless and credit cardless in the Andes mountains... in a Brazilian pousada with a Brazilian girlfriend.

I KNEW by then I didn't need money to travel the whole wide world, and I challenged my mother's beliefs about money and travel.

A year later, she'd moved to Panama, where she lived like a wild woman for a few years, getting in high speed car chases with cops, shooting her pistol at a neighbor's noisy rooster, giving away her luxury goods to poor Panamanian families and so on.

Her last few years I'd helped her live and thrive on the coast of Ecuador, where she lived in luxury in the most beautiful homes with the most beautiful views.

She lived her last decade on a grand adventure abroad... living her dream.

But my spirit of adventure was not one I gave to my mother... it's one I received from her as a boy.

My mother was wild.

And she raised me wild.

I needed her.

She needed me.

I love you momma!

(In the 80s she looked a whole lot like Anne Murray)

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupYou Needed Me · Anne MurrayLet's Keep It That Way℗ 1978 EMI Music CanadaReleased on: 1999-01-01Producer: Jim Ed N...

12/10/2024

I love Musk -- A hero for Humanity.

But NOTHING about this vision of the future inspires me.

Personal robots, self-driving cars all over the road, etc.

I want more and more LIFE.
Raw and real CONNECTION.
With humanity.
With nature.

I want RAW ALIVENESS.
RAW ADVENTURE.
RAW INTELLIGENCE.

A future where less thinking, less competence, less character is needed is very dangerous.

Optimizing for ease, comfort and thoughtlessness is Zombifying and Obesitizing humanity. In enough times we will cry out for the machines to rule us because we';ll have lost all competence and trust to govern ourselves.

We need more advancements in technology that develop human character, learning, wisdom, health, strength, relationships, courage, compassion, creation, family, parenting, etc.

I'm using technology broadly here to mean a new or better way of doing something.

We need more advancements in technology that support enemies becoming friends and allies. That help us prevent communication from escalating to war.

Technology that helps us better deal with our instincts that lead us to compromise our values and best interests. Technology that supports us making good decisions. Technology that fosters deeper understanding, empathy and win-win creation.

Technology that helps develop our moral courage and character.

And technology that makes more and more comfortable but physically, intellectually and morally weak and divided is well-viewed as Evil. I'm not suggesting Tesla's new tech is that.

But puberty blockers for confused or stressed children is that.

Technology that delays or prevents the stresses of puberty, and that instead helps an individual maximize the narcissism and comfort of the ego at the expense of character development is simply evil to me.

And Musk does have technology which is fighting such evil.

X is freeing the sharing of information about such evils.

Technology that prevents an individual from knowing/observing reality and dealing with it is evil as well.

Musk's X and stand for Free Speech is more of what we do need.

OK, back to reality here on the island of Zanzibar with my beautiful little family.

I don't need a robot to make me a coffee, nor to drink it. I rather enjoy that.

And I don't need a self-driving car to take my family to the beach. We'll walk in the sunshine and fresh air, thanks.

18/08/2024

A MAN'S HONOR

Last minute notice. I'm hosting a Zoom training in 50 minutes to share how men can install an Honor Practice in their life.

Might be of interest to those who've engaged with my honor work in the past. This one's for men only.

We’re going to share about bringing honor deeply into your heart and your life with an honor journal…

REGISTER HERE:

Discover how you can set up a daily Honor Journal practice to bring Sacred Honor deep into your heart, your life and all your relations.

06/08/2024

WHEN PURSUING FREEDOM, SUCCESS & HAPPINESS leaves you Alone, Empty and Devoid of Deep Purpose or Meaning

(The fate of so many men today.)

As so many men do today, I walked away from my religion.

Men who leave religion for Freedom tend to throw out a number of babies with the bathwater...

And end up alone, empty and purposeless.

Many end up dying of drug overdose or su***de.

One of the sacred values they tend to discard is a plethora of experiences of the holy and the sacred.... as well as the cultivation of the felt inner compass they may have once called The Holy Spirit.

Growing up Mormon, we were encouraged and trained to sense the subtle guide of a warm and peaceful feeling filling my chest that I'd have when I acted in line with (or considered acting in line with) God's will.

The narrative was that the Holy Ghost is with me and witnessing my thoughts and actions and communicating with me through this subtle feeling.

After leaving the religion of my upbringing and my family, I kept this relationship to this feeling as a guide. (In fact, it was instrumental in my choice to walk free from the religion, but that's a story for another day.)

I came to call this feeling Honor, and I hold it sacred to this day.

Outside of religious circles this feeling often goes nameless. People feeling it will tend to say something like, "I felt so good."

Soon after leaving the religion I came upon Ayn Rand's writings. She articulated an inspiring vision of an ideal man as one who stands up for his values and is true to his vision in the face of everything.

Indeed, there is Honor in standing up for one's values and vision, and being loyal and true to one's self in the face of a world that pressures you to conform, compromise and pretend.

But there is far more to Honor, and far more ways to cultivate Honor in one's life than this.

AND there are so many ways Honor can cultivate YOU as a man, a leader and a creator!

But so many men don't have a relationship with this powerful force within.

Without Honor, the pursuit of personal freedom and happiness can lead one to leave one's people--just as one might leave his religion.

It saddens me to see so many men today who, in the name of being "strong," "independent," "successful," or "free," sever bonds with loved ones, parents and friends when conflict arises.

So many men increasingly shrink their sphere of connection and responsibility with the illusion this will lead to "happiness" and "freedom."

A lot of success gurus support this. It's your life. Don't "waste your time" with "losers."

Your mother? She's a narcissist. Cut her out.

Your father? He's too controlling. Cut him out.

Your brother? Your sister? Your friend? You'll be better off without them.

For me, this would be impossible.

My Honor is at stake.

Honor CALLS me to stand up, not just for myself, but for my people.

Without a connection to Honor, I imagine that I too might chase endless personal freedom and happiness... and end up quite empty and alone with a sense that life is meaningless.

Compared to most I do have a LARGE degree of personal freedom (I'm currently living in Zanzibar) and happiness.

But I didn't find it by shrinking my circle of responsibility or cutting people off.

My freedom and happiness comes by living with Honor. And from Honor.

It's my mission to restore Honor in men's hearts and lives.

So that, yes they can live happy and free as uncompromised individuals who are true to their values and vision...

But also so they can become great men of and for their people.

29/06/2024

That moment at the end of your late night shower...

When you lift the bucket above your head to pour the remaining hot water over you...

You look up through the braches of papaya trees to see thousands and thousands of stars...

And you remember...

I'm in Africa!

26/06/2024

Heading to Zanzibar with fam. Any friends other than Hans Comyn and Nick Catton have friends there?

15/06/2024

A Man should never be easily Offended.

09/05/2024

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. -Frederick Nietzche

27/04/2024

Men don't need healing. We need a calling.

22/03/2024

Have you ever gone to WAR with a loved one?

Perhaps with an ex-wife, your father or mother, your child or a business partner?

Or, are you at war with a loved one right now?

Such conflicts can be DEVASTATING–to all involved.

Both sides feel betrayed, misunderstood and disrespected.

These conflicts can last for YEARS.

And even spread throughout a family or community as people take sides.

What if you had a tool or method that helped you make sense of these conflicts when emotions run high?

What if you were skilled in navigating such conflicts such that you could easily restore peace, respect and trust… even when all seems lost?

I’ve spent my life fascinated by such questions…

And developing a kind of “martial art” for conflicts with loved ones.

And this week I'm sharing this in a 2-part Zoom workshop!

Part One of this free workshop starts TODAY (Friday) at NOON Eastern time, 9am Pacific.

You may register at the link in the comments.

My fascination with high-stakes conflict with loved ones began when I was just 14.

I remember that Friday night like it was yesterday...

My mother told me to get in the car. She said she was dropping me off at a friend's house for the weekend, but wouldn’t explain why.

This was not a close friend and I had never visited him before at home, so I knew something was wrong.

As my mother drove in silence, the raindrops battered the windshield.

Finally, she found the words.

"Michael... your father has left, and he's not coming back."

WHAT!!!???

All my life my parents had told me that families are FOREVER and that we'd be together for ALL ETERNITY.

That's when the war broke out in our family...

The cold war between the US and the USSR was raging at the time. It was the mid-80s and our family had been preparing for the end of the world all my life.

But it was this war--our family war--which was the end of my world.

And it continued for nearly 40 years until their deaths just a couple years ago.

I remember being so puzzled ever since that night as a 14-year-old.

My parents were both faithful church members, respected leaders in the church and highly intelligent.

How could they lead us to this outcome? How could they let this happen?

In the nearly 40 years since that rainy night, I have been fascinated by this puzzle.

It's time for me to share this work more broadly. And I think this work should be in the hands of all men who desire to be trusted leaders for their people.

2 weeks ago, I offered a masterclass to share this method, and many people asked me to offer it again.

Soy I'm offering this 2-part workshop to you today.

This class starts at NOON Eastern time, 9am Pacific, FRIDAY.

Register at the link in the comments.

20/03/2024

America (and the West) is quickly being emasculated, castrated and destroyed.

Remove Honor and Duty from men, and chaos ensues...

In due time America will cry out for REAL MEN to make a return.

Honorless men are chaotic, weak and unreliable.

As Jordan Peterson says, "If you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of.”