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**Being A Better Man**

This show is about the character of men rather than the trappings of manhood. We will discuss the challenges men face from day to day, relationships, and personal accountability. We will talk about the finer points of manhood, and what it means to be a man in these modern times. It is all designed to lead up to a decision; the decision to be a better man today, than we were yesterday.

Latest Episodes:

056 – A Bad Idea Jun 01, 2016

Show notes

A BAD IDEA…

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Today’s story about a bad idea might make me look like a horrible child…I get that, but hey I learned some fantastic lessons because of it.

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055 – A man Keeps His Word May 30, 2016

Show notes

A Man Keeps His Word…

Today’s topic might seem redundant, or too simple, or even silly to some people at first glance, because it is a part of our common language so everyone assumes they know what it means.

I’m talking about your word. People use it all the time in phrases like; I give you my word, you have my word on it, my word is my bond, his word is good, I’ll keep my word, etc., etc…you have all heard these phrases before.

So, we all know that to keep your word is the same thing as keeping a promise right? You say you are going to be somewhere at 6:00…that means you will be there at 6:00…not 6:05. If someone confides something to you in confidence and you give your word that you won’t tell a soul…you better not speak of it to anyone.

What puzzles me is…if everybody knows what giving your word means, then why do so many people on a daily basis break their word? What puzzles me even further is why other people seem to just accept word breaking, as though it’s part of human nature or something and the people couldn’t help it? That’s really weird to me.

Most people have a best friend or someone they will always keep their word with…but today I’m going to suggest something radical; what if you kept your word 100% of the time regardless of who you were talking to.

Do you know why I am suggesting that you make keeping your word a priority? It’s not simply to do the rest of the world a favor. I would like to see men keep their word for their own self.

If you make keeping your word a priority right now, if you look in the mirror and make a commitment to keep your word in all situations you will immediately have more respect for yourself. When you respect yourself, others are more likely to respect you.

Words mean things gentlemen…the words that come out of our mouth are a reflection of the men that we are. In this episode I give you a couple tips that might help you keep your word in all situations.

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054 – A Man’s Personal Honor May 27, 2016

Show notes

A MAN’S PERSONAL HONOR…

Today we are discussing a word that is often used; sometimes correctly sometimes not. I think it’s a word that is not that well understood in general. The word is ‘honor’.

So what is honor, and how does it apply to our mission of being a better man? What does it mean to live with honor…to be an honorable man? These are the questions I will answer in this episode.

Like many english words, honor is used in a few different ways. One way is when it is used to bestow respect or admiration for something someone did well, or to acknowledge someone for performing well and meeting their obligations.

For example; a building can be named in honor of a Cities founder. A football team that performs well is said to bring honor to the school. It was an honor to be invited to your wedding. Someone can graduate with honors or leave the military with an honorable discharge.

While these are all proper uses of the word…it’s not exactly what I am taking about today. The kind of honor I am talking about today is much more personal and individual, its more specific.

The phrase; “to live with honor” implies that there is a code or list of rules to follow. While the phrase; “he is an honorable man” implies that honor is a matter of reputation that is earned. Both of these are correct…honor is both of these things, but it isn’t ONLY these things. The word honor is a simple noun but the word honor as I am applying it today is also a complex concept with many components.

Honor is a complex composition of things that includes your earned reputation as a man. It is also a personal code that you design and live by and in so doing preserve that reputation. Truth and courage are also major components of honor because you cannot accomplish all this without them.

Other components of honor are more internal. Honor is a deep abiding commitment to one’s self that you will live and react and interact with others in a way that is consistent with what you believe in the core of your being.

At times it takes great courage to do this; you also must be truthful with yourself at all times in order to pull this off. Honor does not thrive…it cannot exist in the presence of excuses or weakness of character.

Honor is that unseen force that makes you stand behind the things you say and keep your word no matter what. It makes you remember promises, and causes you to treat others as you would like to be treated. Your honor compels you to do the right thing even when no one else would know.

I’m really just scratching the surface here, but in my opinion these are the primary components of personal honor. I think of it like something I possess, as though it is part of me like my heart or my liver. Like I take all of these components and I put them in a bag and I keep that bag inside of me like an internal organ. And just like any other internal organ my behavior and lifestyle will determine its health and good function, or lack thereof.

It might sound kind of woo woo to some people, but I find it helpful to visualize things like this because then instead of an abstract idea I can see this organ functioning in my minds eye. I know whats inside the bag because I put them there, and I have a responsibility to ensure that my honor remains healthy and functioning.

However you keep track of it, we have identified the kind of personal honor that we are talking about today. We have determined what the primary components are. The next question is how does honor relate to the mission of being a better man today than we were yesterday?

Actually I think it’s really obvious how honor relates to being a better man, it’s really just common sense…but I’ll go over it anyway.

I’ll illustrate that point by suggesting that you imagine the opposite:

Imagine a man who has not earned a reputation as a good man, a man who has no personal code of conduct, imagine also that this man possesses neither truth or courage. He has no commitment to act according to his own beliefs. He forgets his promises. He does not stand behind what he says and is not known to keep his word. When he is alone he is not compelled to to the right thing. In short, this is description of a man completely without honor.

So I ask you. Is this a description of a man who is being a better man? Of course not! Would you choose to have anything to do with a man who fits this description? I certainly wouldn’t.

So, it seems that to live with honor…to be an honorable man is synonymous with being a better man. Does that mean you have to master everyone of these components right this second? No, but it does mean that you should be conscious of these elements of honor and be striving toward them all the time.

If you do that, if you aspire daily to master these components of honor and are diligent in maintaining the health of your personal honor as a man, if your honor becomes a thing that you value and hold in the highest esteem…then, you will be a better man today, than you were yesterday. If you are doing all that it would be difficult not to become better.

I’m going to go a little deeper now. It’s one thing to say all this or listen to all this and agree with it and then just go on with your life. It’s another thing entirely to figure out how to put this into action today! How do you translate these words into real-life results?

One thing I always say is that the things we focus on expand. The things that we make a priority will come to pass. The purpose of this podcast is to help you decide what to focus on…what to make a priority.

If you focus on your personal honor, if you make it a priority, then you will have it. In every interaction with other people it will be at the top of your consciousness. When you go to work and the health of your honor is in the forefront of your mind, you will be an honorable man. When you are alone you will do the things that are right even when no one is watching.

There is opportunity for the concept of honor to preside in almost every waking moment of human life, and it will…if you make it a priority.

If you do that, if you develop a code of personal conduct to live by, you will earn a reputation as an honorable man, you will be known as a man of truth and courage, your actions will be consistent with what you believe. You will stand behind what you say and keep your word and remember your promises and when you are all alone you will do the right thing when no one else is watching.

If you do this, and make honor a daily priority, the most valuable thing you have in life will be increased…I’m not talking about your 401K, I’m talking about your relationships. Every relationship you have will be improved; at home, at work, with friends and even your relationship with yourself. And that my friends, is the ultimate pay-off of Being a better man.

I’m going to wrap this up there for now. If anything isn’t clear, if you have a question about anything I’ve said today don’t hesitate to send me an email. I return every email I receive…unless it’s spam. If there is any part of this you feel I need to elaborate on, just let me know.

The topic of honor can be a deep one, like I said I’m really just scratching the surface here. In the future I will probably break some of this down even further, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

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053 – Confession Of A Former Bully May 25, 2016

Show notes

Confession Of A Former Bully…

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Today’s story was not easy to tell…or comfortable, a confession seldom is. But there are some great lessons I got from it that I think people can benefit from. I mentioned a past episode; Episode 038, it’s sort of a followup to that saga, you remember…when I got beat up?

THE MANTORING PROGRAM: 1 on 1 counseling and Mentorship

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052 – The Authentic Man May 23, 2016

Show notes

THE AUTHENTIC MAN

Today we are going to talk about authenticity; what it is exactly, and why it is important for a man or anyone, to be authentic.

The dictionary tells us that to be authentic is to be real or genuine; not copied or false. Rather to be true and accurate.

Basic common sense informs us that to be real, genuine, true and accurate are all good things right? Then why are there so many people in the world who are not authentic? Like with many things I think the answer to that question is rather simple. Most people simply have not made being authentic a priority of any kind.

If you make something a priority in your mind, then it happens. For example, the purpose of this show is to help guys make being a better man a priority…when you listen to this three times a week it works on your brain and it becomes a priority…then it happens.

Authenticity is one of those human qualities that is expected from others, and assumed to exist even though it isn’t talked about much…which I think is kind of goofy. That’s why I’m talking about it today.

If you have any question in your mind about wether or not you are authentic…then, you probably have some work to do on it. If you aren’t dead stone-cold sure that you are are authentic…then you probably are not.

If you determine that you have not been as authentic as you could be…it’s not the end of the world. The good news is that tomorrow is a brand new day. It’s never too late to become authentic and you can march into tomorrow armed with having authenticity as a priority in your life…now go listen to the show!

Check out these links below:

051 – Celebrating 50 Episodes! May 20, 2016

Show notes

CELEBRATING 50 EPISODES!!

That’s right! This is episode 51. That means there have been 50 episodes before this…which is one half of 100. I don’t know about you, but I find that to be…significant.

So, I decided to spend this episode kind of re-capping what we have done together so far you and I. If this is your first time tuning in to the program you might not get it, this is not a regular episode…but there are many other episodes you could listen to, to get a flavor of the show…50 others in fact.

Since starting the show on January 22nd. I immediately realized that I would need to change the format; I started off planning on one episode a week and quickly changed it to three per week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The mission of the show has remained the same from the start though; To inspire others to join me in my journey of being a better man today than I was yesterday. I accomplish this through telling relevant stories, and by sharing my insight, experience and observations with you in such a way that you are inspired to think and reflect on your own life and then making changes where you decide they are needed. Also by having guest come in to share their particular insights and experience.

I have gotten tremendous feedback from a variety of people. feedback that lets me know the show is making a difference. Still, after 50 shows I can’t express how happy it makes me when I get a letter from someone with a story of how this show has impacted their life. So let me take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contacted me…thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I also invite everyone else to write in and let me know whats going on with you.

I have done several Listener inspired episodes. Here on the website there is a menu tab called “Contact Alf”. If you click on that you will see another tab called “Your Show Ideas”. That is where these listener inspired episodes come from…guy’s using that form to send me their questions and letting me know what their challenges are. I encourage everyone to use these tabs, fill out that form, and inspire your own show to be heard.

Out of the first 50 shows I have had 9 guests. If you would like to see a higher percentage of guests…please let me know.

Thanks to every single one of you, I have had over 58,000 downloads as of the release of this podcast…that seems like a lot, it’s equivalent to a small city. These downloads have come from literally all over the world. It seems like a lot…but when you consider that there are over 7 billion people in the world it isn’t that much.

I want to impact as many men as possible in this world. So, I am asking you to help me get the word out. Pick 5 people you know and tell them about the podcast, send them a link to it, share the post from my Facebook and Twitter on your own social media. Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, and I’m counting on you to help me out with that by making a personal endorsement to people you know.

What do I have coming in the future? I have some digital products I am working on designed to help you keep the mission of being a better man in the upper levels of your consciousness.

I am also working on a couple of online course’s, one that will give you confidence building strategies and another that will show you how to design and execute your very own meaningful rite of passage. These topics are based on the results of a survey I put on my Facebook page…so if you have not liked the Facebook page yet you are missing out on having an influence on the show. There is a link to the FB page further down on this page.

I will also be adding a resource page to the website in the near future. On this page I will feature links to products I use and recommend. There will be links to my own products as I get them completed, and I will feature future sponsors of the show there, and anything else I can think of that might be a help to your personal journey of being a better man. So be on the lookout for that, I will announce it on Facebook when it comes on-line.

Now lets talk about the email list. First, the reason I am building a list is because it will give me immediate access to all the loyal listeners of this show when I have something important to say. It’s a way to stay in touch on a weekly basis and it is also a way for you to have immediate access to me, just by hitting reply.

I am going to be revving up my involvement with people on the list.

Moving forward I plan to send out a weekly email, a newsletter if you will. It will be a compilation of the thoughts and revelations I’ve had throughout the week that relate to being a better man. This may include commentary on current events in the world, social trends, or other relevant topics I run across. Occasionally, I might ask for specific feedback about something or reveal something new that might be helpful.

I am not a fan of being bombarded with emails several times a week and I will not do that to you. After all I am a podcaster…not an emailer, but email is a useful communication tool that can serve both of us.

If you have not considered getting on the email list I’m asking you to consider it right now. There is a form at the bottom of this page…just fill it out and you are in. When you sign up you will get access to a free report; The 5 steps to become a better man immediately.

Lastly, you have probably heard me talk about the Mantoring program on the show. Basically, thats where I become your personal mentor. Together, through frequent Skype, email and phone interactions you and I can work on whatever it is that you are struggling with and would like to improve, in an objective, judgement free environment. It’s designed to be affordable and how much you invest it totally up to you at all times. If you want more details on the Mantoring program just click on the Mantoring tab in the menu of the website.

So I think thats it for now. Thank you for listening and helping me celebrate the first 50 episodes. Without you, this podcast wouldn’t exist. Thank you for the feedback…keep it coming. Thank you for getting with me on social media, thank you for telling your friends about it, and thank you for signing up on the email list. Remember…I’m always just an email away if your have something you want to tell me.

Now head on out into the world, have a great weekend, and keep on being a better man today than your were yesterday!

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050 – Make A Memory…On Purpose! May 18, 2016

Show notes

Make A Memory…On Purpose!

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Todays story is about one of my all time top 5 favorite days of my whole life…and the lessons it taught me have been invaluable..

THE MANTORING PROGRAM: 1 on 1 counseling and Mentorship

FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/

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049 – Guest Larry Winget May 16, 2016

Show notes

Meet Larry Winget

The Pitt Bull of personal development

That is a name he has earned, when you listen to the episode you will understand why. He has spoken to nearly 400 of the fortune 500 companies, and is in the international speaker hall of fame.

He has been the host of his own show on A&E.

He is a regular contributor on several national news programs talking about business, parenting, personal finance and personal development.

Larry is a prolific author of several books, some of my favorite titles are “Grow A Pair”, “Shut up, Stop Whining and get a life”, “You’re broke because you want to be”, “People are idiots and I can prove it”, and “Your kids are your own fault!” He is a six time wall street journal / New York Times best selling author.

I first noticed Larry a couple years ago and was immediately a fan of his straight forward, logical, common sense, unapologetic no-nonsense approach…about things that matter.

When I was in the process of starting this podcast I knew that one day…I would try and have Larry on the show…That day has arrived and I’m glad it did because Larry imparts some very valuable information to us today.

Some things to watch out for in this episode:

Larry’s #1 rule for life and business

Larry elaborates on his philosophy that “Your life is your own damn fault!”

I ask Larry what he thinks about the Millennial generation.

And finally…Larry’s strategy that can help you get started being a better man today than you were yesterday! This is an important one; it’s a great exercise for everyone to do and this is your CALL TO ACTION for this episode.

Larry invites you to follow him on social media and to head over to his website at www.LarryWinget.com. There you can see what he’s up to, read his blog, download some free stuff and go to his online store and check out his books and other informative products he has there.

I want to thank you for the feedback I’m receiving about the show, I really appreciate it…keep it coming. Just hit the Contact Alf tab in the menu and send me an email.

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048 – Your Unfair Advantage May 13, 2016

Show notes

YOUR UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

As we talk about being better men on this program everyday there is a lot of emphasis on fixing things that are wrong, on making note of things we need improvement in…and we do that because it is a critical component to becoming a better man.

Today I want to talk about the other side of the coin…Today I would like you all to consider those things about you that are exemplary, special, and unique. These are our particular human gifts, and I believe everybody has some.

Just as important as identifying and improving the things that need improving…is identifying what your personal unfair advantage is, and capitalizing on it.

What do I mean by unfair advantage? Well…I believe that everybody has some talent, ability, aptitude or gift that the majority of other people do not have. That is your unfair advantage.

It’s called an advantage because that’s what it is; an advantage…it’s unfair because the majority of other people do not have it. Being unfair does not make it wrong or bad…it just makes it special to you.

The trick is, uncovering and realizing what your unfair advantage is. Sometimes they are really obvious…for example my brother has an unfair advantage; he can do things with his voice that no one else can do. When he sings everyone stops talking, grown men get goosebumps, peoples pulse rate quickens, and people smile.

That is his unfair advantage because it is rare and unique to him.

Other people have advantages that are harder to spot, it might take some time to realize what they are…and some people go through their whole life never acknowledging that thing about them that makes them special. I think that is tragic, because until you recognize and acknowledge what your special talent or aptitude is…it’s not really an advantage. It only becomes an advantage when you use it like one.

You can have more than one unfair advantage, you can have several. And your personal advantage might change or shift as you get older. If you start paying attention right now then you can make the most of these advantages as you go through life. If you go through a change or shift you can be flexible and recognize it…and use it to your best advantage.

To explain this further I’ll use the metaphor of an American football team. Everybody on the field has an unfair advantage when compared to the rest of the population…that is their athletic ability, not everyone can play football.

But when you break it down further, within the team each player has something different that they are better at than the other players. Some guys are good at throwing the ball, some guys are better at catching, some are super fast runners, or really agile and able to duck and dodge, while other guys have the advantage of size and strength that allow them to move other players around and make tackles. All of these guys have realized what their unfair advantage is within the realm of the game of football, that’s why they are in those positions. They are all equally important because it takes all of them to make a team.

Now lets expand that metaphor to life itself. In every group of people, at every workplace, in every organization that you are ever a part of there will be something that you are better at than most of the other people there.

Today I’m telling you to figure out what that things is…and take advantage of it, capitalize on it…because it’s yours.

It would have been a shame if my brother would have never started singing…and it would be equally shame if you have some hidden aptitude that you don’t share with the world around you, to your own advantage.

Your particular unfair advantage can be something really simple, so simple you might not recognize it as an advantage at all. For example I knew a guy that was really good at math, he could figure stuff out in his head really easy…he took advantage of that in his job but also socially. People came to rely and trust in his ability with numbers which helped him build and improve all of his relationships.

So this guy turned an aptitude for math into an unfair advantage that helped him excel in his career and also give him social value that he would not have…if he didn’t use it that way.

The point I am making is that it does’t have to be something exciting and exotic, you don’t have to be a singer or a star athlete…any aptitude you have can be turned into an unfair advantage that can enhance your life if you use it that way.

Maybe your really funny, or diplomatic, or good at building things or understanding how engines work, you’re a natural leader, you have creative ideas, you’re good at gardening or cooking or listening to other people or making tough decisions…whatever it is, you are one of the best at it…and you owe it to yourself to get all you can out of that ability.

Some of you listening are already aware of what your unfair advantage is…that’s great, continue to develop it and keep looking for more.

The rest of you may have never considered this before. If you are having a hard time figuring out what your unfair advantage is then one way of finding out is simply by asking the people who know you best.

Just say hey…I’m curious, what do you think my 3 best qualities are, or the 3 things I’m best at, or how would you describe me in 3 words…however you want to word it. The thing is many times other people see things in us that we can’t see ourselves.

Another thing you can do is take one of the personality / aptitude test that are on-line. There are a lot of them, and while I don’t swear by any of them they can be a good place to start. There is one that is pretty famous that a lot of employers use called the

Carl Jung’s and Isabel Briggs Myers’ typology test. Here is a link to that test:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

So your call to action from this episode is to figure out what your personal unfair advantage is…and then figure out how to use that ability so it really does become an advantage in your life. It may turn out to not just be an advantage for you…but to all the people you share the world with as well, like in my brothers case.

If you have questions, or if you know what your advantage is and don’t know how to use it you can always send me an email…I’m here to help however I can.

Check out these other links, and fill out the form below to get on the email list:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/

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047 – The Nickel May 11, 2016

Show notes

THE NICKEL

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

As you listen I really want you to consider your own stories, when did you learn these lessons? Can you remember? Sometimes digging up your own past can have great benefit, especially if you are made to remember that one singular moment in time when you learned something vital. It’s almost like learning it all over again. That…is the purpose of these stories.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Todays story has been burned into my brain for a very long time and I just realized what the lessons I learned from it were as I was preparing this episode. That’s how it goes sometimes; and remembering the story is like learning that lesson all over again.

THE MANTORING PROGRAM: 1 on 1 counseling and Mentorship

FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/

Remember, everyone who subscribes to the email list below gets a phone or Skype call!

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Being A Better Man

A BAD IDEA…

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Today’s story about a bad idea might make me look like a horrible child…I get that, but hey I learned some fantastic lessons because of it.

THE MANTORING PROGRAM: 1 on 1 counseling and Mentorship

FACEBOOK LINK: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/

Fill out the form below to receive the weekly Newsletter:

A Man Keeps His Word…

Today’s topic might seem redundant, or too simple, or even silly to some people at first glance, because it is a part of our common language so everyone assumes they know what it means.

I’m talking about your word. People use it all the time in phrases like; I give you my word, you have my word on it, my word is my bond, his word is good, I’ll keep my word, etc., etc…you have all heard these phrases before.

Most people have a best friend or someone they will always keep their word with…but today I’m going to suggest something radical; what if you kept your word 100% of the time regardless of who you were talking to.

Do you know why I am suggesting that you make keeping your word a priority? It’s not simply to do the rest of the world a favor. I would like to see men keep their word for their own self.

If you make keeping your word a priority right now, if you look in the mirror and make a commitment to keep your word in all situations you will immediately have more respect for yourself. When you respect yourself, others are more likely to respect you.

Words mean things gentlemen…the words that come out of our mouth are a reflection of the men that we are. In this episode I give you a couple tips that might help you keep your word in all situations.

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A MAN’S PERSONAL HONOR…

Today we are discussing a word that is often used; sometimes correctly sometimes not. I think it’s a word that is not that well understood in general. The word is ‘honor’.

So what is honor, and how does it apply to our mission of being a better man? What does it mean to live with honor…to be an honorable man? These are the questions I will answer in this episode.

Like many english words, honor is used in a few different ways. One way is when it is used to bestow respect or admiration for something someone did well, or to acknowledge someone for performing well and meeting their obligations.

For example; a building can be named in honor of a Cities founder. A football team that performs well is said to bring honor to the school. It was an honor to be invited to your wedding. Someone can graduate with honors or leave the military with an honorable discharge.

While these are all proper uses of the word…it’s not exactly what I am taking about today. The kind of honor I am talking about today is much more personal and individual, its more specific.

Honor is a complex composition of things that includes your earned reputation as a man. It is also a personal code that you design and live by and in so doing preserve that reputation. Truth and courage are also major components of honor because you cannot accomplish all this without them.

Other components of honor are more internal. Honor is a deep abiding commitment to one’s self that you will live and react and interact with others in a way that is consistent with what you believe in the core of your being.

At times it takes great courage to do this; you also must be truthful with yourself at all times in order to pull this off. Honor does not thrive…it cannot exist in the presence of excuses or weakness of character.

Honor is that unseen force that makes you stand behind the things you say and keep your word no matter what. It makes you remember promises, and causes you to treat others as you would like to be treated. Your honor compels you to do the right thing even when no one else would know.

However you keep track of it, we have identified the kind of personal honor that we are talking about today. We have determined what the primary components are. The next question is how does honor relate to the mission of being a better man today than we were yesterday?

Actually I think it’s really obvious how honor relates to being a better man, it’s really just common sense…but I’ll go over it anyway.

I’ll illustrate that point by suggesting that you imagine the opposite:

So I ask you. Is this a description of a man who is being a better man? Of course not! Would you choose to have anything to do with a man who fits this description? I certainly wouldn’t.

I’m going to go a little deeper now. It’s one thing to say all this or listen to all this and agree with it and then just go on with your life. It’s another thing entirely to figure out how to put this into action today! How do you translate these words into real-life results?

One thing I always say is that the things we focus on expand. The things that we make a priority will come to pass. The purpose of this podcast is to help you decide what to focus on…what to make a priority.

There is opportunity for the concept of honor to preside in almost every waking moment of human life, and it will…if you make it a priority.

I’m going to wrap this up there for now. If anything isn’t clear, if you have a question about anything I’ve said today don’t hesitate to send me an email. I return every email I receive…unless it’s spam. If there is any part of this you feel I need to elaborate on, just let me know.

The topic of honor can be a deep one, like I said I’m really just scratching the surface here. In the future I will probably break some of this down even further, but I would love to hear your thoughts.

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Confession Of A Former Bully…

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Today’s story was not easy to tell…or comfortable, a confession seldom is. But there are some great lessons I got from it that I think people can benefit from. I mentioned a past episode; Episode 038, it’s sort of a followup to that saga, you remember…when I got beat up?

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THE AUTHENTIC MAN

Today we are going to talk about authenticity; what it is exactly, and why it is important for a man or anyone, to be authentic.

The dictionary tells us that to be authentic is to be real or genuine; not copied or false. Rather to be true and accurate.

If you make something a priority in your mind, then it happens. For example, the purpose of this show is to help guys make being a better man a priority…when you listen to this three times a week it works on your brain and it becomes a priority…then it happens.

Authenticity is one of those human qualities that is expected from others, and assumed to exist even though it isn’t talked about much…which I think is kind of goofy. That’s why I’m talking about it today.

If you have any question in your mind about wether or not you are authentic…then, you probably have some work to do on it. If you aren’t dead stone-cold sure that you are are authentic…then you probably are not.

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CELEBRATING 50 EPISODES!!

That’s right! This is episode 51. That means there have been 50 episodes before this…which is one half of 100. I don’t know about you, but I find that to be…significant.

Since starting the show on January 22nd. I immediately realized that I would need to change the format; I started off planning on one episode a week and quickly changed it to three per week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Out of the first 50 shows I have had 9 guests. If you would like to see a higher percentage of guests…please let me know.

What do I have coming in the future? I have some digital products I am working on designed to help you keep the mission of being a better man in the upper levels of your consciousness.

I am going to be revving up my involvement with people on the list.

I am not a fan of being bombarded with emails several times a week and I will not do that to you. After all I am a podcaster…not an emailer, but email is a useful communication tool that can serve both of us.

If you have not considered getting on the email list I’m asking you to consider it right now. There is a form at the bottom of this page…just fill it out and you are in. When you sign up you will get access to a free report; The 5 steps to become a better man immediately.

Now head on out into the world, have a great weekend, and keep on being a better man today than your were yesterday!

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Make A Memory…On Purpose!

Story Time With Alf is here…

Every Wednesday I regal you with a story from somewhere in my unusual and interesting life. It could be funny, sad, serious or disturbing, the important thing is that every story has a lesson.

Even though these are my stories, you can apply these lessons to your own life, or perhaps they will remind you of your own similar story and the lessons you learned from it. Either way, you should be entertained.

In fact, I think there is nothing quite so human as the hearing and telling of stories. It’s how our ancestors conveyed critical information from one generation to the next. The stories told around campfires the world over are what eventually shaped our species into what it is today.

Todays story is about one of my all time top 5 favorite days of my whole life…and the lessons it taught me have been invaluable..

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