What is one of the hardest obstacles of becoming a man?  Truly, it is a difficult road, and one of those difficulties is talking the talk and walking the walk.  Doing the things that you say.  Being the man that you talk about.  Living an integrated life.

An integrated life.

This is something that has been on my mind lately.  An integrated life – combining the things that we say into the things that we do.  Living out the ideals that we believe.  Really being the man that we see in our mind.

An integrated life.

Why is it so hard?  It’s hard because it’s simply not easy.  It’s not easy to be consistently disciplined.  It’s not easy to always do the right thing.  It’s not easy to take the higher road.  It’s not easy to be the man that you know you can be.  Selfishness.  Laziness.  Self-confidence.  Greed.  Apathy.  All that stuff.  All of those things get in the way of living this integrated life where we live out the things that we believe.

But we young men can take heart in the fact that it is possible to life an integrated life.  It is worthwhile to live an integrated life.  And even though it is difficult, it is the only way that a true man should live.  The men of old who came before us and live among us have paved the way.  Their example shows us that it is possible to live out the things that we say and believe.  They proved that you can be the man that you see in your mind, the man that God is calling you to be, the man that you know you can be.  The men of old have shown us that an integrated life is possible, worthwhile, and the only way a real man should live.

I am right on the journey with you guys – trying to live an integrated life.  Trying to live out the things that I am saying with this blog.  Trying to be the man that I see. We are all in this thing together.  Indeed, our very lives need to be integrated with each other so that we can help each other on this journey.

An integrated life.

Are you ready to be the man that you know you can be?