Men's Inner Struggles

To all the guys out there, we all know that saying, "toughen up!" In the end, we still, deep down, have that vulnerability in ourselves that we don't let out. It is to say that holding back emotions can cause many mental and physical issues later on in life. It's at that time now, in this generation, it's ok to open up and let go of the anger, the weight, and learn to forgive those who have done us wrong; but most importantly, loving ourselves.

I think for all of us guys expected to have that responsibility to man up and take charge, it can be a big undertaking, no matter what our old man tells us. Some of us guys may not try to express our feelings because we don't want to feel like that we are weakling or feel too feminine in the bar or locker room in front of the guys. A lot of the time, we wish were that superhero/hot model/bad boy, with the strength, muscles, and hardcore status to impress the ladies and feel on top of the world. With all these expectations and worries, leads to a lot of the frustration and is a big hit to a guy's self-esteem.

Now, I'm not gonna tell you to stop working out, not stand up for yourself when you need to, or be a man at all. I'm here to tell you that it's ok to let shit go when you need to, that unnecessary heaviness of expectations of being the toughest guy in the world.

I've had lot of expectations to toughen up, getting into sports in high school, attempting to date the hottest girl ever, hitting the gym to the point of being an ego-maniac, thinking I'm better than the next guy, being a pro-wrestler. What happened? I wasn't good enough to try out for the high school wrestling team, broke my ribs in pro-wrestling, went through an emotionally abusive relationship, stopped going to the gym, and ate my way into depression because of how I treated some others.

For five long years, after allowing myself to unlock all the negative emotions, forgiving myself and those who do me wrong and I did wrong, I am moving on with my life, feeling way better than where I was before. I get out and hang with the guys still, I'm working up to getting back into the gym and eating cleaner only to better my physical health, am still single but learning self-love so I can have a partner who will treat me the way I want to be treated.

As to some of the guys that have read this, you might be still thinking, "I don't need to let go of anything," or, "I am alright." Just know that if you feel like you have to prove you are able to carry the worries on your shoulders, being the strong one for everybody, letting anger and hate being your way to power through everything in life? You might be able to on the outside, but deep within your core is where it will lead to many problems that could lead to potential harm in your life with family, friends, but most importantly, your own wellbeing.

It's maybe a difficult challenge to let go, but I promise you, gentlemen, a man's strength isn't all about how thick our skin or muscles are, but it's our big hearts that have to keep us alive to keep everything moving in life.