Basecamp for Men E336: An Autumn Firestarter

E336: An Autumn Firestarter

 

E336 Introduction

Hello Basecampers, I hope you are all doing well. Today’s episode is a short format show also known as a Firestarter. Just 8 or so minutes long with  a few things to cover. I will be back next episode with a great interview with Dr. Bob Beare, someone who has been on the show on three previous episodes.

First off, I am in good health and cancer free! My recent PET scan showed no tumors so that was most excellent. I am feeling great and now I start the process of finding out what my diet and lifestyle is going to look like along with which supplements are going to best keep those rogue cells at bay.

I did a deep dive into Fenbendazole, Ivermectin, and Chlorine Dioxide the past year along with other anti-cancer and anti-parasite treatments and these will certainly be part of my ongoing protocol. And fasting and saunas really helped me detox so I will keep those as well along with colonics and few other things like Vit C IV’s. My ongoing health regiment is extensive. But I think that is how it goes, right? As much as I appreciate simplicity in as many things as possible in life, this is a condition that seems to require approaching it in a more sophisticated way.

And I appreciate all the prayers from so many of you. The faith and the prayers were, in my eyes, the most powerful thing that I did and received. The whole process has been moving and humbling.  So thank you again Basecampers.

I recently had a conversation and it revealed just how triggered the left is by DJT. I was a bit taken aback as the man I was talking to used to be a mentor of mine. Someone who I look up to and a extremely well-trained psychotherapist and facilitator of men’s work. He understands full-well the idea of projection. This is the notion that, if someone triggers us and upsets us, then there is ALWAYS some traits about that person that we possess but don’t acknowledge in ourselves. I have been over this in previous episodes. To me, owning your shadow projection is one of the most sure-fire ways to restore affinity or at least greatly diminish hatred, revulsion, disdain and a load of other negative thoughts and feeling in ourselves and, therefore, the world at large.

President Trump is holding the projected hatred, disdain, and anger and disapproval of millions of liberals. Think about that. So…this came up as  I was speaking to this man. I did not bring up President Trump, he did. I simply wanted to explore the idea of projection.

He started ranting emotionally about how horrible President Trump is. He’s a piece of shit, a deplorable, a sub-human.  A TOTAL idiot. Beyond redemption. That sort of thing. Remember, this is a highly trained therapist I am listening to.

So I asked him an obvious question. Of this massive trigger, can you own your own shadow traits that you are projecting onto our President? Remember, shadow traits are all the things we hide, repress,  or deny in ourselves. We then project these shadow traits onto people like Donald Trump.

So I invited this man to do the work and own the projection. Something he has done dozens of times on dozens of men’s weekends. And you know what? He couldn’t do it. He tried to put lipstick on a pig by saying that he can own that he can  be arrogant or that he wants to do what he wants to do or that he wouldn’t mind being rich but do you know what? He didn’t really do the work. You know how I know this? As soon as he stated it, he went right back to being pissed off, saying that Trump is a despicable sub-human and then started calling ME names. No shit.

I shared with him that, when I was a liberal, I had a deep hatred of Dick Cheney. Just like the left does now with President Trump.  I had loathing in my heart for this man. And I shared that I did a Shadow Projection exercise in my book about Cheney. Saying that I was projecting my arrogance and righteousness and rigidness and a few other traits onto Dick Cheney. They were things I DID NOT want to acknowledge in myself. And after I owned all these traits as my own shadow, it humanized Cheney for me. I didn’t have this deep-seated hatred for the man any longer. I still didn’t love the guy but at least the site of him did not cause a reflexive negative emotion in me. Cheney no longer triggered me because of the work. In other words, I freed myself from Dick Cheney.

President Trump has the left fully hooked and triggered, as evidence by this man I know. And it left me with a deep empathy for the left. If an extremely awake and well-trained psychotherapist can’t REALLY own his shadow and goes right back to being triggered. IF the exercise does not free oneself from Donald Trump, then there is no point in doing the exercise, are you following me?

The left says they can’t wait to be free of Donald Trump all the while they can’t stop talking about him and being triggered by everything he says and does. They are literally OBSESSED with the man. Do you see the conundrum for liberals. You could own the projection and be done with it. It’s not as hard as you think but you gotta be ready, truly ready to be free from him. We’ll see.

On a similar note I got invited to an upcoming meetup with the Braver Angels organization. It’s about bringing Conservatives and Liberals together to better understand one another. I will let you know how it goes. I was originally thinking it will be 50/50 but the organizer said I may be the only Conservative with a bunch of liberals. I am fine with that although if you really want to do a cool forum, get equal numbers from each side, right?

Anyway, the organizer is really sweet and I think it will be a good learning experiment for everyone there. I’ll let you know what I find out.

That’s it for today. Thank you for listening to this Firestarter Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.

Basecamp for Men E335: Three Men Around the Campfire

E335: Three Men Around the Campfire

 

E335 Intro

Hello Basecampers, I hope you are all doing well. Today’s episode is not our usual format although the conversation is right up our alley. I am being interviewed by Evan and Joshua from the Unrationed podcast. The three of us are riffing far and wide about the challenges that men currently face, what is the value of male initiation, and what does an authentic path of personal development look like for men these days? We cover the Hero’s Journey, and ask the question: is it one sudden transformation or a series of mini-initiations that bring a man into mature masculinity?

All juicy stuff Basecampers. Let’s get a word from our sponsor and pull up a chair up to the campfire for today’s three-way discussion about men and  healthy masculinity. Enjoy.

E335 Final Thoughts

Well I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Go subscribe to Evan and Joshua’s show at Unrationed wherever you listen to your pods.  Just from my two conversationssith them, I know you will get a lot out of plugging yourself into their conversations. Especially for the younger men who are looking for authentic conversations that speak to them about the challenges they are facing. Again that is Unrationed. Thank you Basecampers!

Basecamp for Men E333: Men and Personal Growth

E333: Men and Personal Growth w Special Guest Joshua Aranda

 

E333 Introduction

There is something really sweet for me whenever I get to chat with a younger man who is doing and leading menswork and men’s groups. The conversation is always authentic and real and, even though we have gone over many of the themes that are central to the challenges that men face on this show, it always seems fresh and relevant and alive.

Today’s conversation is no exception. My guest and I tackle all sorts of things that are relevant to men and those that love them. We talk about the importance of getting out of your comfort zone (and what happens when you don’t). We cover male initiation and ask ourselves (and you dear listener): how do you know when life’s inevitable initiations are enough or when you need accelerated growth? And if you are looking for accelerated growth, what does that look like?

We also cover the perception that all men’s groups are weird, soft, or religious. Do men’s groups have to be these things? We talk about male loneliness and how widespread and important it is as a teacher. And lastly, we talk about male role models and how it takes more than just the father to teach a boy how to be a man. It requires the friends, uncles, elders, and community to help the young man fully arrive at manhood.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Two men sitting around the fire speaking truth about what men are really facing and how we support one another. Enjoy the episode!

Joshua Aranda Bio

My guest today is Joshua Aranda. Joshua is a father, an executive coach, and an ultra-endurance athlete. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Mission Matters Group, a consulting agency dedicated to transforming and optimizing operations for nonprofit organizations.

Basecamp for Men E317: Masculinity and Healing Division

E317: Masculinity and Healing Division w Special Guest Timothy Weineke

 

E317 Introduction

I have the treat today of interviewing a psychotherapist who’s focus is on men and first-responders. AND he’s got a podcast geared towards men. AND he has different political views as yours truly…..and we didn‘t scream and yell and call each other names. Gasp.

With all seriousness, we cover a wide range of topics. From the different between authenticity and vulnerability and why men are attracted to one and flat-out run from the other. We chat about shame and its often central role in the inner lives of men and how to reframe it.

My guest also brings up an interesting insight. How politics in this country (because we can’t agree on the basic facts) boils down to something similar to the Yankees vs the Red Sox. It is just about which team you are on as opposed to having genuine dialogue.

All of this is reinforced by social media and the infinite number of AI bots sending out stuff to trigger one side or the other. I think both sides are tired of the division and I don’t know about you but I miss some of my old friends. Almost everyone I know has experienced a loss of friends and family because viewpoints or values no longer aligned.

This particular healing road is still a work-in-progress. And I will continue to share insights and any and all good news that comes my way.

Today’s interview is a good one. Let’t get to it. Enjoy. 

Timothy Weineke Bio

My guest today is Timothy Weineke. Timothy is a veteran and a psychotherapist and counselor whose practice specializes in helping men, veterans, and first responders gain the skills and knowledge to build connected and purposeful lives. He is also the creator and host of the American Masculinity podcast. Here is my interview with Timothy Weineke. 

E317 Final Thoughts

Go have a listen to Timothy’s excellent podcast The American Masculinity podcast. He really zeroes in on the inner lives of men and how to find a healing road.

I think one of the most impactful things we talked about is how political issues that divide us (whether it is Trump or guns or climate or country vs globalism) … that the most truthful and humble thing we can express is a simple “It’s complicated”. To which I can only respond with Aho! Maybe the ONLY common ground we can start with in this journey to heal the human tribe is to acknowledge that our differences are a bit complicated.

Thank you for listening Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.

Basecamp for Men E315: Courage and the Warrior’s Path

E315: Courage and the Warrior’s Path with Special Guest Roman Simon

 

E315 Introduction

Hello Basecampers, I hope you are all doing well!

Today’s episode is far-ranging one. My guest and I talk about men and masculinity, how to live more courageously, the war against those that want to keep us enslaved, and we talk about Bitcoin. Literally, if I were to build a campfire and invite you over to my house, these are the very topics that would likely emerge as we relax and let the fire enchant us. You can tell I am embracing this idea of my guest and I along with you my dear listeners, all sitting around the fire, sipping our favorite beverages, and talking about our collective future. For me, it’s my favorite thing to do. It’s almost as if God asked me to do this with the second half of my life (wink, wink).

A couple of quotes that seem relevant to today’s conversation. The first is by author Stephen Nachmanovitch (who was a guest on the show all the way back in season #2). Stephen says, “A creative life is risky business. To follow your own course, not patterned on parents, peers, or institutions, involves a delicate balance of sticking to your guns and remaining open to change.”

And the other is from the great author Kurt Vonnegut who says “I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things that you can’t see from the center.” Oh, a man after my heart.

Today I have the pleasure of sitting around the campfire with a like-minded man from the other side of the planet. I looked back and most of my guests are naturally from the States or from Canada. I have also had guests on from Australia, Thailand, and even Dubai. Today’s guest is an Armenian who lives in the country of Georgia and what a delight it was to dialogue with him. Today’s conversation is one of my favorites in recent episodes and I hope you have my guest on again to further and deepen our discussion. Enjoy the conversation.

Roman Simon Bio

My guest today is Roman Simon. Roman is a creative explorer and free-thinking businessman who loves freedom and is building an interesting men’s training, which is something we talk about today. Here is my interview with Roman Simon.

E315 Final Thoughts 

I hope you enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. Maybe my favorite of the season so far. And I am looking forward to Roman’s rollout of the Warriors Path. It sounds like that will be a training and community where we can all learn something. Super cool. Thank you Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.