Basecamp for Men E59: Mental Health for Men

E59: Mental Health for Men with Special Guest Frank King

 

E59 Introduction-

The topic of mental health and better self-care for men is one that is near and dear to me. For 7 out of 10 suicides are by men, many middle-aged men who can so easily find themselves in a place of quiet desperation.

Most men, if they are paying attention, will arrive at a “dark night of the Soul”. A time in their lives when everything seems to fall apart. This is mythical and archetypal and part of any authentically lived life.

It takes a particular courage to descend for descending feels terrifying. It feels like you are not in control anymore and YOU ARE NOT. Larger forces are at work, testing the Hero. Yet, every Hero’s Journey  has a descent before redemption and ascension and return to the village. This is true on a macro level (humanity and the planet) as well as on a micro level (your life).

This episode is dedicated to the brave Souls who have experienced this dark night of the Soul. Both the ones that made it back to us and the ones that did not.

My guest today is someone who made it back and is sharing his wisdom, humor, and insights so that others may recognize their own path back to health and life.

 

Frank King Bio-

Frank King is a Suicide Prevention speaker and Trainer was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years. He’s fought a lifelong battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, something that runs in his family. He turned this dark night of the soul into five TEDx Talks and shares his lifesaving insights on Mental Health Awareness with associations, corporations, and colleges.

A Motivational Public Speaker, he believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. The right person, at the right time, with the right information, can save a life.

E59 Final Thoughts

I love how authentic Frank is. We need more men in the world that can speak truth to men and mental health. Especially ones that have been down in the darkness, found their way back to the Light, and commit to helping others do the same. For more information on Frank or to hire him to do one of his excellent, funny talks on mental health, go to www.thementalhealthcomedian.com

 

Basecamp for Men E58: ”Why Do Men Do This?”

E58: “Why Do Men Do This?”

Part 2 of the Jeff Perera interview

 

E58 Introduction

Well we are cooking along with season two here. Some of our upcoming episodes will have us talking with my good friend Jon Wilson about how to live a mythic life. We’ll also be talking with comedian and Tonight Show writer Frank King about mental health for men. We’ll have episodes coming up about archetypes and how to work with them and we‘ll catch up with another futurist about navigating these strange times with wisdom and vision.

If you have a guest you would like to have on Basecamp, an author or thought leader or someone you heard on another podcast, feel free to reach out to me at tony@basecampformen.com and give me your recommendation. I love getting these and they sometimes end up with your guest being on the show. In which case I will give you a personal shout out and thank you in the episode!

Well, as promised, here is part two of my interview with our friend Jeff Perera. Jeff and I look at some of the questions that we get asked about men. Why do men send dick pics? Why do men react with rage so often when they get triggered? And a couple of others. As two men that write on male psychology and the of the inner lives of men, I thought you might find it interesting to hear our takes on some of these. We also pay homage to the great Mohammed Ali.

Here is part two of my interview with our friend Jeff Perera.

 

Basecamp for Men E53: Envisioning Our Future

E53: Envisioning Our Future with Special Guest Ian Mackenzie

 

E53 Introduction

In the coming episodes, I hope to speak with more futurists and visionaries. I like to have conversations about what is possible as we navigate change.

I am reminded of a Kurt Vonnegut quote. He said,“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.”

It is good for us to listen to alternative perspectives and ideas. It sharpens our intellect and keeps our brains working well. You may not agree or can envision these ideas bearing fruit. But new systems are often started by visionaries and futurists who try and sketch out what they are seeing. And we, as early adopters of these new ideas, work to turn these ideas over in our conscious and sub-conscious minds. Working the fertile ground of our imagination. Trying our best to allow others to contribute as we seek our own place and contribution to the greater good.

I am at a point in my life where I don’t want to close off an idea because it initially feels “out there”. Our greatest transformations, both external and internal, may come from these very esoteric and edgy ideas and concepts.

My guest today is someone I have a great deal of respect for, both as filmmaker and a futurist.

Ian Mackenzie Bio

Ian Mackenzie is a filmmaker and visionary artist and creator and host of the podcast The Mythic Masculine. For over 11 years, Ian has been tracking the global emergence of new culture, seeking out and amplifying the voices of visionaries, artists and activists who have ben working towards planetary system change.

Here is my interview with Ian MacKenzie.

Basecamp for Men E51: The Happiness Index

E51: The Happiness Index with Special Guest Nic Marks

 

E51 Introduction

Happiness is something that I have had a keen interest in for a long time. I have enjoyed looking at this topic and experimenting in my own life as to what makes a happy person. I have even created a presentation that I deliver to groups called How To Create Happiness, which I will talk about in an upcoming episode.

What I love about my guest today is that he has studied happiness in countries and workplaces using statistics as a guide. Which is something that you don‘t see every day. What does this data tell us about what makes a happy country or happy workplace? And most importantly, how do we create more happiness, satisfaction, and well-being in the world while treading lightly on our beloved planet? Here is a conversation about this very issue.

Nic Marks Bio– My guest today is Nic Marks and he was once describe as a “statistician with a soul” due to his unusual combination of hard statistical  and soft people skills. He has been working in the field of happiness, wellbeing and quality of life for over 25 years with a particular emphasis on measurement and how to create positive change.

In 2010, he gave a TED talk on his work in public policy, which has now been watched over 2 million times.

Nic as ben applying his creative thinking to the world of work since 2012. He is the founder of Friday Pulse and has worked with over 1000 organizations and teams measuring and improving their happiness at work. Here is my interview with Nic Marks.

 

Basecamp for Men E49: Men’s Health and Virility

E49: Men’s Health and Virility with Special Guest

Dr. Myles Spar

 

E49 Introduction

With a pandemic afoot and all the stress generated by the media, it seems a good time to look at some common sense things that we can focus on that will actually make a difference for us men. Our health is one such area. And with all the talk about viruses and immune systems, what better time to take a look at health and how to optimize for this for yourself.

I have gone into our social conditioning many times on this show. How we have been taught to more or less ignore our health unless something terrible starts to happen to us. Rarely do men, especially middle-aged men, take an active approach to their vitality and well-being. We tend to coast along.  Why is that? Is “good enough” REALLY good enough for us?

It is my hope that you come to see your health and self-care as an essential foundation for yourself. One that you can quietly build on over time and that, by taking better care of yourself, you’ll feel better, be a better version of yourself. Vibrant good health and healthy habits are not just for women. They are very much for us men. I hope today’s conversation will help show you this.

My guest today is Dr Myles Spar and  he is a thought leader and expert in the area of men’s health. Join us as we talk about building healthy habits, testosterone, and how to optimize your vitality and your virility.