#55 Pick Up Your Sword, & Do Some Good With It

Gentlemen, welcome to the B Man Podcast.

I'm your host, Greg Denning.

I just dropped my drop my.

Daughter off at volleyball Beach volleyball practice.

So I thought, you know what, I'll just.

A walk.

A walk and talk.

Walk down the beach, walk through the Marina and just share some share some thoughts I've been chewing on lately.

Thank.

You.

For listening.

Thanks for being the Cower Man.

Who cares?

And who wants to?

Level up and do.

Do the right thing to be the man.

We had so inside the be the man, master, class and tribe.

We.

We meet every week.

Live.

And a live training.

We had one today and man.

It was a powerful.

And really special discussion.

You know, they asked some some solid questions about marriage and marriage is tough.

It's it's hard to live with another human being.

And you know, somebody who was the opposite of sex and different background, different life, different philosophies, different identity, different.

Past.

Different mindsets, different emotions.

Different thoughts and beliefs.

It's challenging.

We had some some awesome, awesome comments and inspiration and man it was it was really special.

Anyways, we we we do that every week and we we come away better men.

With specific.

Tools and strategies.

To level up.

So anyways I just.

Want to want to praise you and honor?

You for your efforts to be a a.

Great man and a particularly great family man.

Family is just being dismissed, disregarded, neglected, mocked.

Torn apart.

It's it's.

Unbelievable.

It's happening and and as much as we get out and travel and get.

All over the globe and all over the world.

We get it.

I got to see this so much and see what's happening and you're seeing it too.

And so.

Well.

That's part of what we're going to talk about today.

We can't just sit back and watch.

We have.

To be.

Deliberate and intentional about doing something about it.

You've.

You've all heard it and you've heard it so much it it's almost become.

Cliche, but it's still.

So profoundly true.

And I I just, I'm always thinking about it like.

The only thing necessary.

For the triumph.

Of evil is that good men do nothing.

So let's just, you know, deep dive into that like the only thing.

Necessary for atrophy.

Is to do nothing, the only thing necessary.

For weeds to grow is for you to.

Do nothing.

The only thing.

Necessary for.

Stupid messages and stupid trends and.

Stupid stuff to happen is that intelligent men and good men just.

Do nothing.

Say nothing.

Just keep quiet.

That's it.

Like the only thing that has to happen for for the world.

To get worse.

Is it really good?

People just just stay quiet.

Just take it easy.

Just you don't mind your.

Own business.

Right that think.

Think through that.

That is so challenging.

Because all you have to do.

For to let the.

World fall apart?

Is just mind your own business now obviously?

There's there's this.

Tremendous power in being a good man and raising good kids and having a rock solid family that right there does so much good.

To improve the.

World, because you're adding that energy and that power and that goodness, and you're raising good family, so hands down, the best.

Thing we can do the the best thing we can do.

For the world is to make the most of ourselves.

The next best thing is to make the most of our families really help our families thrive.

Right, which is.

Is crazy powerful in and of itself.

But then many of us, if not all of us, have a moral obligation.

Oh my gosh, you guys hear that?

It's.

This guy took like.

A.

Lawn mower engine maybe or a like a.

A weed wacker and put it on a.

Bicycle and he's just bombing down the beach.

That is so awesome.

That's amazing.

Hey, innovation right there, brother.

Innovation and creativity.

But.

You we can't just.

Keep to ourselves and.

Maybe we want to and.

That's my message today.

This is what's been on my mind so much.

We we just like, man, can I can I just do my own thing?

Can I just find my own happiness, my own success?

And can I just enjoy my quiet, private life And man, I want?

That and you want that and there has to be part of that.

But then there's this other part.

That we.

Have a moral obligation or responsibility to stand up and.

Speak out and do our part because if we don't by default things.

Get worse.

One instance is that.

Bad people will do bad.

Things and the.

Only way some people.

Some bad dudes.

Will ever stop is if good guys.

Stop them.

Let that sink in.

The only reason?

Some bad people.

Will ever stop is if they are forced to stop by good.

Men stopping them.

That right there.

Is enough to compel.

Me and hopefully you.

To do something about it.

You know I.

I had a new kind of new.

Perspective on the.

Parable of the talents from the Bible.

And man, so insightful.

Right.

So there was, there was the.

One gentleman received 5.

Talents, the other three and the last.

Guy received one and.

The guy.

With five and the guy with three, they went out, they worked, they invested and they got a return.

Or was it 2?

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

The guy with one.

Buried it.

He took it and buried it.

So when the when the master came back and said, hey, what you do with my stuff?

The the first two said, hey, we took it, we vested, we worked with it and we got a return like here it is.

And the last.

Guy's like, oh, I took it and I.

Buried it and kept.

It safe for you.

Here it is, right?

And and think about that if you if.

Somebody trusts you with something, you take it.

You bury it.

You protect it.

You keep it safe.

And then when they come back.

Here it is.

I kept it safe.

You'd think.

All right.

That's that's that's pretty good right.

But he was playing safe and and in essence we we want to play safe right.

We don't want to.

Take unnecessary risks.

We want to play safe.

We want to want to do our.

Thing and and just just do our thing.

Not, not risk anything.

Not stick our necks out there.

And and we want to play it safe, but that's when he came back and the master.

Just totally reproved him.

Totally.

Reprimanded him like a.

Scathing rebuke.

For for playing small.

For playing safe.

All right, here comes the.

The weed.

Wacker Man is coming back on his bike.

Wish you could see this.

Oh man, if you could only see what I'm seeing, that's so awesome.

So.

Funny by the way, I'm, we're, we're living in.

Portugal, now we've.

This has been a dream for us for a long time.

To come back and live in Europe.

We loved it over here.

And we picked this.

Specific area because.

We wanted to have just the ultimate playful.

Life where we could, of course do our work.

And chances to.

Serve and do good.

But as a family, we had every opportunity.

For.

Playful learning and.

Growth classes and courses.

And.

Every opportunity.

And so we're here.

We're here living the next chapter of our dream with our family, and it is.

So rewarding and so fulfilling and so exciting.

So I'm just looking out at the Atlantic right now and this beautiful white sand as the sunsets.

Oh man, it's.

It's awesome.

Life is so good.

By the way, I don't know if I've announced this on here.

I'm going to take a little pause here.

We are leading a.

Trip to.

Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro's been on my life list.

For several years.

And it's finally happening.

So we are.

Leading in January of 2024, No.

Sorry, February, February 10th.

I'm leading a group of men and I'm bringing a couple of my teens.

So some.

Of the men are coming and bringing their older youth and some are bringing their wives and.

We're going to do a three day safari afterwards.

And it's the perfect time of year because the animals are out and moving.

So if this.

Is something you're up to and you want to go after that challenge and and tackle a huge iconic mountain and do something just off the charts.

Come join us, come climbing Kilimanjaro, come join us on the safari and then we're taking we're leading a trip back to Mongolia.

It's.

One of my favorite.

Places on the planet.

One of the most unique and epic countries I've ever been to, and we're going to go.

Back there.

And ride camels and.

Horses across.

The Mongol Ponies.

And head bag just so so stoked.

For that, that's in, that's.

Summer of 2024.

So anyways, I know there.

So let's get.

Back to this SO.

When my son and I were designing the logo.

For the.

For the for the be the man master class.

After. 25 years of.

A voracious study of of.

Human peak performance and peak performances.

Men just really getting dialed in.

What is it that that matters?

What is it?

This non negotiable came up with those nine things and they broke down into three so.

It's the triple trifecta.

Three things in each one and when I found this ancient symbol that just.

Fit perfectly for it.

Yeah, that man.

That is it.

That's.

That's the symbol.

And my son was doing some graphic design and man, there's noise.

Everywhere, brother, I hope.

It's even audible.

Out here with all.

These birds and the wind.

All this awesomeness.

So my son looked at it and he flipped it upside down.

He's.

Like Dad and it.

Looks like a shield, like, oh, that's perfect, it's perfect.

The triple trifecta is a shield.

And I said, let's take a sword and and put a sword with it.

So the sword and the.

Shield And today I want to.

Talk about the sword.

And what the sword means?

And and immediately to me the.

Sword is this representation of our responsibility to use it to.

Defend ourselves, to defend our families, and to defend.

Others, it's also a.

Symbol to defend.

Truth which interestingly.

I mean in one.

Side in one aspect.

Right truth.

The truth can stand on its own, and it does, but what's happening is it's being, it's being attacked.

It's being misconstrued.

It's being lied about.

It's being twisted and distorted.

Which the word.

The word.

For that is.

So cool it's to rest.

WREST it means to twist and distort something.

So it's.

Being it's being rested and so we have to defend.

Truth, but it also.

For me, the sword is assembled to We have to.

Defend virtue and.

Virtue is a big, powerful word.

You know, the Stoics used it.

And it's it's come to mean a lot of different things, and I like all the meanings, and I think virtue is something that absolutely must be defended.

Because it's.

Right.

And it's good.

But also because it holds society, All you got to do is study history and realize that virtue.

Has to be defended.

Or else society.

Gets into a lot.

Of trouble.

And so the sword is.

Is that symbol.

But well, OK, here's something.

Seriously Cool, we learned.

When we were in, we spent the winter up in the Scandinavia and we were learning a lot about the Vikings and biking history and in one of the museums.

They.

It was.

There was hundreds and hundreds.

Of years ago that the, the.

Only men that.

Carried swords.

Were landowners.

Was just in this one area and said that carrying a.

Sword was a symbol of power, that you were a landowner, that you were a free.

Man and so man.

And when I read that like.

Yes.

Oh, I.

Love that the the.

Sword is a.

Symbol of freedom.

That you're a free.

Man, that you.

Can defend yourself.

You can protect yourself.

You can fight for freedom, that you can be sovereign.

And so.

With that, With that.

Freedom with that moral responsibility.

With.

The obligation we have.

With the power.

That you have.

And then the swords.

There and I think I.

Don't know in some ways I think.

We're all born with a sword.

And we just got to.

Pick it up and use it and then in other ways I.

Think Nah, you're not born with it.

You got to earn it.

You got to.

You got to pick it.

You got to go get it.

You got to.

Forge it maybe?

Or.

Buy it or something.

You got to.

Earn that thing and then.

You have to learn how to use it and how to wield it and and how to.

Make it work for you and.

And some will take that power.

And use it maliciously.

And they'll do things.

That are harmful to others and they'll even be self-destructive.

But today, this.

This message to them as I'm just walking and talking here.

It's to use that.

Sword.

For real power brother to do.

Real good.

In the world.

And to pick up your dadgum sword.

So inside the inside the master class.

One of the very.

First trainings is that is.

It pick up your.

Sword pick up your.

Sword.

You got to pick up that shield, which is the triple.

Trifecta.

Pick up your sword.

And be not only in a defensive.

But also offensive where you?

You can parry attacks.

But you could attack as well.

And and go after.

Evil and malice and terrible.

Things.

And and put it out there, so it's moving beyond.

That playing it safe and just keeping.

To yourself and living your.

Quiet, good life and thinking.

Can't, can't, I just can't.

I just be left alone and I get.

It man, I.

Get it?

So I feel that too.

I want that so much.

I can't.

I know that God has given me some some power and some blessings and because he's.

Given those to me.

I have to share.

I have to help because.

I've learned.

Things and experienced things.

That have given me some leverage I have to share the leverage I have to.

And I felt like this since I was a.

Teen.

Anytime someone helped me, I felt OKI have a responsibility to help.

Others now to pass it forward.

Right, you've all you've.

Heard that?

Pay it forward and pass it along.

But then then you go and you.

Go in the level.

Up it.

So brother, if you if you have money, you have a a moral responsibility to use your your wealth and your affluence to do good.

If you have knowledge, you got to share it.

If you have skills, you got to use those to make the world a better place.

You have resources, skills, abilities.

Or what I like.

To call skilleties, whatever you've got in your tool bag, you got to use that stuff.

And one of those things is that sword.

And that's going to require you and me to say things that are hard to say and and hard.

For others to hear.

And it's going to require that we speak up when we'd rather be quiet and it's going to.

Require that we.

Stand up when we'd.

Rather sit down.

And that we.

It's going to put us into very.

Awkward and uncomfortable situations and I guarantee some people will not like it and they won't like.

You because you do.

It but if you.

Look at every great leader.

Especially the ones that fought for the right thing.

Oh man, they had enemies.

They had people.

That absolutely hated.

And despise them.

For what they said and.

What they did.

And and even who they.

Were and what they?

Stood for and represented.

That's the same for you, brother.

You got to pick up that sword like a free man, and you got to wield it, and you got to.

Use it to defend.

Truth and Virtue.

And goodness and.

People who cannot.

Defend themselves.

You have to.

You must you You.

Can't not.

To me.

It's not it, It's one.

Of those non negotiables.

I can't play it safe.

I can't take the talent and just.

Bury it and be like I'll I'll just.

Keep this safe here.

It's good.

Because it's not benefiting anyone.

And yeah, you take it out and you.

Use it.

It is risky.

There is risk there.

And there's some discomfort there, and it's not always going to be.

Like you want and like you hope.

It's not going to be peaceful and easy and comfortable.

But then again, when?

When is the?

Great.

Life ever truly comfortable.

And convenient and easy it's not.

So one of the questions.

That I want to invite you to.

Consider is is what specifically are you actively?

Doing to make a difference.

To use the sword.

And like I know.

Some of you like.

Man, can I use like a nerf sword?

So I don't actually.

Like hurt anybody's feelings.

Or I don't have to like it's not a real?

Fight Can't we?

Can't We like kind of play fight.

Can I?

What if I just?

Just say some kind of nice things and I don't really.

You know, throw down.

And and yeah, we we can do that.

But honestly, aren't you playing?

Small.

If you do that.

Isn't that below your true capacity?

Where?

What are you going to stand?

For.

And and this.

Is this is?

Legacy stuff.

Man, And this is.

Lifelong stuff, this.

Is the.

Stuff that on your.

Deathbed.

You're going to look back.

And you're going to think about and you're going to ask yourself about and you're.

Either going to be grateful you did, or you're going to have some deep remorse that you didn't.

So what is it, man?

And and you don't?

Have to.

You don't have to stand up for everything you don't have.

To fight for everything, you get to pick your battles, but what battle are you going to?

Pick man what are.

You going to fight for?

And so many guys are wasting their energy.

Well, they're fighting for.

Stupid things.

That they're maybe they.

Have the sort out or they're just wasting.

Their energy on.

On ridiculous stuff, things that that make.

Very little difference.

It just really don't matter.

They're getting caught up in all these.

Debates and all this garbage and whatever, on and on and on, and it doesn't really make a difference.

It's in my observation there's extremely few men.

Who have their swords out and their Shields.

Out and are fighting for things that truly matter and.

I want you to.

Be one of those men.

I hope you want.

To be one of those men, even though in a sense you don't.

Want it right because.

Like.

Who?

Who wants to get in that uncomfortable?

Fight.

But we have to So what will you fight for?

What important moral issue will you fight for What problem?

Just makes you angry.

What?

What issue?

What?

Crime.

What thing is out there that?

Because there's a lot of them.

And you might be like, yeah, that's terrible and that's terrible.

But then one of them's like, oh man, I cannot.

Tolerate that for a moment.

Do some soul searching.

Do some.

Thinking.

Do some examining.

Find out.

What thing is there that?

You'd.

Be willing to fight.

For to get uncomfortable, for to put.

Put your money where your mouth is to.

Put all your resources where your mouth is.

And and and.

Step out of your.

Comfort zone and lean into.

To this.

Fight what it What is it?

What is it for?

You and it can be ignorance, poverty it can be.

Fighting things like pornography.

Drugs, especially human trafficking, child abuse, abuse at all.

Domestic violence, What's your thing?

Maybe it's it's.

Freedom and government.

And laws?

What?

What is it?

What is it that that strikes you?

It makes you think, Yeah, I got to.

I got to level up, I got to get my skills, I got to sharpen my saw or my sword rather, and the saw get to get sharp so that.

You can be an effective instrument in the fight.

For good and right and and truth and freedom.

What?

What is it?

What's that?

Thing.

So pick your thing.

Or one thing.

Or maybe just pick one and start going down that road.

Clarity I've found.

And they're working with just thousands of men across 5 continents.

Clarity comes on the move.

So you, you, you.

You choose something, you start taking action and then you get some clarity and and often.

You get clarity.

They're like, yeah, that's not the right.

Thing you start moving the right direction, then then that's when you get the clarity of like, Nope, this wasn't it.

I thought it was.

It but.

That's not it.

And that's that's great because you you.

You took action and you got.

Clarity.

So pick something, brother.

Pick something, start honing.

Your your skills sharpening that sword and.

Don't.

Don't be one.

Of those guys that's like ready.

Aim, aim, aim, ready, aim, aim, aim, ready, aim, aim.

And never you know.

Fires you got to sharpen, saw you got to get better, you got to.

Get some skills, some knowledge, some understanding.

But take action.

Start.

Start wherever you are.

And.

Get after it, start doing something and if.

If just a few of us.

Even in the beginning.

Pick up our.

Swords and Shields.

Start fighting openly and do it tactfully.

Right, sometimes.

We start fighting for something and and we do it.

We're so abrasive or or or so tactless.

We lack.

Diplomacy and skill.

And and understanding.

So it's just such a blunder.

It turns people away from the cause when it would.

Draw them towards us so.

So seek to do it well.

Don't don't be like the the bowl in the China shop is.

Racking everything.

Be effective.

Be super.

Effective to pick something, In fact, message me.

I would love to.

Hear Love to hear.

You can connect me on Facebook or Instagram.

It's Greg dot Denning on Instagram and Gregory Denning on Facebook.

Or shoot me an e-mail, Greg at Greg Denning.

Tell me what?

It is What do you what do you get fired up?

About what's your thing?

What are you going to fight for?

I I would love to hear.

I'd love to know where this, this small army of good men are fighting for and if, if we will, if we'll just do it and we don't have.

To our lives.

Are full.

Of a lot of good things.

First and foremost, you know, caring for our own mind, body and spirit.

And then for our marriage and our parenting, our family legacy and our own finances, we have a.

Lot to look over.

But that does not.

Excuse us.

From.

Contributing in in important ways to the.

Betterment of this world.

And so it won't be, it won't be full time, it won't be all the time, it won't be likely won't be massive portion of your time and resources.

But it does have to be a part of it I wholeheartedly believe this is part of.

Being a whole man and a full man.

So.

Pick something, Start moving, get some clarity.

Find out who's doing what, who's doing it effectively, who you might align yourself with.

See if if you can join a cause it's already going, and some of you.

It'll it'll be rare.

I think, but some of you might say, man, nobody's.

Picked up this cause.

Yet and and you.

Started You pick it up, you get.

The ball rolling you create the movement but for for many.

Instances.

There's, there's already, there's already.

Something going, There's already movement, you can join it, you don't have to reinvent it all, but anyway it's just.

Just some.

Important things here, brother, for you and I think about and and don't excuse it, don't dismiss it.

Don't, don't push.

It off and.

Procrastinate.

Anything I'll get back to.

That really let it.

Sink into your soul and and and make a decision.

At a soul level.

That you're going to somehow contribute in a good way that you're going to give back, that you're going to make the.

World a better place because you were here.

And let's do it, man.

Thanks.

Thanks for listening.

Thanks for caring.

Thanks for considering this.

Thank you in advance.

For the good.

You're going to do, and for being willing to endure the discomfort and the, oh, the the pain, the pain that's going to come.

From being willing to be a.

Warrior for pulling your sword out and and sometimes you don't have to right the that.

Best definition of meekness?

I've ever heard is.

Having a sword and knowing how to use it, but leaving it sheathed, right?

You leave it in the sheath.

Sometimes you just have to have it on your side and and you don't have to draw it.

Sometimes it's enough to have.

It, but you got to have it.

You got to.

Strap it on.

So what do you need to do?

What do you personally?

Individually need to do.

To get your sword.

And to strap it on and make sure it's sharp, and then make sure you know how to.

Use it so that.

In the instance where you actually have to pull it out and use it, you can, but so much of it will be like, you know, I.

I've got it.

On I know how to use it.

And I will, but let's let's move this forward.

And let's make the.

World a better place.

Thanks for listening, brother.

Thanks.

Thanks in advance for the work you're going to do.

Be the man.