Cheer men on. A few weekends ago, I spent some time thinking about my dad. I thought of our times growing up in a small town in Virginia; the moments of fishing and hunting with him. We spent time in the woods exploring and discovering all the old farms and mountains in that area. I also spent some time reflecting on his life as a man. A young father figuring out life much like I am now with a young family.

Loyalty: It’s a word we don’t use enough today as men. I want to talk about loyalty today. One of my favorite movies of all time is the Fellowship of the Ring – Lord of the Rings. The friendships between the major characters of The Fellowship of the Ring are the central themes of the movie. After all, at the end of Fellowship, Frodo doesn’t take Aragorn (strong, brave) or Legolas (fast, also brave) with him. Instead, it’s Sam who joins him. Sam insists on coming along because he cares for Frodo, and Frodo allows him to go because he can’t bear to go into Mordor without his dear friend by his side. It’s the loyalty between these guys that give them the strength they need to resist Sauron and bear the weight of the ring.

When I was a boy, my father would often repeat the saying to me: “Choose your friends wisely.  Because that’s who you will become.”   

In youth, we are often told that hanging out with the wrong crowd will get us in trouble. And on the flip side, we should seek out friends that are “on the right path.” But what about the middle-aged guys? What are we becoming? It should come as no surprise that all studies show we most often become exactly who we are around.