I don’t know about you, but when I think manly, I envision some kind of rogue renegade bounty hunter: he roars on his motorcycle, long hair fluttering back in the wind, only responding to himself and no one else.
Unfortunately for most of us, that career is not really an option. I checked the jobs section of the local newspaper where I live and there were a couple of manager positions and a fruit picker option available, but sadly there were no bounty hunters.
So we have to find a way to be manly in our restrictive 9-5 office jobs, which, let’s face it, is challenging when we don’t have the benefit of a super masculine stereotype behind us.
How do we do this?
Well, for me, being manly is not about your outward appearance. It’s about how you act, how you behave, and what you stand for.
Think of the manly movie star; Let’s take Die Hard, for example. Is John McClane the type of person who hides in the shadows when people are needed to stand up and be counted? Do you go with the flow or do you make your own decisions based on what you think is right, even in the face of majority opposition? Are you willing to take a chance to do what you think is right?
That’s the kind of behavior I find manly: high integrity, brave, and decisive. Willing to take the initiative and do whatever you think is right, what the consequences may be.
Of course, unless you’re a soldier in Afghanistan, you probably don’t have to deal with a building full of terrorists every day. So the decisions you make aren’t that strict (i.e. do I hide and protect myself, or do I do what I think is right and face potential death)? However, in your 9-5 office job, do you take the initiative and do what you think is right? Are you willing to go against the majority when you think they are going the wrong way? Or do you just go with the flow so you don’t move the boat?
If you hide in the shadows forever, you will never be noticed. It’s only when you put yourself out there with warts and all and say ‘this is me’. Take me or leave me ‘, that people really start to notice you. And you will find that people actually make those choices; many will go the “leave me” option and will not be interested in you at all.
But many more will resonate with who you are and the vibe you give off and will be totally attracted to you in a way they never would have been before.
