Sometimes, we forget that we’re more than just fathers, husbands, boyfriends, friends, or colleagues to other people. Sadly, as we go through our routine, it slips past our minds that we could be doing so much more for our minds and bodies. We could discover more about the world by traveling and pursuing our passions. And we could find a higher purpose and achieve greater things through fruitful careers.
The great thing is that there’s always an abundance of stories and advice from other men who went through what we’re going through. And they shared their ideas through these books. The best thing is that discovering our passions and purpose could positively influence our relationships with our loved ones.
On Health, Beauty, and Wellness
Self-care is something that we hear a lot. Sadly, when we think about that word, we imagine going to spas, soaking in the tub, and face masks. Even sadder, we often associate these activities with women. But that needs to stop because, of course, self-care is not exclusive to women. Men should also have their own self-care routine. If we feel the need to use a tooth-whitening gel kit to gain confidence, we should do so. After long days at work and helping out around the house, we also deserve to pamper ourselves.
We can turn to Garett Munce for inspiration. In his book, Self-Care for Men: How to Look Good and Feel Great, he talks about how men could take care of their bodies and minds through self-care. As the grooming editor for Esquire and Men’s Health, Munce knows what he’s talking about when he gives us tips for living a balanced lifestyle. And what’s great is that his book’s self-care method is practiced by inspiring figures such as David Beckham, Adam Levine, and Snoop Dogg.
On Successful Careers
When we struggle with our careers, it’s hard to remember that failure is part of the process. We’re afraid to start our own businesses because we’re afraid to lose a lot of money and bury ourselves in crushing debt. We’re afraid to quit our day jobs and focus on our passion projects because we have too many bills to pay. Such concerns are understandable. But if we believe in ourselves enough, we can work out a way to achieve our dreams even if we fall from time to time.
This is what Ryan Holiday tells us through his book. The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph. According to Holiday, there’s a formula to success: taking advantage of our failures and turning them into the key to our success. To achieve this, we can look up to some of the most successful businessmen in history, such as John D. Rockefeller and Steve Jobs. Their success stories are chronicled by Holiday in the book.
On Travels and Adventures
Many people say that once we settle down with a stable job and a growing family, our lives are over. We don’t get to go on adventures anymore. And it’s because that’s something that only men in their twenties get to do. But, no, that’s not true at all. Just because we’ve settled down, that doesn’t mean that we don’t get to discover what the world has to offer anymore. That doesn’t mean that we can’t go on adventures with our loved ones. Who knows? Maybe traveling around the world is exactly what we need to gain some perspective about our career goals, self-care, and, of course, love for adventure.
This is what David Attenborough talks about in his book, Journeys to the Other Side of the World. We know Attenborough as the narrator of several nature documentaries such as Planet Earth and Our Planet. So if we want to find inspiration when it comes to traveling, Attenborough is our best. Through this book, he talks about the wondrous adventures one could have in Madagascar and the Pacific Islands. Sure, we could always travel to tourist hotspots such as Paris and Tokyo. But, as Attenborough shares, we can also choose to see the paradise birds, chameleons, and other animals instead.
Sometimes, finding inspiration is the biggest problem that we face every day. Sure, we could still get up from bed every morning. We could still go through the motions of our everyday routine. From brushing our teeth and getting our caffeine fix to going on meetings and presenting to clients, we had it down to a science. But the problem is that these are useful things that we do every day. What we’re missing is the inspiration that pushes us to do something meaningful and even life-changing.
Fortunately, we can find such inspiration by reading these books.
