In partnership with

Issue #96

Welcome!

Hey G-Tribe! For new faces joining us, the G-Tribe represents our GROW Tribe. We're a community united by Guidance that Redefines Our Way. We're people who believe that true strength isn't about pushing through pain or ignoring problems. True strength is about building a foundation that lasts.

Health, both mental and physical health, is one of the core values for AFGM and our focus this month in August. August brings us face to face with a reality most men want to avoid. While we're great at fixing cars, maintaining equipment, and troubleshooting work problems, we're terrible at keeping the most critical machine we'll ever own—our bodies and minds.

Men live about 5 years shorter on average than women, partly due to untreated conditions like heart disease, cancer, and accidents. Men are also nearly four times more likely to die by suicide than women and less likely to seek mental health assistance.

This week, we're talking about whole man wellness. We're exploring why the old "tough it out" mentality is killing us. We're diving into real stories of men who've built better systems for their health.

Most importantly, we're looking at how to build a blueprint that works when you're busy building everything else.

Let’s GO!

🌱 Growth Spotlight: A Holistic Health Plan for Men

You know what I've noticed about men who are still going strong at 60, 70, and beyond? They figured out something most of us miss completely.

They understand that taking care of your body, your mind, and staying connected to your purpose aren't three different things; you squeeze them into your schedule. They're all part of the same system. When one part breaks down, the others follow.

Think about it this way. You've probably seen guys who look great physically, but they're stressed out of their minds. Or mentally sharp men, but their bodies are falling apart. Or guys who are healthy in every way, but they have no sense of direction or meaning. None of these approaches work long-term.

What the Research Actually Shows

The numbers tell us something we already know but don't want to admit. Less than half of the men who need mental health support get it. Compare that to women, who more than half seek help when they need it. A UK study found that 40% of men have never talked to anyone about their mental health. Not anyone.

Why? About 30% said they were too embarrassed. Another 20% pointed to the stigma around getting help.

But something is changing. Men's Health surveyed thousands of men in 2023 and found that 95% now say mental health matters just as much as physical health. More importantly, younger men are doing something about it. They're going to therapy. They're talking to friends. They're taking care of themselves in ways their fathers never did.

The Three Parts That Work Together

First: Your Physical Foundation
Your body has to work for you, not against you. This isn't about looking like a fitness model or running marathons unless that's what you want. It's about having the energy and strength to do what matters to you for as long as possible.

Research shows that when inactive adults start exercising in a well-rounded way, they don't just get stronger. They get better at learning new physical skills and adapting to challenges. That matters whether you're 25 or 65.

Second: Mental Clarity
Here's what we're finally understanding. Taking care of your mental health isn't about being weak or broken. It's about performing at your best. When your mind is clear and calm, you make better decisions. You handle stress better. You show up better for the people who count on you.

This is why successful men are investing in therapy, meditation, and stress management. Not because something is wrong with them, but because they want to be operating at full capacity.

Third: Purpose Connection
This is where most wellness plans fall apart. They focus on the body or the mind but ignore the why. Your health has to connect to something that matters to you. Maybe it's being around for your grandchildren. Maybe it's building a business that changes lives. Maybe it's serving your community.

When your health serves your purpose, you stick with it; when it's just about looking good or feeling good, you quit when it gets inconvenient.

How to Build This

The men who make this work keep it simple. They pick one small change in each area and build from there.

To start with, consider starting with a 20-minute walk every day. For your mind, maybe you try five minutes of deep breathing or reading something that challenges you. For your purpose, perhaps you write down why your health matters to the people you care about.

The real breakthrough happens when these three areas start supporting each other instead of competing for your time. Your physical energy helps your mental clarity. Your mental clarity helps you stay connected to your purpose. Your purpose gives you the motivation to take care of your body and mind.

That's when you stop surviving and start thriving.

💼 Professional Growth Gateway: Navigating Burnout and Boundaries in High-Stress Roles

Let's talk about something that's happening to men everywhere, but nobody wants to admit it. Work is burning us out faster and harder than ever before.

I'm not talking about having a tough week or feeling tired after a big project. I'm talking about that deep exhaustion that doesn't go away after a weekend. That feeling like you're constantly behind, no matter how much you do. That sense that you're running as fast as you can just to stay in the same place.

The numbers are pretty sobering. A recent study found that 91% of people reported high or extreme stress levels in the past year. That's not just "busy" levels of stress. That's "something has to change" levels of stress.

Something Changed About How We Work

Here's what caught my attention. Our parents and grandparents typically hit their peak stress around age 42. But men in their twenties and thirties are hitting those same stress levels by age 25. We're burning out before we even hit our stride.

Think about what that means. We're supposed to be building careers, building families, building lives. Instead, we're already running on empty before we get started.

Why is this happening? A few things have changed. Work never really stops anymore. Your phone buzzes with emails at 9 PM. Projects that used to take months now need to be done in weeks. The cost of everything continues to rise, but salaries aren't keeping pace. And we're still carrying this idea that we have to handle everything ourselves.

The Trap Most High Performers Fall Into

I've watched a lot of successful men over the years, and they tend to make the same mistakes. They confuse being busy with being important. They think if they're not stressed, they're not working hard enough. They believe that setting boundaries makes them look weak or uncommitted.

But here's what I've learned from talking to men who've built something lasting. The ones who are still going strong after decades didn't get there by grinding harder. They got there by working smarter.

They figured out that burnout isn't a badge of honor. It's a sign that your system is broken.

What Works When You're Under Pressure

Let me share what I've seen work for men in high-stress situations. These aren't theories from business books. These are strategies from guys who've been where you are and found a way through.

Manage Your Energy Not Just Your Time. Stop trying to squeeze more hours out of your day. Start thinking about when you have the most energy and what drains it. Your most important work needs your best energy, not whatever you have left over at the end of the day.

I know a guy who realized he was sharpest in the morning, but he was spending that time on emails. He switched it around. Now he tackles his biggest challenges first thing and handles emails when his brain is tired anyway. Same amount of work. Half the stress.

Get Really Good at Saying No. This one's hard for men because we want to be helpful. We want to be seen as capable. But every time you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else—usually something more critical.

The men who last learn to say no to good opportunities so they can say yes to great ones. They're not being selfish. They're being strategic.

Think of Recovery as Training. You wouldn't expect your car to run forever without maintenance. You wouldn't use a tool every day without taking care of it. But somehow we think we can push ourselves constantly without any recovery time.

The research is clear on this. Regular exercise helps you manage stress more effectively. Getting enough sleep makes you more productive, not less. Taking breaks improves your performance.

One guy I know takes a 20-minute walk every day after work. No phone. No podcasts. Just walking. He says it's the best investment he makes in his afternoon productivity.

The Bottom Line

You can't just tough your way through burnout. It doesn't work like that. If you keep pushing when your system is already overloaded, something's going to break. Maybe your health. Maybe your relationships. Maybe your career.

The strong move is to build systems that let you perform at your best for the long haul. That means boundaries. That means recovery. That means asking for help when you need it.

Because the goal isn't to survive your career, the goal is to thrive in it.

🌟 Success Spotlight: Male Wellness Advocates Breaking Barriers

Let me tell you about a man who turned his struggles into a lifeline for other men.

The Barber Who Started a Movement

Timothy Lasane owns a barbershop in Georgia. For years, he watched men come in for haircuts and leave with more than just a fresh look. They'd talk about their struggles. Their stress. Their fears. Things they weren't comfortable sharing anywhere else.

Then, Timothy faced his own challenges. He lost his father. Got diagnosed with cancer for the second time and had a medical emergency right after his 50th birthday. Suddenly, he understood what his customers were going through in a whole new way.

Instead of keeping that experience to himself, Timothy decided to use it. He started a podcast called "Mann Listen This Free Game" and partnered with local therapists to create something called "Barbershop Talk." The idea was simple. Give men a safe space to talk about anxiety, depression, and stress in an environment where they already feel comfortable.

The results have been remarkable. Men who would never consider therapy started opening up about mental health. They realized they weren't alone in their struggles. Some even started getting professional help.

Timothy calls it "meeting men where they are." And it's working.

What You Can Learn from Timothy's Approach

• Start where you are with what you have - Timothy didn't wait for perfect conditions or special training. He used his existing business and relationships to create something meaningful.

• Turn your struggles into your strength - Instead of hiding his health challenges, Timothy shared them to help other men feel less alone.

• Make it feel familiar not foreign - Men were already comfortable in his barbershop so that's where he created the conversations about mental health.

• Partner with professionals - Timothy didn't try to be a therapist. He connected with actual therapists to make sure men got real help when they needed it.

• Focus on connection, not perfection - The goal wasn't to solve every problem. It was to help men realize they weren't facing their problems alone.

• Be consistent and show up - Timothy's podcast and barbershop talks happen regularly. Men know they can count on that space being available.

The lesson here isn't that you need to start a podcast or open a barbershop. The lesson is that you can use whatever platform you have to make a difference for other men, whether that's your workplace, your gym, your church, or just your circle of friends.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is create a space where men feel safe to be honest about what they're going through.

🔥 Michael's Hot Take: Why Health is the First Wealth (and Why We Ignore It)

Alright G-Tribe. Time for some straight talk about something that's been bothering me for years.

But first, let me tell you something personal. I'm a Type 2 diabetic. And this year, I ran my first marathon at the Marine Corps 17.75K with my son and nephew. In October, I'm planning to torture myself once again and run a half marathon in the Pittsburgh area with my son.

Why am I telling you this? Because five years ago, I was that guy who thought diabetes was just something I had to live with. I was that guy who made excuses for not exercising or changing my diet. I was that guy who treated his diagnosis like a death sentence instead of a wake-up call.

But here's what changed everything for me. I realized my health wasn't just about me. It was about being there for my kids and grandson. It was about showing him what's possible when you decide to fight for your life instead of just accepting whatever happens to you.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Let me give you some numbers that should make you uncomfortable. Men account for nearly 80% of suicides in this country. We're four times more likely to die by suicide than women. Only about half of us get routine health screenings. About 14% of men report their health as fair or poor.

Heart disease kills over 350,000 men every year. Most of those deaths are preventable.

Here's what really gets me. We know these numbers. We see the statistics. We watch friends and family members deal with health crises that could have been caught early. And we still don't change our behavior.

Why? Because we think we're different. We believe we are tough enough to handle whatever comes. We think dealing with health problems makes us weak, old, or vulnerable.

That kind of thinking isn't tough. It's stupid.

The Real Cost of Ignoring Health

Let's talk about what ignoring your health costs. Not just in money, although that's part of it. But in everything else that matters.

Every health crisis costs you financially. Hospital bills. Lost income. Medication. Physical therapy. The average heart attack costs about $20,000 in medical bills alone. Diabetes costs about $10,000 per year to manage.

But the financial cost is nothing compared to everything else. The stress on your family. The energy you lose dealing with problems you could have prevented. The opportunities you miss because you don't feel good enough to take them.

I've watched men destroy their relationships because they were too proud to deal with depression. I've seen guys lose their businesses because they ignored stress until it became a breakdown. I've known fathers who missed years with their children because they thought taking care of themselves was optional.

The Investment That Changes Everything

Here's what I learned when I decided to stop making excuses and start making changes. Your health isn't an expense. It's an investment. It's the foundation on which everything else is built.

You can't serve your family if you're exhausted all the time. You can't build a business if you don't have the energy to focus. You can't leave a legacy if you don't take care of the vehicle that God has given you.

When I started training for that marathon, I wasn't trying to become an athlete. I was trying to prove something to myself and my son. I was trying to show him that having a health condition doesn't mean giving up. It means fighting smarter.

Every mile I ran was an investment in more years with my family. Every healthy meal was a deposit in my energy account. Every doctor's appointment was preventive maintenance on the most important machine I'll ever own.

Your Choice

Here's the bottom line. You can invest in your health now, or you can pay for your illness later. You can build systems that support your energy, or you can deal with the consequences of running yourself into the ground.

You can take care of yourself so you can take care of everyone else, or you can leave everyone else to take care of problems you could have prevented.

Running that marathon with my son wasn't about the race. It was about showing him that we don't give up. We don't make excuses. We find a way to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at us.

Your health is your first wealth. Everything else you want to build depends on getting this foundation right.

What's it going to be?

G-Tribe Body Warranty Poll

We've all got that one thing that would be first in line for repairs if our bodies came with warranties. Let's see what's breaking down in the G-Tribe and have some fun with it.

Vote in our newsletter or share your thoughts by replying to [email protected]. We'll share the results and maybe some "warranty tips" in next week's issue.

1