Relationships are hard, man! Whether you're still in high school and stressing about finding a date to prom, or a bit older and stressing about finding a date to your friend's wedding, the basic rules of relationships still apply. Tom shares the NUMBER ONE key to building a successful relationship and shares a conversation with his friend, Katie, about navigating the ins and outs of dating. Together they discuss how to find a suitable partner, and how the lessons learned in personal relationships can have a wider impact across all areas of your life. About Katie: Katie is the president of Bella Boutique, a non-profit in Denver, Colorado, that provides free formal wear, including shoes, jewelry, and accessories to high school students with families in financial hardship to enable them to attend prom and homecoming without the financial burden that can come with it. For more information, visit: https://www.bellaboutiquedenver.org/ If you want to donate to the cause, the organization's Venmo account is: @bellaboutiquedenver

Do you ever think about all the stuff on your to-do list, or a big project you’re not sure how to tackle, and immediately feel exhausted? Have you ever thought about your future with apathy, like no matter what you do it’s just going to be a long, slow slog to the grave? You could be depressed, but if you’re generally content in your day-to-day life outside of thinking about the future, it could be something else: acedia. Acedia is a state of listlessness, of not caring or not being concerned with your position or condition in the world. This is NORMAL for people of all ages, especially when it feels like the deck is stacked against you. The only way to fight back is to go BACK to your daydreams - the thoughts and ideas that gave you life and energy. The thoughts that got you excited to get out of bed in the morning. Pull them out and dust them off. Keeping your daydreams alive is one of the best ways to keep a sense of meaning and purpose in your life, and make the future a little less scary.

Loneliness isn’t just about being alone. It’s about feeling alone. Loneliness results from a lack of sincere connection with others. You can see people every day at school or work, have 500 contacts in your phone, and millions of followers on social media, but you will experience loneliness if you can’t truly connect with them in an unfiltered way. A true connection is someone who sees you for who you ARE rather than the mask you put on for the rest of the world. It is someone you can be vulnerable with, a friend who will listen to you and give either advice or consolation, depending on the need. None of us are immune from loneliness, and the impact is greater now that we spend so much time absorbed in our phones. Let your phone be a tool to help dig you out of that lonely place. Text a friend - a TRUE friend with whom you feel comfortable talking about the real $#!T we all face in life. Set up a time to connect either in person or via a virtual call. It’ll do you both some good.

Tom shares a conversation with his brother, Andy, while on a backpacking trip in the Grayson Highlands of Virginia. They talk about how the comforts of modern living can trap you in a cycle of discontent. Andy presents his theory that most people default to following the path of least resistance - the comfortable, easy path - and that the best way to break out of it is to challenge yourself with something that scares you a little bit. He shares stories from his 15-year career as an outdoor professional and how his meandering path has ultimately led him through jobs in education and law enforcement before taking a leap of faith to his dream job of farming. 

Tom and Will talk about habits and answer a question from a young man about how to break a habit without an “ultimatum,” or some consequence (real or perceived) attached to it. The guys share some of their own stories and offer some insight into what it takes to reach that ultimatum with yourself. NOTE: This episode includes a discussion of nicotine use and addiction. Tom and Will do NOT encourage, condone, or advocate the use of this addictive chemical.

Tom and Will tackle a question from a young man who doesn’t understand why older people keep telling him to “enjoy these years.” What is there to enjoy when life is full of stress, anxiety, fear, and all these other uncomfortable emotions and feelings? Who could possibly ENJOY this? The guys break it down with some solid rationale and a few suggestions to help you realize that there IS a lot to enjoy right now - even if you can’t see it yet. PROGRAMMING NOTE: All the $#!T is moving to a bi-weekly (twice a month) format. Episodes will still drop on Mondays, but the frequency is changing to every other week. Thanks for listening!

Tom and Will talk mental health, but with the caveat that the term isn’t necessarily negative. Your mental health is simply the state of your mind at any given time. The guys talk about several challenges that young men face when it comes to mental health, including acknowledging and processing emotion, struggling with a desire for independence, and the ever-present “standard” of what it means to be a man and how they measure up. The guys argue over how significant a role isolation and loneliness play in mental health, but both agree that finding a supportive older male to serve as a mentor and role model is a strong play. Tom shares his thoughts on contentment and how finding contentment in everyday life is one of the greatest boosts to a strong metal game.

Tom and Will get EMOTIONAL in this episode, talking about the socially-constructed fallacy that “real men don’t cry.” The guys share some personal stories, along with some of the tools they use to process their emotions. They encourage young men to embrace rather than suppress their own emotions. They emphasize that there is nothing “unmanly” about crying or acknowledging the emotions that can trigger it, including sadness, shame, and fear.

The second half of Tom’s conversation with his friend, Elvir, focuses on Elvir’s integration into American life after arriving from a refugee camp in Croatia. Elvir shares his initial reactions to elements of American culture that we take for granted. He talks about the experience of being an immigrant in this country and adds context to the stereotypes that many Americans have toward that community. Finally, Elvir talks about the steps he has taken to ensure others feel welcome and comfortable joining this community, including establishing a small scholarship at his alma mater, Virginia Western Community College, to help other immigrants who are following in his path. If you would like to contribute, you can visit this link: https://www.virginiawestern.edu/giving/give-now/ and contribute any amount you want. When you scroll to the bottom of the form, you have the option to write in the specific scholarship you wish to support. Elvir’s scholarship is the “Refugee and Immigrant Scholarship.”

Tom shares a conversation with his friend, Elvir, whose family fled his native Bosnia when war broke out in the early 1990s. Elvir recalls the experience through 10-year old eyes, and reflects on what it must have been like for his parents at that time. The conversation highlights the good and bad sides of tribalism, which is currently testing the limits of American democracy as we know it. It offers sobering perspective on how quickly things can go wrong when people stop talking to one another and resort to violence.