Enjoy the visual experience here: https://youtu.be/1N1VrNMuEco

Dear Son, the world will offer you many definitions of what a man is and how he is expected to behave. Most of these definitions are filtered through the lens of personal experiences. Some may sound logical while others will clearly sound farfetched. It’s important that you understand how to recognize your full range of emotions and embrace them responsibly.   

Merriam-Webster defines masculinity as “the quality or nature of the male; the quality, state, or degree of being masculine or manly.” Many will automatically associate characteristics such as brave, strong, fearless, leadership, and assertiveness with being masculine. Conversely, weak, sensitive, fragile, and scared are characteristics commonly associated with being feminine. As a man, you’ll likely have experiences that evoke all of these characteristics if only for a brief moment. 

In this episode, we’ll get to know Nate Cottman, a viral social media personality and thought leader in the self-love and accountability space, and why he champions the concept of “masculine vulnerability.” He provides a transparent look into his life and how he navigated emotional traumas related to an unsuccessful marriage, losing the relationship with his father, and ultimately his father’s death. We discussed the importance young men being able to cry as an acceptable response to hurt and why processing vulnerable thoughts and feelings is a vital component of being a man. I’m certain that you’ll find this conversation valuable, but please don’t keep it a secret. Be a blessing by sharing this with someone you love.

We learned quite about ourselves during this dialogue, and that’s typical. Hopefully, a point or two will prompt you to have similar meaningful discussions in your home. We highly recommend that you consume the entire episode for the best results. Also, meet us in the comments or tag us with your opinion on social media via the links below. As always, we welcome your perspective. It takes a village. 

Follow Nate: https://instagram.com/fromnatewithlove

28-Day Self-Love Journal: https://fromnatewithlove.com

#daddyissues #parentingadvice #blackfathers #fatherandson #parentingtips #betterparents #vulnerable 

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The Three Foundational Pillars of the DSP Community

1. Reveal trauma 

2. Heal from trauma

3. Help through telling stories of it all

“Better Men. Better Fathers.”