M.E.N.S. Work is a framework describing four foundations within the JourneyMen perspective.
Mindful practice, intentional Experiences, Nourishing self and others, and taking Social responsibility and action are essential disciplines that JourneyMen engage with in all of our programs and work together.
Read on to learn more!
The young man wanted success. He wanted sex. He wanted drugs. He wanted Rock & Roll.
He wanted power.
(He may even have wanted to change the world.)
He got all of it.
And more.
Yet, He was lonely. He was lonely while swiping one way and another. Lonely in his fancy car and house. He was alone making love to his wife. He was lonely after dropping his kids off at school. Alone at Work. Lonely, even with friends, having beers.
This aging man was sad, and he did not know it. He wasn’t allowed to know it. He didn’t know how to know it. He felt lost.
Sad, Lonely. Lost. Powerful. Irritable. Frustrated.
Angry.
For too long, this man, and so many other men like him, have been living a Man’s Story. It is a story (forcefully) retold for ages. Perhaps, it once served some useful purpose, perhaps it created something. Over time, however, this story became unbalanced and full of holes. In fact, it was torn and twisted.
And now? It is now a story with lost characters, lost chapters and lost treasures.
Wait, that isn’t quite right.
Lost perhaps, but also thrown away, buried. Forcefully surpressed, oppressed.
Characters, chapters and treasures have been destroyed or deleted.
As a result: loneliness, disconnection, inequality, oppression and unbalance.
Our families, communities, cultures and our world have been (and continue to be) damaged by this unbalanced, yet powerful story. This powerful and seductive story of dominating influence and power feeds upon itself and draws in young men (and others) with its shiny objects and epic promises.
Ah, but what about you?
You are a young man. You are a partner, a father and a member of this global community.
You want peace in the valley, ease at home, and to ‘get somewhere’ in your world.
You want to raise your kids to be good humans, to have an intimate relationship with your partner.
You might even want to be a part of changing our world.
And, you can.
You can.
Welcome to Journey’s Inn, the virtual gathering place of the JourneyMen.
Our Inn, our entire way of being together and connecting to what’s most important, stands upon four foundational concepts. Four courses to the meal you’ll get at the Inn. Four ways to begin creating new stories for our boys and men. Four corners that hold our foundation strong as we walk the journey together.
Would you like to see what’s on the menu? Want to learn what’s holding us up?
The M.E.N.S. Work Framework
First, take a breath, a deep one.
Taking in cool air, you’ll notice your self filling up, slowly.
Releasing warm air, you add your self to the environment, your family, fun and/or work spaces.
Breathing is a rhythmic action that reminds us of our deep conenction to everything around us, inside and out.
Now.
Breathe again.
As you breathe in, what are you aware of in your own thinking and feelings?
As you breathe out, take notice of your surroundings. What might be needed in the space, place or people around you?
This powerful exercise is where we’ll start.
Breathing in, I am aware of myself. Breathing out, I am aware of that which is outside of me.
Breathing, I am reminded of the connection.
Within each rhythmic breath, we explore a foundation of the JourneyMen Framework:
Mindful – What is going on in us, in others? What are the stories that we tell ourselves, that other tell around us?
More than learning and practicing mindful meditation, JourneyMen increase their curiosity, compassion and consistency in their awareness of self and others. This allows us to slow down, move from reactive to responsive and choose connections and partnership over control, power and dominance based interactions.
Experience – What might we need to DO or encourage others to do? How can we encourage partnership with our actions?
JourneyMen take ACTION and encourage it in others. This isn’t about ‘getting it done’ or ‘fixing things.’ JourneyMen work to understand the experiences and actions that move their journeys forward, that lead them towards their treasure! Powerfully, JourneyMen also look to partner with those around them to create experiences of connection.
Nourishment – How might we genuinely and sustainably feed ourselves and those around us?
What fills you up? What truly nourishes you in your world after (or during) the mundane activities of daily life? What do your loved ones, your partners, friends and colleagues need to genuinely ‘fill their tanks?’ JourneyMen practice discernment. JourneyMen seek to find the experiences, engagements and disciplines that offer real, true relaxation. JourneyMen seek to fill their own cups and those of others around them.
Social Responsiblity and Action – What can we take radical responsibility for in our own lives and the systems in which we are participants? What can we DO about it? How can we partner and model for others in this pursuit?
From individual interactions to systemic socio-cultural issues, JourneyMen actively engage in the responsibility to improve our world. This is a big statement and has many levels of meaning; JourneyMen engage in conversation to explore responsibility and actions that they can take at home and beyond that can shift our communities towards a more connected, partnered and just world.
M.E.N.S. Work invites all men to begin crafting new, personal stories of masculinity, fatherhood and partnership. Conversations at Journey’s Inn are informed by these four foundations and often provide direction for all of us!
I’d love to connect and share stories!
Please, won’t you join us on this adventure?
Warmly,
Jason Frishman
The Innkeeper
Get in touch Directly: Jason@NourishedConnections.com
Check out the Website: www.JourneyMenFoundation.com
Learn about the JourneyMen Foundations men’s coaching program for fathers: JourneyMen Foundations
The Innkeeper's Journal 