13. The Struggle is Real

In today’s episode of the podcast, Mike Watts & Aydian Dowling discuss struggle and masculinity. Listen in as the guys unpack the idea that men need to always push through when struggling. What supports do you use when you are struggling and do you allow yourself to lean on them? What is your inner monologue when things get difficult?

In this episode, we discuss the following:

- How does pushing your own needs down impact your health?
- How does past trauma impact how we view our struggles?
- How do our ideas of hustle and struggle compete?
- What can you do to check in with yourself?
- Who shaped your definition of success?

What is The State of Men?

The State of Men is hosted by two Elder Millennial work-from-home-Dads, Mike Watts (cis man) and Aydian Dowling (trans man).

A funny and real-life approach to being Men in the 2020s The State of Men is taking a deep dive into masculinity to talk about what we do, and why we do it.

We believe a better future for our world is in part the responsibility of the Men in it. We invite all men to do the work and fix their shit, so we can leave a legacy we are proud of.

Societally, men have been brainwashed into a narrow view of masculinity through which they can't see their full potential. Gender norms are changing, the glass ceiling is shattered, and home life has been reinvented. So what does it mean to be a man in this new world?

The State of Men is a funny, honest, real-world look at the stigmas that exist around men.

The truth is men want to fix their shit, but where do we even start.