dadlevelviking

[dadlevelviking]

Awesome.

[dadlevelviking]

Samuel H Boardman State Park

[dadlevelviking]

Having a code to live by is important. We must read that code, honor it, and put it into use at all turns.

As a means to get myself back to honoring my own code, so that I will improve in the areas I need to, I am vowing to write down my meals every day this week in the MyFitnessPal, sticking to a 2,200 calorie per day diet.

I will update here every morning, the following day, to start a process of tracking my caloric intake and exercise.

Who else is needing a daily check-in for your own goals?

Reply here, and I will hold you accountable every day this week, until next Monday morning.

You don't have to do anything. But I am.

I am putting the ship back on the water, adjusting my course, and heading in the direction of my future. Feel free to get on board with me.

[dadlevelviking]

I have been working on this comic “Undergrowth” for the past month and I’m so happy to finally be able to share it with you!! This is the reason I haven’t been posting as much art on tumblr. I was very inspired by people who depict personal growth as a potted plant, and I wanted to do my own take on that idea: I think of it more as an entire forest or ecosystem within a person.

I hope reading this will inspire you to keep improving as a person even though it’s a process that is so difficult and convoluted.

[commission] [ko-fi] [Please do not repost my work!]

[dadlevelviking]

The 10 Agreements - Speed

Netflix and Chill. Almost everyone on the planet has probably heard or seen that phrase used, and can understand its meaning. A great euphemism, for sure, and it has its time and place to be used.

But how many people have heard of Turn and Burn? Grip It and Rip It?

I added Speed to The 10 Agreements, because lethargy and comfort has become a thing of pride, almost. I know I certainly look forward to my couch days. Binging know longer immediately brings to mind an eating disorder, but instead evokes jealousy or even admiration, for those who have the time and ability to watch an entire television series in one sitting. And that isn't NECESSARILY a bad thing...we all need recovery days. The problem is when those couch days feel more attractive then working on yourself.

Speed is critical in several areas of our life.

• Speed could be the difference between protecting our family, or not being there for them.

• Speed could be the difference between making a choice that can have a lasting impact on our lives, or being paralyzed and losing something that means so much to us.

• Speed can be the reason we succeed, or the lack of can be the reason we are stagnant.

Whatever advantage Speed may play in your life, we can all agree that it is a vital tool to have for when we are called upon by some force greater than ourselves.

Slow and steady may win the race, sometimes.....but Speed may be the difference between Life and Death.

Our nation's Special Forces are renowned not so much for their fire power or overwhelming strength. They are known for their stealth. Another word for quiet SPEED.

So today, instead of watching another episode of America's Got Talent, work on sharpening your mind for critical decision making. Become lightning fast at making sound decisions, so when the SHTF, you are confident in your abilities to decide quick, and take action.

Or get out in the yard and do some HIIT activities. Work on your explosiveness, so that if you are called to defend yourself or others at a moment's notice, you are prepared to move faster than those who would cause harm.

Maybe, do something as simple as challenging your son or friend or neighbor, to a race. If you lose, you know you have work to do, to get faster. If you win, you know you have work to do, to get FASTER.

We must train.

We must work hard.

We must be sure.

We must increase our SPEED.

Be quick today, men. Skol!

[dadlevelviking]

Dad Level: Viking

A place for men to live like Vikings...in a good way...and be the Dads that our children deserve.

www.dadlevelviking.com

[dadlevelviking]

The 10 Agreements - Strength

As a man, we are expected to be strong. That strength is supposed to be present at all times, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But are these Strengths still required of us? Have we not evolved so that men are no longer needed to be strong?

Today's civilized world means that Strength is no longer the primary factor in who survives and who doesn't. Who obtains power, conceived or existing, and who serves.

But Strength, while not as critically important as it once was when we were out roaming the plains or forests millenia ago, is still a resource that men have managed to inherit. It is a tool that we can still utilize, and should.

I have included Strength as one of The 10 Agreements, because Strength is something men are naturally predisposed to have. And if it is good enough for nature, it's good enough for me.

When the Vikings started raiding the distant isles of Great Britain, they had a mastery of the ocean that was unmatched. Their ships were better designed to be fast and flexible, to withstand the waves of the North Sea, while also being light enough to allow for maneuverability in areas where passage might not be as easy. Sometimes, those boats were blocked by shallows, and had to be carried on foot.

Carrying the boat was something every man did. To do so, they had to be strong.

Sometimes, we Carry The Boat in our own lives. Maybe it is opening a jar for our wives. Throwing our kid around in the pool. Hitting a new PR in the gym.

And maybe, it is being the shoulder for someone to lean on when things are rough.

Strength means so many things to us. Physical strength provides us the ability to defend our loved ones, and make sure that they are provided for. Emotional strength, means that we can step up when others around us are unable to do so, with humility, and a sense of responsibility. Mental strength means we are able to remain calm and focus on a task or problem at hand. It means we are able to better question situations, and understand them completely without giving into emotional responses initiated by fear or lack of understanding.

I encourage us all to make the three most critical areas of strength, a part of our every day training. Test your body to its limits. Test your mind to challenge accepted assumptions. Test your emotional fortitude to make sure that you are there for others...but also, able to be there for yourself, when you need to be.

The general views of many is that we must take care of others in our life, first. But we cannot take care of them, unless we are strong enough to do battle in their name.

We must train.

We must work hard.

We must be strong.

We must grow STRONGER.

Be strong today, men. Skol!

www.dadlevelviking.com

[dadlevelviking]

The 10 Agreements

As Dad's, we are faced with certain cultural expectations and stereotypes on a daily basis. Provide for your family. Read to your kids at bedtime. Make sure they eat their vegetables. Watch any sitcom and you will find an abundance of these examples displayed for laughs.

But if you look at what we are expected to do as men (and we men are not the only gender who may suffer from stereotypical expectations), often times we are portrayed as bumbling, well meaning characters, that constantly slack their way through life, usually saved by the women in our lives. Which CAN be true.

I think that these stereotypes and expectations are harmless, for the most part. While they may shape the general impression of what a Dad is, or who a Man is, they by no means restrict us to following such parameters for how we should live our life. And they most definitely do not keep us from showing our children or significant other what a Viking Dad is all about.

Instead, I think they give us all an opportunity to stand out. Follow me for a moment.

If you are exceptional in a group of common men, for long enough time, with enough consistency, YOU set the expectations of what a man or Dad should be for everyone else. We ALL have this power within us. We just need to act.

That is why I have identified "The 10 Agreements". Ten areas of our lives where we can absolutely agree that if we practice them, and we practice them with consistency, we WILL BE the best examples for men to follow.

I will be sharing more information about each agreement, and how we can best implement them in our daily lives, in the near future. But for now, here they are, in no particular order of importance. Let me know what you think.

The 10 Agreements

1. Strength

2. Speed

3. Distance

4. Knowledge

5. Fighting

6. Mind

7. Outdoors

8. Sagas

9. Wisdom

10. Community

www.dadlevelviking.com

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