How did you come into understanding what it means to be a father?
Many of us has expectations about the kind of fathers we should be, and carry shame about the things we should be doing. There is no shortage of expectation in the world today – from our responsibilities at work to responsibilities with family – and we’re inundated with images (from social media and otherwise) that remind us of all the things we aren’t, or aren’t yet.
But those external expectations are ultimately noise…
What really matters most to you? That’s the important thing. What do you want your legacy to be as a father?
Perhaps more importantly, how are you going about creating that legacy? Are you trying to make a mark to feel important? To feel powerful?
Or are you coming from a place of genuine attention? Are you coming from a place of service?
In the audio presentation below, I explore the multifaceted nature of fatherhood… The rules we impose on ourselves, the feelings of inadequacy we torture ourselves with, the voice of judgment in our heads, our nagging desires to change or be better…
The way we approach fatherhood can be the same way we approach creative acts, with attention to the present, with honest awareness, and by meeting life as it is – not trying to force our assumptions onto the world.
As part of this idea, the following poem sets the stage for the deeply personal journey of fatherhood we can each walk with open hearts and open eyes.
This is a big topic worthy of careful consideration and deep engagement, and the lessons we learn about being fathers apply to our entire lives as living, loving human beings.
Walk this path of fatherhood with me, and learn what it means to you along the way.
