Man Up. Just make sure it’s to become the right kind of man.

I know that some people reading this might take offense. Some might even stop following me for it, but I have to get this off my chest. Guys, stop looking for excuses and Man Up. Just make sure it’s to become the right kind of man.

A few years ago, during the time the economy tanked, my life took a turn for the worst. I went into a downward spiral of personal disasters, one after another. This slump lasted for about 5 years. I blamed everyone and everything around me for my unhappiness. I blamed the economy, my boss at the time, my family situation, karma, fate, God, everything and everyone.

One night I met up with one of my Compadres for a couple of drinks. Ok, not a couple, but rather one of those “drink your sorrows away” binges. He looked at me the same way my mother would look at me when I did something stupid, and in the most eloquent use of words, summed up what I had to do.

Do you want me to hold your hand? Do you want me tell you it’s going to be OK? Guess what, it’s not. Now stop bitching and get your shit together. Life is hard. Be a Man and deal with it.

I know that a lot of you might think, what the hell does this man know about a hard life? Let’s just say that this is a guy who has been to hell and back several times in his life, and was still standing strong.

Lately I have been seeing how people will “bitch” about how life is. They find offense in anything and everything that might require them to take control of their lives. When Maria Kang started promoting the idea of “No Excuses”, the idea that people need to stop making excuses and take control of their health, the social media went on a rampage against her. People took her message of being accountable for your actions as an attempt to shame obese people.

How often have we now heard that Man Up is offensive? Yes, it has been used to promote gender stereotypes by the media. But at the same time, its core message can’t be denied. Grow up and stop being a child. Stop blaming everyone else for your failures. You want a good life? Take control of the one you have, take control of your destiny, of yourself. It’s message is so important that an entire global movement to end violence against women is called Man-Up.

What should you take out of this? Life is hard. But instead of focusing on just how bad you have it, focus on how to make it better. And then, do it!