THE AWAKENING MAN: A PORTRAIT OF POSSIBILITY FOR HUMANKIND
The awakening man is conscious, heartfully defined. Through his eyes, being conscious is not a cerebral construct, nor an intellectual exercise bereft of feeling. It is a felt experience, an ever-expanding awareness that moves from the heart outward. It is feeling God, not thinking God. The new man is always in process, awakening through a deepening interface with the world of feeling. He continues to strive for a more heartfelt and inclusive awareness.
The awakening man has shifted his focus from a localized and ethnocentric perspective to a world-centric framework of perception. His community is humanity. Rooted in the relational, his sense of responsibility extends well beyond his localized self and community. Where possible, his choice-making is fuelled by an expansive vision of possibility for all of humankind. Not every man for himself, but every man for humanity.
The awakening man has reverence for the divine feminine, in all her forms. He celebrates the wonder that is woman. He is respectful, honouring and gracious. He is saddened by the horrors perpetuated against women by the malevolent masculine. He holds his brothers accountable. He makes amends for his own misdeeds. He co-creates a world where all women will feel safe to move about freely, to find their voice, to actualize their inherent magnificence. He welcomes a world where women and men stand as equal partners. Humankind.
The awakening man is not externally derived. He is authentically sourced. He does not compare himself to others. He does not adapt his personality to the dictates of the crowd. He stands in his own centre, respectful of others but not defined by them. He works diligently to liberate his consciousness from the egoic ties that bind. He has become his own benchmark, valuing authenticity over image. He is the sculptor of his own reality.
The awakening man courageously works on his emotional processes. He clears his emotional debris and sheds his armour. He faces his issues and unconscious patterns heart on. He calls himself on his self-avoidant tendencies and honours the wisdom at the heart of his pain. He communicates his feelings in a way that is respectful to others. He learns and speaks the language of the heart.
The awakening man leads a purpose-full existence. He has heard the call to a deeper life. Not satisfied with survival alone, his ambitions are rooted in higher considerations- the excavation and actualization of his sacred purpose. He is energized by his purpose, not by the machinations of the unhealthy ego. He is coated in an authenticity of purpose that sees through the veils to what really matters. His purpose is his path.
The awakening man is accountable for his actions and their effects. He does not deflect responsibility. He does not sidestep or blame. He is self-admitting and emotionally honest. He admits his errors, and makes amends. He works diligently in the deep within, crafting a more clarified awareness with every lesson.
The awakening man moves from the inside out. More interested in inner expansion than outer achievement, he cultivates and honours his intuition. He explores and develops his inner geography. He adventures deep within, integrating the treasures he excavates into his way of being. He seeks congruity between his inner life and his outer manifestation.
The awakening man seeks wholeness. He is not satisfied with a fragmented way of being. He has no attachment to archaic, linear notions of masculinity. He seeks a sacred balance between the healthy masculine and the healthy feminine. He seeks an inclusive way of being, one that reflects all of his archetypal aspects. He is role flexible, comfortable moving through life in many different ways.
The awakening man embodies the highest standard of integrity in his words and deeds. He makes a sustained effort to work through anything that is not integrity within him. His framework of integrity is never convenient or self-serving. He honours his word, even at his own expense. He moves from a value system that is unwaveringly incorruptible. He recognizes that success without integrity is karmically unsound and meaningless.
The awakening man prioritizes conscious relationship. He values authentic co-creation. He honours relationship as spiritual practice. He seeks physical intimacy that is deeply vulnerable and heartfully connective. He is attuned, engaged and healthily boundaried. When relational challenges arise, he courageously works through any obstructions to intimacy. He stands in the heartfire.
The awakening man is a warrior of the heart. He has taken his clarifying sword inward, cutting away everything that is not compassionate. After too many lifetimes with weapon in hand, a benevolent warrior is being birthed at the core of his being. He honours the warrior capacity for assertiveness, but he is not arbitrarily aggressive. He moves from love and compassion.
The awakening man endeavours to live in a state of perpetual gratitude. He is grateful for the gift of life. He is grateful for those ancestors who built the foundation that his expansion relies upon. He is grateful for those who encouraged him before he could encourage himself. He is grateful for those who stand beside him in this lifetime. He knows that he does not stand alone.
The awakening man is comfortable in his vulnerability. He participates in his own revealing. He is not afraid to surrender- to reality, to love, to truth. This is not a weakened form of surrender, but one that is emblazoned with courage. It takes more courage to surrender than to numb. He openly explores his capacities for receptivity and tenderness. He does not identify these capacities as distinctly feminine, but as whole human. He is strong enough at the core to live in a vast array of emotions.
The awakening man moves through the marketplace responsibly, with a vigilant eye to the ways of the unhealthy ego. He is not opportunistic in a vacuum. He does not compete for competition’s sake. He does not accumulate for the sake of accumulation. In charting his course, he is mindful of his impact on humanity. He is empowered but he does not exploit power. He derives his power from his connection to source, not from power over others. Where possible, he shares the abundance, gifting back to humanity. He works hard to bridge the world as it is with a world of divine possibility.
The awakening man has reverence for Mother Earth. He has reverence for animals. He never imagines himself superior or distinct from the natural world. He understands the interconnected and interdependent nature of reality. He knows that if he does damage to the environment, he does damage to himself. He walks carefully, with awareness, consciousness and appreciation.
The awakening man has no claims on God. His spirituality is tolerant, inclusive, respectful. He honours all paths to God, so long they are respectful of others. He accepts those who believe, and those who don’t. He condemns any path that uses religious differences as a justification for destruction.
The awakening man brings forward many of the qualities of the healthy masculine of old. He is noble. He is responsible. He is productive. He is kind-hearted. He is protective. He is unswervingly honourable. He is down to earth. He is sturdy. He is flexible. He is realistic. He is hopeful. He is sensitive, not fragile. He is healthily egoic, not self-centred. He is both practical and heightened at the same time. He ascends with both feet on the ground. He is really here.
A former criminal lawyer and psychotherapist, Jeff Brown is the author of “Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation,” recently published by North Atlantic Books. Endorsed by authors Elizabeth Lesser and Ram Dass, “Soulshaping” is Brown’s autobiography — an inner travelogue of his journey from archetypal male warrior to a more surrendered path. He is also the author of “Apologies to the Divine Feminine (from a warrior in transition). You can connect with his work at www.soulshaping.com.
please teach our brothers this very crucial information!
You are brave Jeff Brown. You risk the attack from the unconscious man but you persevere. I bow to your willingness to take on such an important question. I bow.
Your Beauty is breath-taking. I stand in awe at the magnificence you allow yourself to radiate. Thank you for being YOU. For being a vibrant tapestry thread within our evolutionary masterpiece. Much love xxx
Jeff,
On first read I like your message very much. I will come back and read it a few more times. There is certainly clarity and assuredness here. We awakening men have the responsibility to the world of men to share our journey, with a well lit path!
Thank you thank you!
Thank You, Jeff Brown, for your courage and wisdom…
Beautifully said, nothing is missing. Inspiring and offers a vision of real possibilities. As a woman who is walking her own path of awakening, this piece pulls me to journaling my own definition of the awakening woman, and to see what self wisdom arises…Thank you for the stimulus and for being a wonderful role model of courage and authenticity.
Jeff,
I have seen others “like” this… but it was my sense that these other postings came from a sense of self interest…they felt opportunistic (for they see what is happening) which totally angered me. This feels complete and authentic so thank you.
The writing is on the wall and the feminine is on the move in ways that are brilliant and terrifying. My question is…can women forgive men? Can women forgive that part of themselves that is deeply embedded in the patriarchy? Because middle class white women are also representatives of the patriarchy… we have mastered it. Can we find what is deeply and authentically feminine? What does that look like? I think this is what is being asked of us for for women are creation… my body is her body. And the men? It is my opinion that they need to recognize what we bring and protect us while we do deep and vulnerable work associated with healing ourselves and the planet. This is my work anyway. Here is a great Sufi master on the topic if you care to listen it is just 13 minutes long: http://www.workingwithoneness.org/the-feminine/video-audio step into a place of
Again…gratitude. Keep going I am out there with you.
Thankyou Jeff. I don’t see anything missing. Your writing does raise the question of whether any qualities are truly uniquely male or female. As we step into this new time where we can be different and equal, I love that we are essentially human beyond gender. Finding the place of sexuality in the new way will be interesting too. Thankyou for taking the lead here, your heart sings strongly.
Megan.. These questions interest me deeply, like the question of what is deeply and authentically feminine, the question of what is deeply and authentically masculine in our healthiest humanifestation, the question of how different or similar men and women are when they are moving from essence and the deeper question, does gender as a construct evaporate as we spiritualize, or does it actually becomes even more essential to our expansion, like a necessary karmic vehicle, an essential archetypal embodiment… These are the questions that we are coming into, and they are beautiful. May the Divine Feminine continue to rise into womanifest fullness. This planet needs it bad, and so do I and my brothers.
Hi Jeff – great article and discussion – thankyou. Re your musings on gender sameness/differences in essence and wether these evaporate as we spiritualise – i feel somehow it is a little of both! That is in the deepest union between man and woman their can be the experience of oneness beyond either gender differences or similarities – just the experience of openness and love which knows nothing other than that experience in the moment. However, the tricky part is then recognising and honouring that experience and knowing, in the coalface of the obvious differences when they invariably pop up. Invariably, because even though our humanity is the same our expressions as mascline and feminine forms are different and even opposite.This is inherent in our physiologies in order to perpetuate life – the masculine is projective and the feminine is receptive! Somehow i feel it is part of our collective awakening as conscious men and women, to learn to dance with ease between the recognition of the sameness or oneness of our humanity regardless of gender, and the appreciation of the beauty and perfection of the inherent differences.
Great dicussion…..
WOW. This is amazing. As a woman, I am so inspired, turned on and excited about the direction of men when I read this. The only thing my heart longs for is to also acknowledge the shame, manipulation (often from the dark feminine), unhealthy guilt, unbelievable pressure, etc. that so many men carry and deserve to let go of. And how the Awakening Man gets the support he needs to help throw these heavy, limiting, energetic burdens off of himself so that he is free to show up in many of the ways you describe. Thank you for your beautiful mind and writing.
One of my favorite teachers, Barry Long says “there is only one man and one woman”.
“Man and Woman are two principles out of existence, deep down inside of every body.
In every woman’s body is this extraordinary unimaginable power of She. She who is the Woman, the divine woman, behind all her daily thoughts and longings.
Every woman on earth is endeavouring to manifest her divine feminine qualities.
It is the same for every man. Deep inside every man’s psyche is the divinely noble principle of Man. It too is endeavouring to manifest, to push up through two thousand million years of past into the brain and the
senses, and express its divine male qualities.
The divine pair’s ceaseless effort to come into existence together and be united here, as they are there, is the explanation of the pain and joy of life and love on earth. All else is secondary to this great stirring
movement.
And so every woman feels the extraordinary need to do or be better, to find out what love is, to be more real, to be more beautiful. Particularly to be more beautiful – but inside, not just in appearance. For beauty
inside is divine freedom.
Every man feels the same divine pressure inside of him, the need to be noble, courageous, honest, truthful and to truly love and be loved by woman. Only through the love of each other can they ever be united here.
That means giving up their selfishness and negativity.”
~ Barry Long
I always love your sharing Jeff!
Namaste
Jivana
Thank You:::: For taking the time to write and share all of this amazing information with us!!!! I am grateful!!! I would to meet someone who is even some of those things!!!!! Love and Light!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeff,
I enjoyed reading your awaken man manifesto. I can’t say I am there, but I am on the path.
Aloha Jeff, I had a vision of a friend of mine, (male)teaching other men how to treat women as the Goddesses they are. He laughed and said no way would he ever be doing that. But I hope one day he will and I forward him your e-mails because what you say is what I saw him teaching. He just isn’t there yet. The other issue is the women who have bought into the patriarchy hook line and sinker and dont know they are Goddesses. Some of them are extremely stubbornly stuck in that mind set. I am grateful I am surrounded by other women who do know who they are and men who appreciate us. Mahalo Maui (at least some parts) 🙂 Debbie
I am not there either, Owen, but atleast we are giving it a shot. One foot in front of the other..
Beautiful Jeff! Wow, thank you for sharing. It made me think of my own ‘The Awakening Woman’. Just beautiful.
Greetings and Thank you Jeff,
for your heart felt sharing of The Awakening Man,your words resonate deeply with me. they create the foudation and the pathway, for our journey of self enquiry and our complete undivided concious truth of who we are and our own indvidual purpose for this magnifcent offering of life that we have been gifted with and how we can best serve ourselves and others with love,kindness and compassion whilst standing steadfast during times of turblence and for the our self inflicted drama we create for others around us and that is more damaging on our own nature.
Although i am still on the journey i thank you again for shining beacon light and assitting and guiding us all on our indivdual journey on the path to home.
thank you for gracing us with your truth and prencence Richard
Thanks again Jeff. A magnificent blueprint of possibility!
Jeff your manifesto is excellent –
It asks us to actualize our infinite potential. Your prose as always is very thoughtful and polished.
As I read it several times a few thoughts surfaced that are of exploratory nature and not critical.
Your fifth paragraph, emotional processes raised the following thoughts.
In working on myself and those who entrust me with guidance I find that so many of our actions and reactions occur at the threshold of our awareness and/ or are only subliminally conscious that a lot slips under our vigilant radar. Because this is the case, only our gut ego reaction of distaste, dislike, fear, anger, need to distance, avoid, put down, etc. is the only clue we get that we are projecting unfinished personal material onto other. I wondered if it might be helpful to suggest a list of these feelings so that the reader’s awareness arises and he sees more concretely the personal integration work at hand.
I know I thought I had done a lot of work on myself and then realized life was showing me stuff I missed. As an example I didn’t like President Bush. Then I realized his qualities of rigidity were mine, what I perceived as him not getting all the details before making decisions was a reflection of my speediness to get things done and so on.
I noticed the media’s attention with Weiner’s infidelity and wrote a blog on how we could use him as a mirror to surface our subliminal desires of similar nature and see the sameness in all of us. It can be read on donmordasini.com.
I am asking if another paragraph or expansion of number five to suggest concrete ways we can bring these subliminal or buried feelings to the surface to know ourselves might be helpful?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I had a thought on your eleventh paragraph on relationship and fifteenth on the work place. These are relationship paragraphs. For me often , when I think of relationship I think in terms of spouse, family and friends. Yet, when I walk down the street and see a kid in gothic clothes, or an unkempt person, or an alcoholic I have a relationship with them in my mind. They bring up subtle thoughts of one-up-man ship on my part. The thoughts I have and how I react to them tells me a lot about myself and opens up my inner psyche to get into those tough areas. My thought is that every one we meet; at the post office, in the grocery store, in traffic, etc. is someone we relate to but don’t think of it in those terms. Do you think it would be helpful to your reader to spell out specifically these relationships?
Your manifesto is brilliant and a challenge for us to reach our infinite potential.
Thank you. Thanks for your contribution to alof us and thanks for your personal help.
Don Mordasini, Author Princes and Ogres, Integration of Psyche and Soul
Jeff your manifesto is excellent –
It asks us to actualize our infinite potential. Your prose as always is very thoughtful and polished.
As I read it several times a few thoughts surfaced that are of exploratory nature and not critical.
Your fifth paragraph, emotional processes raised the following thoughts.
In working on myself and those who entrust me with guidance I find that so many of our actions and reactions occur at the threshold of our awareness and/ or are only subliminally conscious that a lot slips under our vigilant radar. Because this is the case, only our gut ego reaction of distaste, dislike, fear, anger, need to distance, avoid, put down, etc. is the only clue we get that we are projecting unfinished personal material onto other. I wondered if it might be helpful to suggest a list of these feelings so that the reader’s awareness arises and he sees more concretely the personal integration work at hand.
I know I thought I had done a lot of work on myself and then realized life was showing me stuff I missed. As an example I didn’t like President Bush. Then I realized his qualities of rigidity were mine, what I perceived as him not getting all the details before making decisions was a reflection of my speediness to get things done and so on.
I noticed the media’s attention with Weiner’s infidelity and wrote a blog on how we could use him as a mirror to surface our subliminal desires of similar nature and see the sameness in all of us. It can be read on donmordasini.com.
I am asking if another paragraph or expansion of number five to suggest concrete ways we can bring these subliminal or buried feelings to the surface to know ourselves might be helpful?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I had a thought on your eleventh paragraph on relationship and fifteenth on the work place. These are relationship paragraphs. For me often , when I think of relationship I think in terms of spouse, family and friends. Yet, when I walk down the street and see a kid in gothic clothes, or an unkempt person, or an alcoholic I have a relationship with them in my mind. They bring up subtle thoughts of one-up-man ship on my part. The thoughts I have and how I react to them tells me a lot about myself and opens up my inner psyche to get into those tough areas. My thought is that every one we meet; at the post office, in the grocery store, in traffic, etc. is someone we relate to but don’t think of it in those terms. Do you think it would be helpful to your reader to spell out specifically these relationships?
Your manifesto is brilliant and a challenge for us to reach our infinite potential.
Thank you.
Don Mordasini, Author Princes and Ogres, Integration of Psyche and Soul
Thaks for your contribution to all and thanks for your personalhelp
Jeff thank you for sharing your journey through your writing…
All you describe as the “awakening” way seems to be the outward manifestation of souls who have and are tuned into their true nature. Where the inner conflicts are being resolved as we go living with awareness, from moment to moment. A space where its not about the competition, but about extending a hand to the other.
Through the trust of abundance, and faith that there is enough to go around to meet our needs, there comes a shift in how we operate in our human form. You have captured that so beautifully in your write-up.
Thank you for sharing…..
Thank you, Jeff, for presenting such a beautiful example for Present Man and Future Man. You are a pioneer and very courageous. The world needs your voice. Your tears are gifts for the Earth.
Very beautiful words 🙂
Jeff I am in the deep and speedily-increasing process of manifesting my true-self … I don’t know why certain of us (like yourself) have been blessed with this incredible opportunity, but the journey is stunning. I have never been a ‘woman’s man” but I am becoming increasingly immersed in the Divine Feminine and supporting her wholwheartedly as she supports me. My relationship with my wife, for instance, is now so incredibly authentic and loving, and this has released her fully to embrace the world she has always attempted to embrace in her full feminine way … Jeff it is beautiful to watch.
wow,& yes thankyou-again inspiration,action,love,cant wait to meet my evolving man in person and continue the journey in tandem ; > <3
Dear Jeff, thank You for the wake-up call!
I’m on the way… with brothers on my side 🙂
together we create the change… in Love.
Outstanding essay, Jeff. I’ve reposted on FB, and would like to include it as a resource for The Ultimate Man Course. May I?
Hello y’all, blessings. I have a specific question about one line in the wonderful manifesto. ‘He does not compete for competitions sake.’
First, I’d like to point out that all the technology we enjoy was develoled out of competion.
Now about golf, I exerienced tremendous amounts of life and spiritual lessons while competing against brothers on the golf course. By competing I mean, betting insignificant amounts of money on our own skill and the outcome. These days I am not playing the eight days a week I was during my mid 20’s. When I do get out I so long for Real golfers. Real Competitors. That being said, golf is really a singular game, no one else hits my ball or throws my disc.
Writing about All competition now, I agree that in some cases it seems that competition creates negative emotions and energies. But I feel that those negativies are actually created by unawakened competitors.
In this manifesto, and many other spiritual teachings competition is too simply denounced. Is there really not a place for competition in awakening? There was so much for me that I must write my decent.
So, I an awakening man, when it comes to golf, really enjoy competing for competitions sake.
Jeff I am very interested in your response to this. Could you send me an email?
Peace, Light, Love
Sat Amor
Hi Jeff,
please put me on your mailing list
thank you
richard
Wow! You just described my path Jeff…almost verbatim!
Wonderful conversation, Warrior Jeff. Thank you for standing in fearlessness and willing to stand up to the slings and arrows of outraged fortune… You are an inspiriation and let’s get these conversations out to more people….. 😉
Perfectly beautiful.
Beautiful. But. For most of my life I held the view “I can’t trust any man. I can’t trust him with my woman, in business, as a religious leader or to be transparent with me. Men always have an ego strategy.”
Perhaps there are winds of change?
http://www.benbelenus.com – Author of ‘The Sex God – No Mud No Lotus’
What a wonderful message! Will have to come back to this from time to time to keep me accountable. Keep up the great posting!
You articulate what so many of your Brothers & Sisters have experienced better than anyone I know that is presently doing so.. & you do it w/an authenticity that can only be attained by experience that cannot be achieved by proxy nor communicated falsely without being recognized by your Family.. Much Gratitude & Love from another Soul Brother Jeff .. “May a piece a my Peace Be w/you always” .. 😉