Movember – Let’s Talk Masculinity Event in Toronto
As soon as I heard about this event, it was a must for me!
Despite it being held in downtown Toronto on a Friday afternoon, I made it a priority to attend. It was time for some self-discovery, so I booked a train ticket.
As soon as I heard about this event, it was a must for me!
Despite it being held in downtown Toronto on a Friday afternoon, I made it a priority to attend. It was time for some self-discovery, so I booked a train ticket.
This Movember sponsored event was hosted on the 17th floor of the Globe & Mail building. There was a huge turnout, with over 100 fellow guys. Four panelists led super engaging discussions, conversations and sharing of experiences that dug deep into themes of masculinity, mindfulness, and vulnerability. I felt at home, accepted and heard while sharing my real-life experiences with other men who totally got what I was saying!
I have spent most of my life hustling, performing, providing whatever needed, always juggling between professional and personal responsibilities – essentially flying by the seat of my pants. I was simply living in a multitude of titles – Director, Father, Husband, Provider, and found I had lost my connection to who I really was, forsaking my needs and dreams to ensure everyone else was taken care of.
What I heard loud and clear at the Let’s Talk Masculinity event; I was not alone!
These are the takeaways for me that most resonated, and hope you can adopt even 1 element to build into your daily ritual or routine:
Take off the mask and armor! “I thought I had to be this person to be loved, I was put on this world because I thought I needed to be tough.” Stop being Your “Should-Be-Self” vs just BEING you!
Acknowledging the chase, power of awareness and mindfulness name it to pain it, then give permission to be with self, no critical self-talk here guys just be. Love and accept yourself. We learn much through pain and suffering.
Daily items that you can put into play:
Start being in the moment, asking yourself questions and dialing in internally.
Limit social media feeds, what you give attention to is what shows up, not necessarily your true interests. Happiness is not tied to your last social media post or the “likes” it gets.
It’s not about just performing and getting caught between what’s getting views vs what my purpose is. It’s about your sense of worth outside of social media, getting into the real world (nature) and building personal connections with people whose values line up to yours.
Listening is a full body experience, seeing, hearing, feeling energy and creating a safe place to showcase your authentic self. Being that present, engaged listener with your partner, friends and work teams.
Final thoughts: you don’t need to be that rock! Real men hug, have open minds and open hearts. We can live a more balanced life when we tap into both our masculine and feminine sides. It’s taken me half my life to wake up, but I’m super excited for my new chapter and looking forward to continued discussions with Dr Ellen Choi.
Link to blogs –
Samir Mourani:
https://gentspost.com/author/samirmourani/
https://www.instagram.com/samirmourani/?hl=en
Tychon Carter-Newman:
https://www.instagram.com/tychonxcarter/?hl=en
Dr Ellen Choi: