One of the most prideful experiences you can have as a man is watching a young boy want to follow in your footsteps.
When I was 12 years old, I was gifted with the birth of my nephew.
In that moment, just minutes after he was born, I got to hold my nephew for the first time and that moment changed my life forever. I knew when I first held him that he was going to be just like me. I also discovered from a young age that I wanted to have kids of my own someday.
Having a baby around the house is a huge responsibility and I learned what it took to care for a child from the age of 12.
I bathed him, I fed him, I changed his shit diapers, I cleaned up his puke, and all of the fun things that comes along with having a baby around the house.
But one thing I am most proud of is teaching him how to play hockey.
I used to practice shooting hockey balls around the house growing up. Which, for the record, I strongly do NOT recommend because I have put a lot of holes in a lot of walls leaving my mother quite displeased with the shambles I was quickly turning her house into.
From the time my nephew could crawl, he would find broken hockey sticks of mine laying around the house, while he watched me shoot balls and put holes in the walls. Until one day, he picked up one of my broken hockey sticks and started hitting balls with it.
At that moment, I finally had someone that I could practice with!
I would pass balls to him and watch him attempt to hit them and pass them back to me, even though he couldn't physically walk yet. This was a time when you realize how impressionable you can really be on a young mind. This kid could play hockey before he could even walk!
Fast forward to present day...
I am now 28 years old at writing this and my nephew is turning 15 years old - about to begin his freshman year of high school.
I moved away from home in 2018 and moved to Las Vegas in pursuit of a childhood dream I always had.
It is now 2023 and I have had very little time spent back home with my family in the last 5 years. My nephew grew up, my nieces have grown up, and I feel like I have missed everything...
I have a feeling of regret - not being there to see the kids that I love the most grow up.
While I know that I am on my own life path and that I am driven to succeed in life, missing out on moments with the one's you love the most are moments you can't get back...
At the time of writing this, I have been visiting back home for the last couple of weeks for the first time in 5 years.
I have spent more time with my nephew in the last 2 weeks than I have spent with him since he was born. He hasn't left my side...
He came to me a couple of months ago, needing help with bringing his hockey game to the next level. Now that he is older and playing more competitive hockey, he wants build up his physical strength to keep up with playing against older kids.
When he asked me what he could do to get stronger, I immediately put him on a structured plan so that he can now learn the true meaning of discipline and hard work!
I have him wake up at 6AM every single day to do 100 pushups, eat better quality foods, practice his shot for hockey, eat more food, and complete 100 more pushups before bed.
Given the fact that he has grown up in what is now known as the "Gen Z" era, he has never truly understood the concept of true hard work. Hell, I didn't understand the true meaning of hard work until I started bodybuilding and learned real discipline through the never-ending competition with myself.
He hates every second of the work I have bestowed upon him, but he knows it will make him stronger.
While physical strength is his primary goal, I am teaching him about the importance of mental strength, as well as the key components of what it takes to be a man.
-Be clear in setting goals. Set goals. visualize the desired results, and work every single day to achieve those goals.
-Be competitive. Being competitive isn't just about becoming a better hockey player, it is wanting to be great at EVERYTHING you do. The world is an extremely competitive place and as a man, you NEED to be willing to do hard things and be good at them.
-Be hungry for information so that you become a man of value. A man on a pursuit of knowledge is a man with a versatile skill-set and can bring value to anyone at any time.
-Become a man worthy of respect. Live up to the expectations you bestow amongst yourself. Be a man that says what he does and does what he says.
In the few short weeks I have been back home and working with my nephew, he has increased his number of pushups he does everyday, he is becoming conscious of the foods he eats, and he is now running his own online store at 14 years old!
My mother always told me that I am his favorite human and I am beginning to understand what she has been talking about all of these years.
He listens to me because he respects me and he wants to make me proud. But one thing I told him is that I am always going to be proud of him for trying and making a conscious effort to become a better version of himself everyday. It isn't about making me proud, it is about making yourself proud.
One of the most empowering experiences as a man is seeing a young boy that looks up to you, want to make you proud because he respects you.
This is why I believe that as a man, it is your duty to set the example for the younger generations. I have seen first-hand how impressionable a young mind is. It is extremely important to lead by example and instill quality values so that they can learn honor and taking pride in themselves.
While he is not biologically my son, he has always been like a son to me and I like to think I have been like a father to him.
It is my duty to continue to lead and set the example for my nephew so that he can learn how to become a man of strength and equip him with all of the tools he needs to grow into a man of value.
It is my duty to lead and set the example for my future generation so they can be proud of their father and carry on the name with pride.