Mentoring Young and Why it Matters

January 22, 2015February 6, 2015Tim Morris 1 Comment

Benjamin Franklin – I always smile when one of these is in my hand. 🙂

Over the past few weeks I have been reading some of Ben Franklin’s autobiography, bits at a time. This week I read a section that I just really wanted to share with you. Included in his autobiography, Franklin has a letter sent to him in 1783 by Mr. Benjamin Vaughan. In this letter Franklin is encouraged to complete his autobiography, which was only started at this point, so that it could benefit others. In it he includes this section on the importance of self-education and the example for youths. Check it out – it is quite good. Read it twice if you need to.

Enter Benjamin Vaughan.

School and other education constantly proceed upon false principles, and show a clumsy apparatus pointed at a false mark; but your apparatus is simple, and the mark a true one; and while parents and young persons are left destitute of other just means of estimating and becoming prepared for a reasonable course in life, your discovery that the thing is in many a man’s private power, will be invaluable! Influence upon the private character, late in life, is not only and influence late in life, but a weak influence. It is in youth that we take out party as to profession, pursuits and matrimony. In youth, therefore, the turn is given; in youth the education even of the next generation is given; in youth the private and public character is determined; and the term of life extending but from youth to age, life ought to begin well from youth, and more especially before we take our party as to our principal objects. … your biography will not merely teach self-education, but the education of a wise man.

For the Road.

I thought this was powerful. Here are a few thoughts and then I will leave you. Feel free to interact with them in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Education is a man’s private power. It is also his responsibility. Teach those you mentor to learn, to ask the right questions and to discover and they will surpass all else that you could offer.
Influence on character is more powerful the earlier it takes place. If you can interact with those you mentor earlier it will make a difference. If you know you are going to mentor them when they reach a certain point, start earlier. Even if a little energy is given it will be to their advantage.
Private and public character is determined at a young age. The issue of why the habits we form at an early age matter is clearly seen here. What you see in them as an adolescent is not easily redirected.

What are your thoughts? Let me know.

Right Against Might

January 15, 2015February 6, 2015Tim Morris Leave a comment

“Will you do nothing to put down the evil side of that foolish proverb, “Nothing succeeds like success!” Bread success in its own den, fight the most popular evils, espouse the poorest and the weakest causes, if you believe that they are inspired by one element of right. It takes a strong man to stand alone. It is only a man here and there that can raise a tune, almost everybody tries to have a mumble after it is raised. But stand alone, young friend; stand alone, poor man; stand with the right. We are in the minority, but we are in the minority of God. I do not believe in majorities, popularly so called. I believe men should be weighted as much as numbered. I would rather have the support of one man of a certain kind, than the support of ten thousand of a kind directly opposite.”

Joseph Parker, D.D.

What You Can Expect

January 8, 2015January 11, 2015Tim Morris Leave a comment

Now that the site is moving and is live some may be asking, “What should we expect to see next?” That is a great questions and it is exciting to share a little bit of what is coming in the next few months. Each month there will be a new E-book available for download and it will be free to anyone who wants it. Over the next few months some of the topics you will see popping up are Leadership, Fatherhood, Wilderness Adventure, Military, and a Profile of what one man marked as the time he became a man.

As the unfolding of the process begins let me mention a few ways you can help or engage with us here at Deliberate Men.

The simplest way that you can get involved and stay connected is to subscribe. This will sign you up for each article and free E-book that comes out so it will come to you in a simple and convenient email. As a bonus I am working on an E-Book that will only be available to those who subscribe. (If you sign up prior to it being finished it will be coming to your email once it is ready.)

The next way you can help us and take a step in helping creating solid content for all the readers is to share an idea. All you have to do is fill out a simple form that will give either an idea for an article, a topic of conversation or anything that you can think of. With a wealth of ideas our percentages increase significantly to reach as many men as we can. You may be going through something hard and if you are willing to share, there may be someone connected through the site that can help you engage that particular stage of life deliberately.

If you were looking to do a little more and have the time to help other Deliberate Men live and engage each season of life we ask that you consider Becoming a Contributing Author. This would allow you to write an article on a topic of your choosing or on a topic that has been requested by the readers on the site. We would work with you to take that content for posts on this blog or see a new E-book designed and made available through Deliberate Men.

Take a look at how you can engage with Deliberate Men and take a simple step by signing up or filling out a short form. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for Joining Us

January 1, 2015January 28, 2015Tim Morris Leave a comment

Thank you for taking the time to read a bit of what we are writing and producing. The whole concept of living life on purpose is not new in any fashion but the diversity of what purpose each of us may be living for is so vast that we can direct our time, energy and resources toward the things that matter the most. The hope is that we are able to join ourselves together with a larger group of men who are living life with the same purpose and are deliberately trying to do so well.

As we start we wanted to make one of our E-books available right up front. The following is a short E-book that was originally written to help those who were looking to take the first steps in leadership. It is a quick and simple read but has a few powerful items that can help all of us whether they are new pieces of information or those all important nuggets that we should be reminded of a little more often. To check it out, just click on the image and enjoy!