WCS-002: Boysen Hodgson defines “The New Macho”

World Changer Sessions

Boysen Hodgson shares his experiences from working with men to define a new masculine. He offers practical advice and tools for building community and doing the personal work needed to change the world. About Boysen Hodgson: Boysen Hodgson is the Communications and Marketing Director for the ManKind Project USA, a nonprofit mentoring and training organization that offers powerful opportunities for men's personal growth at any stage of life. Boysen has been facilitating men's work for nearly a decade. He's a co-founder of the Springfield Open Men's Group, former Director for the New England ManKind Project Center, and author of "The New Macho," a credo for the new masculine. Boysen has been featured in numerous radio programs and publications including a New Conversation with Men, Good Men Project, Dallas Voice, and the Sunday Times of London. Boysen received his BA with Honors from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, after completing 2 years of Design coursework at Cornell University. He has been helping organizations and individuals design the change they wish to see in the world for 15 years. He's a dedicated husband, a cyclist, and an urban homesteader. Sponsors: The Universal Flag is a symbol that transcends borders, economics, race, and religion to acknowledge the interconnection of all life. Come join this diverse community from around the world. Personal Mantra: "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." ~ Buckminster Fuller When he almost gave up: Early in his work with men’s groups and the Mankind Project, Boysen hit a wall and began questioning everything from his relationship to his mission in the world. Finally, he recognized that he may not ever get to a place where he feels done with hitting the wall. But he understood that the ongoing practice of facing the difficult feelings and doing the work required to address them would put him in a better place each time he confronted that wall. How he knew the work he was doing was making a difference: A while after he wrote, “The New Macho,” a colleague posted the article on The Mankind Project’s Facebook page and it exploded in popularity. A number of major media outlets also quoted him based on that article, and he realized that the fact that so many people resonated with it and moved it forward, showed that this idea of a new macho – new warrior – is really happening now. There’s a big evolutionary, cultural shift that’s happening among and around men. Practical Advice: Stop going it alone. Connect with other people for learning, working, etc. Do emotional intelligence work, personal development work, learn more self-awareness and meditative skills, etc. Build a circle of people around you who are willing to hold you to looking into their eyes and making that connection, doing the work. Personal Practices: Ken Wilbur’s “Integral Theory,” including different ways of developing himself including meditation, exercise, conscious eating, and community connection. http://www.kenwilber.com/home/landing/index.html Resources: Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible by Charles Eisenstein Organization: Becoming a Man founded by Anthony Di Vittorio - http://www.youth-guidance.org/our-programs/b-a-m-becoming-a-man/ Tools or Technology: Google Documents and Google Drive - https://drive.google.com/ Google's tools for non-profits - http://www.google.com/nonprofits/ Zoom for video conferencing - http://www.zoom.us/ Wordpress - http://wordpress.com/ Nomination for Upcoming World Changer Sessions Guest: Charles Eisenstein - http://charleseisenstein.net/ How to get in touch with Boysen: MKPUSA.org Email: [e-mail] MKP on Facebook