Hollow man
In my experience as a Wellness Consultant, working with men and women does not feel the same.
The collective burdens we carry and the roles we play seem to move through us differently.
Looking at financial stress, for example, I find that many men carry this particular stress in their lower backs, where women tend to hold it in their necks and shoulders. Of course, this is not true for everyone, but it is a pattern that I’ve noticed as my client practice has grown.
Either way, the weight and stress of supporting others can take a toll on the body over time.
Where do you carry or hold stress in your body? How about your partner? Your children?
The body gives signs.
Men often ignore them.
They allow stress to accumulate, they hold things in thinking they are holding things together, and they “check-out” in different ways.
Fellas, this is a call to take better care of you.
Take notice of your patterns, stress levels, and allow others to help you stay strong.
Regular body care, emotional awareness, and healthy release work can improve energy, mood, and well-being.
As always, let me know if I can help.
The writer, TS Eliot, wrote The Hollow Men in 1925 depicting the soul of man after war.
I wrote this to one of my clients recently, and he encouraged me to share it with you.
Hollowman
by Jacquelyn Benjamin
Don’t let this world destroy you.
Don’t let it make you into a hollow man.
There are enough hollow men in this world -
enough men who don’t even know
what kind of man they really are.
Hollow men avoiding themselves
to be like other men.
Don’t let this world overcome you like that,
and don’t pretend either,
because a hollow man is fake.
A hollow man is empty.
You can be all kinds of men
while you’re in the gym
or in the bar
or in the office
or in battle,
but the ultimate test of a man
is who he is when he is alone.
In his aloneness,
he’ll find what he’s really made of.
When there are no distractions anymore,
and you’re facing only you
and what your mind is going through,
take the most care, there.
And if,
because of some unfortunate events,
you’re empty
from what this world has put you through,
open up - even if only a little.
You’re ready to be filled
with something new.
What that is -
Is up to you.
