What does it mean to "man up?" For that matter, what does it mean to be a man? 



I'm not referring to a male, or a guy, or some other generic or biologic definition. I'm talking about a MAN!



How should he think? Behave? Treat a lady? Lead in business? Set an example as a father? Care for and protect his wife? Walk with the Lord? Those are some super-deep questions.



I've reflected a lot on these questions in recent years.



During some moments of reflection, I feel sad because it's so rare to see the virtues of manliness displayed today. I worry our boys didn't see enough of me living out those virtues as they grew up, especially because now that they're out of the house, they won't be exposed to them as often as I wish they would be.



In other moments of reflection, I feel nervous about what the future might look like, without enough men who live out their responsibility of being men, and what it might mean to the women who would like to depend on them (no offense to those ladies who feel they don't need a man).



You might read this and think, "Big deal, Tom. Times are changing. Every generation is different."



They are certainly changing, but some things are critical to the fabric of a thriving society. Even Biblical. And the virtues of manhood have always been a cornerstone of the health of society.



That's not to say that the virtues of womanhood aren't just as important. They are. The issue, though, is that too few men are Manning Up today.







A Man's Man...A Book...A Movement



Scott Schuler is one of the "Manliest Men" I know.



He's a "speak softly, but carry a big stick" kind of guy. Scott is deeply passionate, finds peace in the woods, and could probably go toe-to-toe with Ragnar himself (the old Minnesota Vikings mascot, or the one portrayed on The Vikings TV show).



Scott even sports an epic beard...not the nicely manicured, ready for GQ kind of beard...but the kind that would make a Minnesota black bear question whether the beast in front of him would be something to mess with.



But then, when you sit with him, Scott is soft-spoken, caring, compassionate, and tender-hearted.



Scott saw this same issue I mentioned above: Men not stepping up as men as much anymore. He couldn't keep his thoughts to himself anymore, so he wrote Man Up: It's Hard to Resist a Bad Boy...Even More So a Good Man!



Even if you never meet him, you'll know Scott after reading it. He's the same guy in his book as he is in person, right down to his use of uncommonly used words, such as ornery, crappy, assiduity, and testicles to make a point.



As you can imagine, you'll find the book not only informative, but pretty funny in parts, too.



My goal is to tease you with just enough to leave you feeling like you learned something, but wanting more, so you order Man Up.



I'd love to see Man Up become an immediate New York Time's bestseller, so order a copy for every guy in your family, and some of your friends, too. I pre-ordered 20 copies myself.



Instead of just sharing my opinion of Man Up, I want to share a few of the many insights I took away (there were many more that I'm not addressing here). I've mixed in a lot of my own perspective, so whenever I'm directly quoting Scott Schuler, I've made the text blue and italics. That way I don't have to keep writing, "Scott said."



With that, I want to mix in a little Scott Schuler, and a little bit of me as I summarize some of the topics I highlighted as I read Man Up.



To Man Up is to Take Responsibility



A man knows he's entitled to little, and responsible for much. He needs to stand on his own two feet.



There's nothing wrong with leaning on mom and dad for wisdom and guidance, but if a man has to depend on them, well, that's not really manning up.



A man doesn't need his mommy (or his wife) to pay his bills, make him food, buy him stuff, or help coddle him when he feels bad.



He also takes ownership of the problems around him,