Man Up

There are plenty of strong woman who still experience weak moments. There are plenty of vulnerable men who ‘man up’ at the drop of a dime. No matter the gender, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. We also have our mental health to look after.

So why write about mental illness, why share stories of OCD? It just exposes our weakness. Not everyone will understand – especially those who don’t deal with it too. Some will judge, some will criticize, some will ignore, and some will even mock. I’ve heard the “man up”, here and there – the ones with good intentions and mockery behind it.

We don’t share for them, we don’t open up with them in mind. But somehow they are the ones on our mind when we hold it in. I share for me, the ones that think they are alone, and the ones who have questions. I’ve been there before, holding it in, keeping it bottled up – suffering in silence as a result. This is why I write, share, blog about mental health. This is my version of manning up.

Manning Up:

Our battles from within can steer us in many directions. The stigmas don’t help, the criticism can confuse us if we let it. We all know the undertone when we are told to man up (if not, try urban dictionary). You might as well hand over your man-card right away, right. Wrong – no one else’s view of you matters.

More than likely, the man up feeling is coming from within. What, society telling you to man up? Who from within society is saying this enough, verbally, to derail your movement? We hear it a few times, most in jokingly fashion and hold on to it. It then sticks out when we hear it repeated in whatever form of the media or friendly banter. But that’s just stigma, magnifying from inside.

So now, when we’re hurting on the inside, it’s the inside voice manifesting this ‘man up’. That is the exact reason why we need to speak up. To combat the hurt on the inside, so that it doesn’t destroy from the inside. That’s manning up.

We’re just supposed to allow our mental health to fade because we cant man up and spit out our truths? We’re just supposed to forget how to really man up by following suit on what society says manning up is? You mean to tell me their version of man up is better than your own version?

100 percent of those telling others to man up need to man up. Give or take 100 on that percentage.

Man The F*** Up:

Man down, man down – quick, all the fellas around, lets help this man up. That’s how you man the fuck up – not by letting ya boy sulk there.

More Manly Then Man Up:

We spend so much time knocking each other down, we forget how to recognize when they need a lift. And if you are actually getting that ‘man up’ thrown in your face, here… These are quotes that say it better, stronger, braver, and more manly then their version of man up.

“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give’em yours!” ~ Dolly Parton

“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” ~ Coco Chanel

“A great man is always willing to be little.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.” ~ Vince Lombardi

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“What worries you, masters you.” ~ John Locke

“Whatever you do, do with all your might.” ~ Cicero

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” ~ John F. Kennedy

“I like criticism. It makes you strong.” ~ LeBron James

Well said.

And Well Done:

Enough talk though, let’s put some action behind those words. I don’t talk about self talk enough. Whether you suffer from OCD or not, negative self talk gets in all of the ways. It even gets in the way of our own positive self talk. I can spin a positive thought like a break dancing turtle on its back. It actually takes practice to start believing the positive self talk, if you’re not used to it.

Think of the difference – negative self talk stops action, while positive self talk promotes action. For example – ‘I’m a loser’ versus ‘I’m a winner’. Both of these thoughts promote quitting: One makes quitting inevitable, the other states that quitting is not even an option.

Here is another example – ‘man up’ versus ‘man up’. This is not a trick by the way. Compare it to the half glass of water exercise. The negative self will view it as half empty, while the positive self sees the remaining half as value.

The same rule can be followed for ‘manning up’. We can either view it as no action necessary so that we can maintain someone else’s version of a man-card. Or, take hold of it by the bull horns and take action on your version of ‘manning up’.

That’s turning our well saids in to Well dones.

Juggling Balls:

To be able to juggle your balls, you need to be in control of the space around you. That includes your mental space as well. If there are others crowding around you, slapping, grabbing, while you’re juggling those balls, you’re losing control. Now balls are bouncing everywhere.

Simply and nicely, take back control of your space by advising that you are manning up, and they do not need to juggle your balls for you.

Man Up:

You got this.

Let me know if you found this helpful. I am curious to hear your spin. Leave a comment or find me on Twitter @UghOCD or Instagram @brentleybigkid.