If you Google the word retreat, you will find some fascinating and relevant definitions.
“The act or process of moving back or away, especially from something hazardous, formidable, or unpleasant: made a retreat from hectic city life to the country.”
“Withdrawal of a military force from a dangerous position or from an enemy attack.”
“The process of changing or undergoing a change in one’s thinking or in one’s position: a leader’s retreat from political radicalism.”
[https://www.thefreedictionary.com/retreat]
The idea of a retreat that resonates the most with me is
“A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security. ”
I hear your thoughts, Bernard, where is this going?
Before I talk about the GMEN Retreat 2020
Let me share a conversation I was having with a group of men earlier this month.
I asked a group of over 20 Men from all over the country:
When did men go from calling their home their castle to living in a cave?
You know their man cave!
I shared that my Father’s generation was excited about coming home to their castle.
They were excited about being greeted by their Queen and celebrated the day with the family they loved and cherished.
It seems somewhere in the previous decade Men Retreated.
Men Retreated from Loving and Leading their families.
Men Retreated from confronting threats to their Faith, Family, Finances, Fitness, and Freedom.
As a Man, I know what it feels like to retreat. I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, out of control, and out of options.
I know what it’s like to see the look of disappointment in your family’s eyes as changes to income impacts the outcomes that you were looking forward to.
Men, this is your wake up call!
How you retreat is up to you?
Today when I retreat, it’s only for two precise reasons.
Number one to find “a place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security. ”
and
Number two to experience “the process of changing or undergoing a change in one’s thinking or in one’s position.”
I attend the GMEN retreat every year and let me start with what it is not.
It is not a day at the spa.
From the Rugged Maniac, we complete as a Team to the Immersive, hands-on Workshops. We discover where we excel and address where we are deficient.
It is not a Men’s Conference.
We are not gathering to apologize for being men, sit all day in a room talking about our problems while running from solutions.
It is not a Vacation.
While we are in some of the most beautiful locations on earth. We are here to dig deep. Do the heartwork, make real, lasting connections while being held accountable for pushing beyond our comfort zones and aligning with our purpose.
Be Afraid because if your not, it shows you do not respect this process.
When we retreat, we are guaranteed to come back stronger.
When we retreat, we are guaranteed to return with frameworks, relationships, and strategies that transform us from the inside out.
When we retreat at the GMEN retreat 2020, the sound we make as we return to walk our post will level up our families, communities, and lives forever.
See you there.
