“Rite of Passage” Phase 2: Transition
“Among all the different types of journey that people undertake there are also those of a spiritual nature.”
Stage 2: Transition
When we left off in the previous post, young men had been stripped away and separated from their previous identity and environment, and began the transition phase of discovering their new identity. They are in a stage of being no one.
What does this transition look like?
These young men are set up to challenge themselves, often physically and mentally. It's a time to question their inner man and find the answers to questions like “Am I strong enough?”, “Am I a man?”, “Why do I desire the things that I do?”, “Do I have what it takes to conquer any challenge?” to reveal the true meaning of their masculinity and manhood.
The spiritual side of your journey
comes in this phase, when we are met with unshakeable fears, truths, and challenges that require far more than brute strength. When God meets us in the wild, when we find out where we lack and need divine intervention. We begin to lean into God as a Father and Mentor.
A young man on “temporary mobility” or “walkabout” in Australia
In the native Australian rite of passage “Walkabout”, or now more often referred to as “Temporary Mobility”, an individual would take a long spiritual hike across the indigenous land, alone. In most cases they don’t have anything with them but the bare necessities and the clothes on their back. This is an uncomfortable, disorienting and possibly devastating time, where you will have to learn to accept these feelings. There really is no opting out or giving up, once you begin the journey, you will have to work your way out.
This stage often offers a new perspective on life. It shows us how little we really need to survive and be happy, while also realizing the dependence on God that we hadn’t seen before. It opens our eyes to a bigger picture of the world and our part in it.
When you go through this transition, you will likely be between 12 and 18 years old, but transitions happen for the rest of our lives. There is no age limit to personal growth and learning.
The Help
Unlike the young individuals who must face the vast expanse of Australia alone, you have help. You have people all around the world, on podcasts, in books, and especially us here at Crusade To Manhood!
How you can conquer this phase
So, with an understanding of what this phase is, and why we go through it, let’s talk about conquering it.
There are 3 areas you need to being conquering in this time:
Spiritual
Physical
Mental
The Spiritual Field
Your spiritual life starts with a relationship with God. Seeking to understand the unseen world, the one our souls are a part of. When you begin tackling this challenge it will be difficult as it will challenge everything and everyone you know but over time you will begin to feel a peace and joy in your life unlike any other, that will overwhelm any obstacles or hard times. Your relationship with God will reflect on every area of your life including in your relationships, your money, and your success. God created all of this and He knows just how to help you become a master of each area. God wants a relationship with you more than anything, more than the things you do, it's how you interact with Him.
3 ways to build your relationship with God:
Ask yourself why you do what you do - Will it grow or destroy your relationship with God?
Reading the Bible - I recommend downloading the Uversion App on your phone and pick a devotional plan that best suits your challenges in life. Then if you don’t have a real physical bible, go get one. Trust me, it makes a huge difference to read it
Leave your app username below in the comments and we will follow you and walk through a devotional with you!
Prayer is the most powerful form of interaction in my relationship with God, because it's my direct link to God Himself. I can ask Him all of my questions, tell Him about the struggles and the joys in my life, and of course ask Him to help me grow and to grow in the lives of others.
The Physical Field
This is the way of physical transformation. For me that was through lifting weights (conditioning) and physical combat (training). I started lifting weights in highschool, though I was overweight when I started, I became knowledgeable in the subject and mastered it and my health, later in life I went on to train others even. I found the combat side very enjoyable, as my personal experience was in Muay Thai, there is something very freeing and masculine about sparring and physical contact sports like this. Men were meant to wrestle and sparr and be physical.
Here are three ways that I recommend any young man to begin mastering his physical:
Find a challenging sport that you have the most fun with.
Join a league, or start your own. I enjoyed rock climbing, because the community was very supportive and you form a great physical strength from it.
This is also a great time to join a martial arts school, or a Muay Thai, MMA, or BJJ gym.
Begin weight lifting (find a plan, and stick to it).
This is more of a time for inner reflection and personal growth. Find a good podcast, listen to music, download an audiobook, or listen to a sermon. I like to use this time to pray, crazy I know. There is something very peaceful about weight lifting to me, and I use that time to be with God
Get outside.
Hike, run, swim, bike, and even lift outside! Do everything you can to get outside, because believe it or not, even the amount of sun you get each day adds up in your testosterone and overall health as a man.
The Mental Field
The mental transformation is like what Romans 12:2 talks about. The renewal of your mind has a couple places to start.
First off is books, reading non-fiction will help you learn new skills and grow your expertise. This will also build your confidence within yourself and your abilities as well as adding more to your conversational repertoire. Reading fiction can help expand your imagination and your creativity, so both are great options.
Second is education through courses and school. Whether you choose to go to college or not, it doesn’t change the fact that you will always be in school if you want to be successful, it just might take different forms. I suggest looking into a Udemy account, they always have amazing courses for technical and life skills.
Third is to learn from other men. Many successful men have lead great and impactful lives due to their mentors and influencers. Be on the lookout always for someone who you would like to grow with and don’t be afraid to go out on a limb to ask someone personally to mentor you, the worst that could happen is that they say “no”, then you are still where you were before asking. Don’t be afraid to go looking for mentors and people to teach you.
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See you in the crusade,
Isaiah