To Be A Man – an interview with Robert Augustus Masters
by Boysen Hodgson
Bill Kauth, the co-creator of the New Warrior Training Adventure and co-founder of the ManKind Project sent me Robert Augustus Master’s book “To Be a Man” early in 2015, signed with an inscription:
“For Boysen: If, after 30 years, I was to write a book, this would be it! Enjoy – Love Bill”
Reading the book, it’s clear why Bill would speak so highly of it. Men’s work has evolved and deepened over the last 40 years – and Robert Masters clearly has a handle on the rich history and the continuing evolution of what’s possible for men.
In the fall of 2015, the ManKind Project USA produced the Conscious Men Summit with Arjuna Ardagh and John Gray, and I had the huge good luck to host one of the sessions, “He Knows How to Love Deeply,” with John, Arjuna, Gay Hendricks, and Robert Masters. And I was impressed by Masters’ presence and wisdom on the call. So when Sounds True Media invited MKP USA to connect with Robert again, I didn’t hesitate.
I had the opportunity to speak with Masters on Skype about his work. In this conversation, we talk about deep process, about discovering shadow, anger and aggression, about helping men connect to their bodies to unlock their bigger potential. We talk about homophobia, pornography, and dying. We covered a lot in 30 minutes. Watch the video below – and get your copy of the book. Your purchase from Sounds True will help a fantastic content producer, and support the ManKind Project USA.
Who is this book for?
If you’ve been saying …
I’ve got it all—a great job, relationship, and lifestyle—so why do I feel so dissatisfied and disconnected?
Why am I not happier in my intimate relationships?
How do I become more powerful—without becoming that jerk everyone dislikes?
Robert Augustus Masters has clearly tackled some of these questions. What he’s found is that the common solution to these dilemmas is challenging yet clear: we must face our unresolved wounds, shame, and whatever else is holding us back, bringing “our head, heart, and guts into full-blooded alignment.”
With To Be a Man, this acclaimed psychotherapist and relationship expert offers a groundbreaking and deeply insightful guide to masculine power and fulfillment. To Be a Man clarifies what’s needed to enter a manhood as strongly empowered as it’s vulnerable, as emotionally literate as it’s unapologetically alive—a manhood at home with truly intimate relationship.
In this book, you’ll find:
• How your past may be dominating your present
• Shame in its healthy and unhealthy forms, and how to make wise use of it
• How vulnerability can be a source of strength
• Emotional literacy—an essential skill for relational well-being
• Releasing sex from the obligation to make you feel better
• How to disempower your inner critic
• Bringing your shadow (whatever you’ve disowned in yourself) out of the dark
• Embodying your natural heroism and persisting regardless of fear
• What women need from men
• Understanding and outgrowing pornography
• Entering the heartland of true masculine power
If you’ve read your share of popular advice on relationships and being a man—but realize on a gut level that it’s going to take some serious inner work—here’s a great guide to that most rewarding of challenges: doing what’s needed to fully embody your authentic manhood.
Get a broader taste from Robert’s Podcasts at Sounds True:
True Masculine Power
Emotional Intimacy, Part 1
Emotional Intimacy, Part 2
Boysen Hodgson is the Communications and Marketing Director for the ManKind Project USA, a nonprofit mentoring and training organization that offers powerful opportunities for men’s personal growth at any stage of life. Boysen is the author of “The New Macho,” a credo for the mature masculine that has now been shared over 50,000 times in social media and published in numerous blogs, magazines and books. His mission is to transform culture by designing change and building bridges. He is an adoptive father and a dedicated husband. Boysen completed the New Warrior Training Adventure in April 2004 and has been working with men ever since.
