This is a blog about life. It is mostly for blokes .. or men .. or dudes .. or fellas .. or guys. While it’s written mostly for blokes, everyone else is welcome too. This is for real people who are dealing with real-life issues, and who want a bit of help as they do their best to be the bloke they really want to be.

So what’s the brave bit?

The dictionary definition of brave is:

having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty

Being brave is about being open to doing new things or doing things differently. It is about being honest about how you’re doing, asking for help, and trying things out. It is also about accepting that not everything is going to work out and learning to be ok with that.

I’m going to cover heaps of stuff here. We’ll talk about what life is really like – the good, the bad and the ugly. We’ll talk honestly about stuff that people find pretty awkward – like relationships, money, kids, parents, work, health, self-esteem, stress and lots more. I’ll talk to people who have been through some pretty challenging situations. They won’t all be Instagram style success stories. There’ll be hard earned stories of what not to do, as well as hard-earned stories of things that have worked, and lots of stories with both. I’ll mix in some fun stuff as well. I’ll also be learning as I go and will respond to feedback and input (the more the better).

This blog is unashamedly open and honest. It is also aspirational – this is for people who are looking to be their best selves, regardless, or even because of what they’re facing. Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Everyone has a story – we’re all dealing with shit. No one knows with certainty what the right thing to do is. But that’s ok – that’s part of life. We face into it, we respond, we don’t react. We never get it all right. But we learn from things that don’t work, and we keep on going.

I’ve been through a really tough few years (more about that in my story), and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I didn’t have a guide or a mentor to help me through all of this. I didn’t know anyone who had been through anything like it. I had lots of people who did what they could to help – but honestly, they were pretty lost too. I’ve learnt lots of stuff the hard way. I’ve met lots of amazing people who have navigated some really rough water and come out the other side. I’m not at all sure that I’m out the other side yet. I’m pretty sure I’m past the middle, and I’ve certainly been to the bottom and am on my way up.

I was born in the 70s – so my Dad, as much as I loved him, wasn’t really a big one for talking about this stuff (and he was trained as a psychologist!). None of my uncles or my friends’ parents were big on that either. In general, women seem to be better at this than us. Men either white knuckle it through problems, use the stiff upper lip, or just bury it deep down inside in the hope that it might go away while we’re busy elsewhere. We all know the horrible statistics about male suicide, substance abuse, jail population etc. We don’t want this for ourselves, our brothers, our sons, our fathers or our friends.

But it doesn’t have to be like that. There’s a better way. A braver way. You face into the shit. You talk about it, You deal with it. Piece by piece. You ask for help. You don’t get it all right. You fall down. You get back up again. That’s what makes you a Brave New Bloke. We don’t white knuckle it. We talk. We learn. We support each other.

Why am I doing this? Some of it is to help myself – to get my thoughts out. But I really want to help too. I also want to make some sense of what my family has been through. I’m trying to make lemonade out of the lemons, or find the rainbow in the rain. I’ve met lots of other blokes who are struggling through life and if I can help even one of them, then I’ll be pretty happy.

So thanks for joining Brave New Blokes.

Be Brave,

Craig