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Supporting Healthy Masculinity
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if this is right for me?
We can’t answer that question for you. However, if you want to achieve breakthrough in your life, if you want to feel better about yourself as a man and feel more at ease around other men, if you want to be able to trust and connect with other men and relate with your own deepest self, you are probably ready to take on this training.
My life is already working, why should I do the training?
If it is, Great! Men who take the training are not broken. They are already succeeding in life. New Warrior brothers come from all socio-economic backgrounds and professions, from all walks of life. The question for you may be: “Do I want to achieve a Breakthrough – a quantum leap forward in my life?”
Can I get a shorter, cheaper version of this initiation?
No. The training is what it is and represents decades of refinement and results. Thousands of men have validated the impact and usefulness of the process we use. There is no free lunch in life. To achieve the breakthroughs men want, the initiation experience requires the time and design we use. The cost of the New Warrior Initiation Adventure is comparable to other transformational weekends. A better question may be: “Are you willing to invest time and money in yourself?” Money is a symbol of the value men place on things. Are you not worth it? We encourage you to look closely at your commitment to the being dimension of your life. If you are ready to invest in yourself now, we look forward to welcoming you to the next New Warrior Initiation Adventure.
I’ll do it later . . .
A “no” to now is still a “no”. This may be a metaphor for putting your life on hold, rather than being in your life with high intention and purpose. As men, we are more often human doings than human beings. We do do do! The New Warrior experience invites a man to look at his standing as a human being. As men, we are adept at ignoring or putting off handling our emotional lives. We assign that job to mothers, wives and girlfriends and we are unhappy with how they handle the job we gave them. We encourage you to take charge of your own emotional life, to stand up for yourself, ask for what you need and to make your own choices as a man amongst men. Enroll now! Choose to be in the training. Once you feel the commitment within you, the money and time will be there.
How did New Warrior get started?
Three men co-founded New Warrior in 1984 in the USA. Rich Tosi, a former Marine Corps officer and corporate executive; Bill Kauth, a psychotherapist and social activist; and Ron Herring, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and educator who had designed intensive accelerated learning events. These three men sat down together to address the question: “What needs to happen with men today? ” Over time they designed the weekend curriculum which became The New Warrior Initiation Adventure weekend. They tested it in Wisconsin and found its impact to be extraordinary. They continued to refine the weekend experience and expanded it to other parts of the world.
Why can’t I get a course syllabus or outline before the weekend?
If everything about the weekend were explained beforehand, the mystery and beauty of the experience would be gone. You would not experience “your journey” as it is happening. Explaining the concept of personal transformation is far different from the experience of actually being in the cauldron of transformation.
Explain how you men are able to trust one another when most men don’t trust other men.
We are a spiritual community of men. The weekend experience places a man in ritual time and space where profound transformation happens. This experience of standing in “the outer world” creates a common bond of identity and shared purpose. Men of New Warrior are not naive about men. We have a very deep awareness of what the shadow side of men is capable of, but we are discerning about opening our hearts with other men who have been through the same initiatory experience. We have experience dealing with physical and sexual abuse, suicide and other severe traumas. The framework and container of the weekend are strong enough to handle any life experience a man has ever had. We welcome you.
Does the training look at the role of the mother?
Men planning to attend the weekend often assume their big issues will be around their fathers and other male figures. You will get to look at how your parents shaped your development, and how your relationship (or lack of) with your mother while you were growing up, may be impacting your close relationships with women today.
What are the age limitations of doing the Weekend?
You must be 18. The majority of men in our trainings are between 30 and 50. However, the training is valuable for younger and older men. Men in their seventies and eighties have received great value from the training.
I feel anxious, unsettled before attempting this. Why?
If so, this is a good sign. Initiation of men by men is a powerful and deep experience which has been lost in our culture. It involves risk and reward: the risk of truly facing yourself and the reward of having a safe container in which to achieve that. The intuitive, creative part of you may sense a deep need for initiation. Every man requires this for mature masculinity.
Will the training change my relationships with my wife, girlfriend and other women in my life?
Probably. The impact is most often very positive. Most women want men in their lives who are strong, yet have the capacity to be compassionate and gentle. The training fosters both fierceness and gentleness. You will get the opportunity to look at your reliance on women throughout your life and the positives and negatives of how you relate to women. Overall, you are likely to be more clear about what you want from your relationships with females.
Will this training help me in my work/career?
While New Warrior is not a management training weekend, it does address vital issues of leadership, vision, accountability, and integrity. Because you become more clear and focused, you let go of emotional beliefs and feelings that no longer serve you. You will be enhanced as a man; better equipped to manage your life. Your capacity for taking risks and leading others is also enhanced. People follow someone who knows what he is about and where he is going.
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