Unlock Your Potential: 5 Foundational Truths Every Man Must Master

I’m kicking off a new series to share fifty lessons I’ve learned by age fifty. These are the exact life lessons that built my leadership, developed my fatherhood, and strengthened my faith. These aren't just abstract ideas. They're operational doctrine for how I live, lead, and fight every single day. These principles are forged from my own path.

They represent the mindset that has guided me, and now I’m sharing them with you. These are the standards for grown men designed to equip you to access God’s presence, peace, power, and promotion in your life.

Here are the first five of the fifty lesson I'll be sharing throughout the year on the blog. 

1. Command Your World by Investing in Relationships

God created us for community. We are a collective body, a family, and everything hinges on who you know and how you invest in those relationships. When you reach the end of your life, what you acquired or accomplished won’t be the measure. The real question will be: Who is with you? Did you build something lasting through lifelong friendships?

Your focus must be on investing time, passion, and love with people. Place Jesus above all, but immediately after, pour into your relationships. This is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

2. Qualify for Promotion by Serving Another’s Vision

To advance in your own assignment, you must first learn to faithfully serve another man’s vision. Think back to your first jobs—you were building someone else’s business. Those situations are not easy. You face disrespect, difficult leaders, and unfair circumstances. Do not retreat. This is where your character is forged.

This is how you learn to operate under authority. The Roman centurion in scripture understood this principle of submission, which is why he had such faith in Christ’s authority. David endured javelins thrown by Saul, yet he continued to respect God’s authority in the king. I’ve experienced betrayal and mistreatment in my own career, but those are the moments God is watching your response. He uses these trials as preparation for what He is calling you into.

Reframe those hard situations not as setbacks, but as the training ground for your promotion.

3. Advance with Heaven’s Wisdom

You must learn to surrender to God's will and pursue conformity to Christ above all else. You know when you are outside of God’s will. You’ve seen the red flags, ignored the still, small voice, and paid the consequence. The key is to stop fighting and start surrendering.

The trials you face are designed to conform you to the image of Jesus Christ—to bring you into maturity and growth. The Bible gives us the image of a potter molding clay. It is uncomfortable and you cannot see the finished product, but you are being shaped. As Watchman Nee said, “The blood is for your sins. The cross is for your flesh.” You must identify those areas of your flesh that need to die. Confront them, put them on the altar, and surrender.

The sooner you submit, the faster you will accelerate God’s perfect will for your life.

4. Finish Stronger with a Growth Mindset

Adopt this mindset: you will never fail; you will only learn. When you reframe failure as a lesson, you reposition yourself for victory. Instead of seeing a setback as a declaration of your inadequacy, you will see it as a necessary part of the process. You’ll recognize you just need more practice, that you haven’t figured it out yet, but you are getting closer. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team before he became one of the greatest players of all time.

Commit yourself to becoming a lifelong kingdom student, dedicated to self-development. But move from passive listening to active application. What will it look like for you to truly embrace a growth mindset this year?

What action will you take?

5. Lead by Receiving and Pouring Out

Men are natural givers, but many have a hard time receiving. If you feel uncomfortable when the spotlight is on you, when you receive a compliment, or when you’re given a gift, it’s a sign that you struggle to receive. As a son of God, you must learn how.

But receiving is only half of the equation. If you only receive, you become like the Dead Sea—stagnant, salty, and without life because it has no outlet. It only takes in. A man who only consumes information without ever doing anything with it will become the same.

Therefore, for everything you consume, you must create. For everything you receive, you must pour out. When you consume teaching, turn it into action. When you receive a compliment, give one to someone else. When you receive from the Lord, find someone to instruct, disciple, and impart that wisdom to. Stop sitting on the information and intelligence God has given you. It’s time to translate it into impact.

Your Next Move

Aimlessness, stagnation, shallow faith, and inaction—these are the enemies working against your growth, effectiveness, and calling. The principles you’ve just read are the antidote.

This isn’t about temporary motivation or embracing a "rise and grind" culture. It’s about building an operational framework for your life with intentional purpose. It’s about respecting your calling enough to pursue it with focused, masculine clarity.

If you are done with a surface-level approach and ready to build a life of impact, it’s time to get serious. It’s time to apply The Standard.

If you are ready to go deeper, I’ve created the tool that guided me through the entire last year. It’s called The Discipline Codex. It provides an even more in-depth framework for how to construct your life and employ the discipline required to win in every area.