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There Are Always Options… After a very long period of silence It is I, Alf Herigstad, back at the Being A Better Man Microphone. It feels really great to be back. It seems like a very long time since I recorded an episode and in reality it has been exactly 3 weeks. 21 days since I have released an episode. That is the longest absence I have ever had and I was a little worried about what the consequences would be. I was concerned that everyone would just go away and listenership would plummet. I’m happy to report that during my absence 8,476 people still listened to the podcast. That’s awesome. Thank you all for hanging in there. As I told you in the last episode, the reason for my absence is that I was going to the Burning Man festival with my wife, father, and uncle. I was going to be separated from technology for a while because I was going to be camping out in the Nevada desert. Now I am back though, and I have some stories to tell. Some insights to share. The first thing I want to report is that we had an amazing time. It was a fantastic experience with my dad and uncle who are both in their 80’s. We saw epic art and we witnessed extreme cases of human innovation. We met people from many countries and made a lot of new friends. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbow’s though. There were some hard lessons to learn as well on this adventure. Hard lessons are the best kind, because they teach you the most. Before I continue with the rest of this episode I want you to take a wild guess about what I was wearing the whole time I was gone. That’s right! I was wearing Stump Town kilts…what else? I took my black kilt and my green kilt to burning man with me, and I trashed them. The black one was especially destroyed. When I got home it was no longer black. It had become so impregnated with dust and dirt that it was gray. I thought it would never be the same but after it came out of the wash it looked black and beautiful again. I’m telling you guys, these...
Living A Half-Assed Life… You have arrived at the podcast devoted exclusively to the topic of the character of men. We don’t talk about sports, or politics, or dating or fashion. Here we talk about the nuts and bolts of what it means to be a man in today’s world, we talk about living with character and purpose. We do this, so that you can apply it to your own life and become a better man today than you were yesterday. I am the host and creator of this show, my name is Alf Herigstad. We are very fortunate to have a sponsor of these Friday episodes. A company I have partnered up with that helps me keep this show in production. That sponsor is Stump Town kilts. They are an American company located in Portland Oregon and they have the distinction of making the finest, most versatile, durable and attractive kilts on the market. I know—because I own three of them and have been a customer of theirs long before I even had a podcast. I approached them to become a sponsor for that reason, because I wanted to represent a company and a product that I believe in 100%. Stump Town kilts have several features that other kilts just don’t have. Like the huge hidden pocket, the adjustable sizes, the snap on accessories, and because of the way they are made you don’t have to iron them. They also come in a variety of colors. I have a black, gray, and a green one, the next one I get will be brown but they also have a camouflage one. I wear mine for every occasion from shearing sheep and chopping wood to fancy diners and officiating weddings. They are the perfect garment for any occasion. Right now, as a listener of this show you can get your very own Stump Town Kilt for a substantial discount. Go to stumptownkilts.com and do all your shopping. When you are checking out remember to enter the special code to get your discount, that code is: betterman. All lower case, all one word. Do that and you will receive your discount and also let them know you heard about it right here. Today I’m going to talk a minute about someone I actually know. I won’t use his name and
What Is Required To Be A Leader? Welcome to the beginning of another glorious week in your life as a man. I think every man should be having a glorious life. If you are not currently having a glorious life, the bad news is that it’s probably your fault. The good news, is that every day is a brand new day, and you can be the creator of your own destiny. As men we have the power to create, imagine, dream and innovate. We can sculpt the world around us into what we desire through the strength of our own will. That’s the kind of stuff we talk about here. I am your host, and my name is Alf Herigstad. I have a friend that I met through the medium of podcasting named Wally Carmichael. He lives in Hawaii and he is the host of his own podcast called “Men Of Abundance”. Wally and I are very aligned on issues that pertain to men, and I encourage you all to check out his show, there will be a link to it in the show notes as well. The reason I’m bringing Wally and his show up is because I read something on his Facebook wall and I knew instantly that I was going to steal it and talk about it. I let him know, but I want to be sure and give credit where credit is due. In this post Wally was talking about the essence of leadership. It was beautifully and accurately worded and I’m going to share it with you then talk about it for a little bit. Wally wrote: “Men, if you have to tell someone you’re a leader, chances are, you’re not. Those who chose to follow you make you a leader. You’re position does not determine if you’re a leader. Your age or seniority does not determine if you’re a leader. Your skills determine if you’re a leader. Not even being a dad and a husband make you a leader. When others choose to follow you, then you’re leader. That is not a free ticket to start managing other people’s life.
One Of The Worst Things You Can Do… It is time once again for Being A better Man, the podcast focused exclusively on the character of men in all of its various forms. I am your humble sherpa on this journey, my name is Alf Herigstad, I’m the creator and host of this show. Before I delve into today’s content I’m going to take a moment to acknowledge the sponsor of our Friday episodes: StumpTown Kilts. Stump town Kilts is a company located in Portland Oregon, also known as “Stump Town”. It is there that a few brave, industrious souls dedicate their life to the creation of what I believe to be the best kilts money can buy. Each kilt is expertly crafted with the finest most durable material. The designs are both functional and innovative, which means they have features other kilts do not. Such as the huge hidden pocket, adjustable sizes and snap on accessories. One of my favorite features is that I don’t have to iron them. In addition to having an amazing kilt that will be the envy of everyone who see’s you, you will also have the privilege of dealing with the people who work there. They are all great people who really care about your comfort and appearance when you are wearing their product. Right now you can receive a substantial discount as a listener of this show. Just go to stumptownkilts.com. It’s an easy website to navigate. Pick out your color, size and accessories and then when you check out enter the code: betterman, all one word all lower case. When you do that you will receive your discount and you will also let them know you are a listener of Being A better Man. Go to stumptownkilts.com and enter the code: betterman today. _______________________________ We all have certain things that disgust us right? One of the things that disgusts me is when I hear a grown man complaining about his wife or girlfriend, running her down to other people, demeaning and disrespecting her. I really don’t enjoy hearing men complain about anything at all, I think it’s pathetic…but it is particularly nauseating to me when a man will complain about his significant other. Don’t get me wrong....
I appreciate you taking a little time out of your manly day to listen in. My intention is that you will receive something from this podcast that will cause you to think. That you will be inspired to consider your own personal manhood as you go through your day. It’s important, because staying aware and purposeful and mindful of your role in the world will result in you being a better man today than you were yesterday. I am your host, my name is Alf Herigstad. Right off the bat though, I’m going to give a huge shout out to our sponsor; Stump Town Kilts. I realize that it might be easy for you guys to hear me talk about Stump Town kilts every Friday and you get used to it—immune to it even. You may not realize how important it is to have a sponsor that helps me be able to produce this show, so that you can listen to it. It really is a vital component to what we do here because believe it or not, this takes time and resources to create. Time and resources cost money. There are three things that keep us going; Stump Town kilts, our Patreon page, and my book. These are the three main revenue streams that keep this podcast afloat. I know there are a bunch of you out there that hear me talk about these kilts and you intend to get one, you have every intention of it. The same is true of the Patreon Page and the book. You intend to, but then life happens and you start doing something else and you forget. I get it—I do the same thing all the time, but that’s why I keep bringing it up. To help remind you. So look, if you are one of those guys that has been intending to get your very own Stump Town Kilt, you can decide to wait no longer! Go to stumptownkilts.com and start shopping for your new kilt right now. When you are checking out enter the purchase code: betterman, all lower case, all one word, and you will receive 10% off your entire purchase. Then come back and listen to the rest of this episode. I would not ask you to do this if I didn’t believe in this product 100%. In my opinion these are the finest, most well made, versatile, innovative kilts on the...
Work Like A Man… Hey Everybody. Welcome to Being A Better Man, I am your host and my name is Alf Herigstad. We are not trying to change the world here…we are just trying to change your world, one day at a time. The whole idea is that if we can get a bunch of guys to commit to just being a better man today than they were yesterday—then the world will be a slightly better place. You don’t have to be great, you don’t even have to be good…you only have to be better than you were yesterday. I think everybody can do that. Anyways, I’m glad you are listening today. In these past 214 episode I don’t think I have ever dedicated an episode to sheer, old fashioned manual labor. I’m a little surprised by that because manual labor has been such a big part of my life. In fact I spent all day today doing just that here on our farm. My definition of manual labor is when you are doing something physical, it becomes uncomfortable, and you keep on doing it until you finish the task you set out to do. Correct me if I’m wrong, please…but it seems to me like there are a lot of guys nowadays that spend a lot of energy trying to avoid manual labor at all costs. Yes, I’m speaking to the younger crowd today primarily, guys that are 40 and younger. Believe it or not, there are a lot of guys that actually do not know how to work hard. It sounds weird to say it, but it’s true. Working hard at a physical task is actually a skill that must be learned. I’m not talking to guys that are physically disabled, or handicapped in any way. You guys already know what it’s like to work hard because you do it every day of your lives. I’m talking to everyone else. Life is so easy in these modern times, and people are trained that when something becomes hard or uncomfortable, it’s time to stop. I’m talking about part of your body starts hurting, or you start sweating, or you get tired. When these things happen a lot of guys just stop working, because that is what life has trained them to do. I know what I’m talking about because I have seen it first hand. I was a fencing contractor for a number of years and the hardest thing I had to deal with was finding good people to work for me. It’s hard work,...
The Power Of Today…again Hey everybody, welcome to Being A Better Man. I am your host my name is Alf Herigstad, and today I’m going to do something a little different. I’m actually headed out of town and my schedule is totally booked up for a few days so I thought I would replay an episode from December 30th, almost 6 months ago. It’s the last episode of 2016, number 147. I chose this episode because the content is still valid for one—but also because it’s an opportunity for all of us to check in on how this year is going. Are we accomplishing the things we set out to do at the start of the year? Or, do we need to change directions and do something different for the next half of the year? I’ll be back on Monday with a brand new episode. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Before I get started I want to mention the sponsor of todays episode, Stump Town Kilts. Stump Town Kilts is making it possible for me to share todays episode with you. If you wear kilts, or have ever even considered the possibility of wearing a kilt, please go to their website and look at what they have to offer. As a listener of this show you can receive 10% off your on-line purchase by entering the code: betterman when you check out. These are the kilts I wear every day and there are two features that I especially love. One is the huge hidden pocket right in front. I carry a ton of stuff in there and nobody knows it there…because it’s hidden! It is a brilliant feature. I also love the attachable pockets, because I can move them around where they are most useful and they are interchangeable. I can put a black pocket on my green kilt if I want to. So check out stumptownkilts.com, when you use the code: betterman they will know that Alf sent you. Thanks for supporting this sponsor. Yes, today is the last episode of 2016. I personally am happy to welcome in the new year. 2016 was ok, but I’m always excited about what lays ahead…the future. In January of 2016, almost a year ago, I...
Hey every body! Alf Herigstad here, broadcasting from the rain-soaked, wind-battered region of the country known as western Washington. You have arrived at the podcast that is devoted to advancing the character of men—welcome to Being A Better Man. I got a letter recently from a listener named Calen. In it, he said that he is having trouble getting things together at both work and home at the same time. He said he knows what it takes to be the best at everything individually, but the trouble comes in when you try to be the best at everything at once. He thinks consistency might be part of the problem, and that constantly trying to balance all aspects of his life is leaving him feeling burned out on everything. Sound familiar? What Calen is describing is one of the most relevant issues men face today; trying to find balance between work, home, and your social life. So that’s what I’m going to talk about today, but first I am going to acknowledge the sponsor of todays program: Stumptown kilts. I’ll tell you a little story; I started going to a tavern last summer to play bingo with my dad. It was a good way to spend time with him doing something he enjoys. It was summertime and I always wore one of my kilts. Then winter hit, and there were rare occasions that I would wear jeans instead of my kilt. Every time I did that people I didn’t even know would come up to me and ask me why I wasn’t wearing my kilt. They were disappointed, they had come to expect that I would always be wearing a kilt and when I wasn’t it seemed to leave them feeling unsettled somehow. I’m telling you this story to illustrate the power of the kilt. When you wear a kilt people notice you, and they remember you. You somehow instantly become extraordinary because you aren’t dressed like everyone else. I can tell you, as a man, being extraordinary can come in really handy. Beyond that, there is the basic comfort and freedom that a kilt provides. I do everything in my kilt from climbing mountains, to fishing, to officiating weddings, and the only brand of kilt I’ll buy is Stump Town Kilts. Why? because of the superb craftsmanship, the innovative design, the affordable...
I’m Back! With a harrowing tale… Hey every body! I’m back! This is Alf Herigstad resuming the Being A Better Man podcast after mother nature took me out for a few days. As you may have noticed there was no podcast last Friday, or this Monday, and todays podcast is coming out late in the day. I am sorry for the break in continuity, it’s the first time that I have ever missed releasing an episode on time and there is a good reason for it. Here where I live in the wilds of Western Washington, we had a major weather event that causes severe damage. We thought it was a tornado, but turns out it was a micro-burst. Essentially it was a super powerful storm with tornado like gusts of wind. It cut a swath of destruction though our community and we were without power and internet for several days. Even as I am recording this episode we do not have internet…our power just can back on though, so I am getting ready for when our internet does come back on line. Everyone that went through this storm has a different story about what it was like for them, what they saw and what happened. I am no different. However, I am going to share my story with you, not just for the story aspect—but also because of the observations I made during the chaos. For those of you who don’t know, I spend a portion of my time being a substitute school bus driver. I enjoy the interactions with the children and some of the other challenges that come with the position. On the day of the storm I had an after school route from an elementary school, kids between kindergarten and 5th grade who had some sort of after school activity and needed to be brought home. We had a little thunder storm earlier in the day with heavy rain and wind, and everyone thought it was over. As I pulled up to the school and was waiting for the children to come out, I got out of the bus and was just looking around. It was very eerie. There wasn’t any wind, and the sky and everything else was taking on an unusual color. I looked to the southern sky and I saw clouds that were pitch black all across the southern sky from horizon to horizon. There was something else though, a very odd cloud shape I hadn’t seen before. It looked like it was welling up from somewhere evil, with little tendrils underneath it.
My name is Alf Herigstad and I would like to welcome you to Being A Better Man. The podcast that is focused on the character of men exclusively. We talk about a wide range of topics here, but they all relate back to us individually, and what kind of men we are. As I go through this episode I will be using the pronouns of heterosexual relationships, mainly because that is the majority of who I’m talking to. If you are of another gender preference or persuasion just insert your own identifier. The him, her, he, she isn’t that important…what’s important is that we are all humans and these things are true for everyone. There is a question that every man asks himself through the course of his life. Sometimes he asks it once, and sometimes it may be several times. The question I’m talking about comes up when you meet a new potential woman who you think might be worth investing yourself in. The question is; “Is she the one.” THE ONE. That is kind of a big deal in our common vernacular. It is a statement that combines a lot of concepts together. Like will she be a good wife, a good mother. Will she be a good partner in the the lifestyle that I want to live, will we be happy together forever? Will she get along with my family and does she like dogs and if I go fishing will she want to come with me? For each one of us, the requirements of “THE ONE” may be different. We all have a different idea of that dream girl, and it depends a lot on where you are from and what your interests are. What your sense of humor is like and what kind of person you are attracted to. It’s different for everybody. Even when we know the answers. Even when we know the kind of person we are looking for, it seems like this question frequently comes up, sometimes at the last minute, when you are on the threshold of the altar about to get married. “Is she the one?” The intent of this episode is to give you a shortcut to that answer. Some of you that are blinded by love or lust won’t hear me…but hopefully the rest of you will. I’ll start by identifying some of the ways you can be sure she is not the “ONE”.
Entrepreneur and Host of the Being A Better Man Podcast, Alf Herigstad, joins NOL to share important tips on how to become the best man you can be… and if you're a woman who is listening, you will also learn tips on how to understand men better, and how to choose a good one. Some things we discuss in the show: How many men don't grow up with solid male role models, and why that's a problem The 2 cornerstones of being a man Alf's definition of what it actually means to be a man, and the difference between men and boys. The obligations and responsibilities of men in the world The importance of a man's legacy, and why most younger guys don't consider it Tips on how to identify a good man Pick up Alf's book called “Forging A Man” on Amazon: http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/author And connect with him here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/ Website: www.beingabettermanpodcast.com Email: alf@beingbetter.men Twitter: @Alfbeingbetter
Entrepreneur and Host of the Being A Better Man Podcast, Alf Herigstad, joins NOL to share important tips on how to become the best man you can be… and if you’re a woman who is listening, you will also learn tips on how to understand men better, and how to choose a good one. Some things we discuss in the show: How many men don’t grow up with solid male role models, and why that’s a problem The 2 cornerstones of being a man Alf’s definition of what it actually means to be a man, and the difference between men and boys. The obligations and responsibilities of men in the world The importance of a man’s legacy, and why most younger guys don't consider it Tips on how to identify a good man Pick up Alf’s book called “Forging A Man” on Amazon: http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/author And connect with him here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/ Website: www.beingabettermanpodcast.com Email: alf@beingbetter.men Twitter: @Alfbeingbetter
The Minutia Of Manhood… Hey every body. It is I, Alf Herigstad, back once again to talk with you about the minutia of manhood. Welcome to being a better man, I’m glad you are here with me. Ah…the minutia of manhood. It doesn’t sound very appealing when you say it like that. We men usually avoid minutia, I know I do. For those of you who don’t know, minutia is the tedious details of things. The little things that are no fun but, that must be done. For example, you may not realize that I am a home brewer. I do make some craft beers, but mostly I make mead, which is essentially wine made from honey. One of the oldest alcoholic beverages mankind ever made, and it’s what the Vikings drank. This is a hobby of mine that is a lot of fun. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it and I have experimented with all kinds of different flavors and techniques. I have made jalapeño mead, and coffee mead, strawberry and rhubarb mead. I love the creation process, and I love having people try it and see the surprise on their face. I love the science of it too, like how the yeast transforms honey and water into something amazing. There is a part of this process I don’t like though, and that is the minutia. The minutia of being a home brewer happens every time you want to put your new creation in bottles. I hate washing bottles, that is the minutia, but guess what? If I don’t wash the bottles then it will just sit there forever in these big glass fermenting vessels. The only way to taste it or share it would be to get a big straw and sit on the floor sucking it out…and that wouldn’t be any fun I don’t think. So, I wash bottles. I stand at the sink for a couple hours sterilizing and washing and I hate every second of it. Those bottles are not going to wash themselves, so I have no choice. Being a man is no different, being a man has minutia attached to it just like everything else does. I love being a man. I like being big and strong and being able to make things and grow a beard. I like being regarded as a man in society and most other things that go along with
A Family Tradition…our responsibility as men Welcome one and all to Being A Better Man. The podcast that is focused on the character of men…for the sake of the rest of the world. My name is Alf Herigstad, I’m your host, and I am very glad you are listening today. Hey if you enjoy this podcast, if you agree with the mission here, it would mean a lot to me if you pop over to the iTunes page and leave a rating and review. The more reviews I have the more visible the show becomes, and it makes it easier for new listeners to find it. Thank you for doing that. Also, if you are a regular consumer of the show, and you would like to help keep this content coming, there is another way you can show your support. You can go to Patreon and actually become a patron of the show by pledging your support on a monthly basis. It can be as little as a dollar a month, or as much as you want. When you do that it does two things; it lets me know that the show is having an impact and you want more, and it also helps me with some of the expenses associated with producing the show. You can watch a video I made and learn more about it at: http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/Patreon If you have been listening for awhile, you know that these episodes cover a pretty wide range of topics, but they all ultimately relate to our life as men, and being a better man than we were yesterday. You may have wondered how I come up with the topics I talk about, and how I decide what to talk about on any given day. Well basically, I just look around in the world. I see whats going on. I listen to the news and see what people are talking about on social media, and I ponder what effect it all has on the state of manhood in the world. Usually there is something that is sticking in my brain more than other things, and I talk about that. Today there is something sticking in my brain, and I need to talk about it. This doesn’t come to me from the world at large, but rather from my own life. It’s a very personal topic for me. Today I’m talking about family.
WHAT MOVES YOU FORWARD? My name is Alf Herigstad, I am your host and fellow man in the trenches. I will be guiding you into this labyrinth of manly musings. But first, I want to acknowledge the sponsor of today’s program; Stump Town Kilts! They have been sponsoring the Friday episodes since December of this year. If you have not yet checked them out over at stumptownkilts.com …you really should. If you have ever envisioned yourself wearing a kilt, these people at Stump Town Kilts are making the finest, most durable, kilts on the market today in my opinion. That’s why I own three of them. I visited their operation down in Portland Oregon, and they were all wearing kilts. So, you have people who wear kilts, making and designing the kilts. They know what works, they know how they feel, they understand the form and function required to make a superior garment that can be worn anywhere, and that breeds innovation and excellence. So stop thinking about it, just head over to stumptownkilts.com and pick out your next kilt. Don’t forget to enter the code: betterman, all one word all lower case, at checkout to receive 10% off your entire purchase. OK men. Here we are, at the conclusion of another week in our life. They just keep stacking up don’t they? the days, weeks months and years…they just keep rolling along. Time keeps moving forward, it cannot be stopped. I think it’s important, as men to not let the wave of time wash over us and leave us behind. If you aren’t paying attention, if you get lazy or complacent, time can roll right over your head and leave you sitting there…a stagnant, echo, of a man that could have been. I know thats a little abstract, so I’ll explain it in more concrete terms. I’ll define what kind of guy I’m talking about. We have all known guys like this, perhaps we have even been this guy ourselves…or are right now. It’s a guy that has got caught in a rut. At some...
Alf Herigstad, an Asatru Gothi, whose Kindred have dropped the Asatru moniker and landed on Heathen. He is a Heathen Gothi (Preist) who shares his story and experiences with us. A carry over from the last episode, Alf grabs his Rune Stones and prepares to read my rune draw. As a bonus, he invited me to attend his Kindred’s Yule Blót this last weekend. Was I ready to attend my first heathen blood sacrifice ritual to the gods? Find out in this week's episode, plus bonus material about my experience at the Yule Blót as I recorded my thoughts on my drive to and from the Blót. LISTEN ON iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeart
Alf Herigstad is a lifelong entrepreneur in four different industries: construction, fitness, transportation, and real estate. He grew up on a small farm in Washington State, where he still lives on a small farm of his own. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army, a former boxer, a farmer, a reality TV personality in Norway, a father of three and grandfather of nine. All of his life experience has culminated into a driving passion to now share the things he has learned with the rest of the world, particularly with other men. Today, Alf is host of the Being A Better Man podcast. His message to men everywhere is to be a better man today than you were yesterday…, and then to keep doing that every day until you die.
Alf Herigstad, he was on the path to be a Pentecostal demon hunting preacher when he became a Norwegian Reality TV Star (Alt For Norge, Season 3) where he found the spiritual path of his ancestors and then becomes an Asatru Gothi. Not in this particular order necessarily, but you get the idea. I ask Alf to chat with me over mead and beers to teach me the ways of Norse Folk Life. Words like pagan, heathen, and diviner are discussed as I try not to shit my pants. I'm a former Christian for heaven sake; I'm not ready for this! Haha, yeah right! He patiently tells me his story, and we find a lot of great connections, spiritual and otherwise. As we end the show Alf invites me to come and experience a Yule Blót and I am curious about him reading my stones, my Rune Stones that is. LISTEN ON iTunes | Soundcloud | Stitcher | Google Play | TuneIn | iHeart
HOW TO HANDLE A BAD MOOD… Welcome to being a better man, the podcast that is here to remind all of us, to be a better man today than we were yesterday…that includes me. I get as much out of making this podcast as you get out of listening to it, so it is a win – win situation all around. I am your host, my name is Alf Herigstad. Hey I want to give a quick shout out to the newest Patron of the show, a man named Mitch Evancho has become a supporter, a Patron of this broadcast. He did that by going to PATREON.COM and pledging his support. Thank you Mitch! It means a lot. If you want to do the same thing just click on these blue links >> patreon.com and check out the video I made, and see what it’s all about. Ok, today’s episode is about how a man handles being in a bad mood. A lot of us like to think we are never in a bad mood. Some of us like to act as though bad moods and moodiness in general are the exclusive domain of women…lets be honest though, we all know that isn’t true. We are all human beings and sometimes, all of us are subject to finding ourselves in a less than cheerful disposition, regardless of our gender, or our intellect, our positive attitude, or our sheer toughness…It happens. There is a formula out there that I agree with; it says life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to what happens to us, That 90% is the part that matters…that same formula applies to our mood. It’s tricky business because if your aren’t thinking about it, or if you are in denial about the mood you are in, it might express itself in ways that are not consistent with the kind of man you want to be. For example when some guys are in a bad mood it can make them short tempered and they snap at people around them. Some guys might actually get mean and say ugly things they don’t really mean. Other guys just become distant and aloof, separating themselves from the people around them which causes everyone else to feel like they did something wrong. None of these are good things. The causes of a bad mood are infinite. Sometimes someone can say something that rubs you the wrong way, it gets under your skin and acts like an infection in your mind without you even...
Our feature guest today, Alf Herigstad, is a lifelong entrepreneur in four different industries; Construction, fitness, transportation, real estate, and now…as host of the Being A Better Man podcast. He is a Veteran of the Army, a former boxer, a farmer, a reality TV personality in Norway, a father of three and grandfather of nine. All of his life experience has culminated into a driving passion to now share the things he has learned with the rest of the world, particularly with other men. His message; be a better man today, than you were yesterday….and then keep doing that every day until you die. [spp-tweet tweet=" So many guys are drifting into adulthood without any idea of what it means to be a man. Alf Herigstad "] https://www.facebook.com/groups/menofabundancecommunity/ (Get in on the conversation) You can Time Travel... well kinda. Click on the timestamps below to travel directly to the part of the show you want to enjoy. [spp-timestamp time="7:29"] Alf's Attitude of Gratitude [spp-timestamp time="8:18"] Let's get Personal [spp-timestamp time="14:22"] What was Alf's Biggest Kick in the Gut moment? [spp-timestamp time="19:23"] Alf's Enough is Enough Pivot Point [spp-timestamp time="31:40"] Paying it Forward [spp-timestamp time="34:03"] Action Steps Have a moment in the mirror Take note of what you like and don't like. Look into how to get better in those things you like Keep repeating steps one and two until you die. [spp-timestamp time="35:36"] Daily Habits that make the biggest impact in Alf's life Schedule of alarms for specific tasks throughout the day I even have an hour where I will do what my wife wants me to do And I schedule in my down time [spp-timestamp time="37:22"] Recommended books https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1591842336&linkCode=as2&tag=menofabundanc-20&linkId=197436d62c9689991b52912dadbaeffa (Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us) - Seth Godin [spp-timestamp time="38:42"] What does Living A Life of Abundance mean to Alf Herigstad? The most valuable things we posses in life are our relationships. That's what I believe is what Abundance is all about. [spp-timestamp time="39:32"] Parting piece of guidance. The things we Focus on will expand. Thats the good things and bad things. Connect with Alf Herigstad http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/ (http://www.beingabettermanpodcast.com/) Email - Alf@BeingBetter.men https://www.facebook.com/alf.herigstad?fref=ts (Facebook) https://twitter.com/AlfHerigstad (Twitter) Sponsors and Affiliates (Helping me keep the mic on.)http://tmschwab.ontraport.com/t?orid=935&opid=7 (Interview Valet) - Grow your business talking directly to your ideal customer. http://tmschwab.ontraport.com/t?orid=935&opid=7 ()Executives, entrepreneurs, & thought leaders everywhere are learning how to reach tens of thousands of targeted interested individuals who are passionate about your area of expertise. Connecting with them through Interview Valet’s concierge-level podcast guest booking service is easy and effective with startlingly immediate results. We have perfected the formula for maximizing the impact of your expertise on your industry through podcasting. http://tmschwab.ontraport.com/t?orid=935&opid=7 (This video explains) it much better than I can. https://podcastwebsites.com/account/aff.php?aff=336 (Podcast Websites) - Your All-in-One solution for your podcast and podcast website.https://podcastwebsites.com/account/aff.php?aff=336 ()You want to provide an amazing experience for your audience, right?. While you love learning new things and techniques, you also know how important it is to FOCUS on what you're good at, talking to your guests and audience. That's why you need Podcast Websites in you corner to help you build an incredible... Support this podcast
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CLICK HERE to leave a Rating & Review on iTunes Don't forget to try Audible.com. Get a FREE book with your FREE for 30 trial. What's better than FREE knowledge? Check out the show notes at: www.weraddads.com/alf Join the Facebook community at: www.facebook.com/groups/weraddads Stay UP! Stay CONNECTED! & Stay RAD DADS!
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Upbeat w Tom Hayes and Alf Herigstadt on "Being a Better Man"
CELEBRATE THE GOOD THINGS… Happy Friday to you all! I am your host, my name is Alf Herigstad…and today is kind of a special day. Sometimes, when things are going good you just need to talk about it and share it with other people…I’m sharing it with you right now. First of all, today is episode 90! That is pretty amazing to me, because it seems like just yesterday I was putting this thing together and getting ready to launch, and now here I am at 90 episodes…just 10 more and we’ll be at 100. Wow. You know when I started this, I wasn’t sure if it would stick or not. I didn’t know what to expect really, but since then the fantastic feedback I have received from you listeners has really made me feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. So, thank you. The other cool thing that happened, kind of in the same vein…is that at the beginning of this week I went over 100,000 downloads. That’s one tenth of a million! That is a number I have been looking for since I started this, and now we have made it…again, thanks to all of you listening. Really, I’m just one guy sitting here in the secret man cave talking into a mic…and without all of you listening, that’s all I would be. Without you guys, there would be no podcast. I would just be being a better man all by myself…it’s so good for me to know you guys are on this journey with me, and I really can’t thank you enough. The other cool thing that has happened is this last Monday, the 15th of August 2016, My ninth Grandchild, a girl named Roux, was born to my son Clinton and his wife Lyndsay. They are way over in Michigan so I won’t get to meet her for a while, but I’m really looking forward to it. You may remember Clinton, he was my first guest way back on episode 5. So that’s what going on with me today and that’s why I’m in a good mood. That’s kind of what I’m going to talk about today, the importance of celebrating the good things that happen in your life. What is life? It’s a series of struggles and challenges interspersed with a few good things that happen, if you make them happen. We spend our whole lives trying to create the good things, striving towards those moments that will elate us, the moments that become memorable and cherished. The rest of the time we are kind of trudging through life, going to work, taking out the garbage, paying bills, waking up and doing it all over
As a new listener you might wonder why we would want to do that…and I would say because if you commit to being a better man today than you were yesterday, and keep doing that every day until you die, then you will have lived a life that is as close to your potential as a man, as you can get. The other benefit, is that with all these men being better men than they were the day before…the world will become a better place. So, we are making the world a better place, one man at a time. So thanks for being here, new listeners and old ones. I am your host, my name is Alf Herigstad. Today I am going to talk about peer pressure. Peer pressure has probably gotten guys into more trouble than anything else in the world. Seriously, when people take drugs or alcohol for the first time it is usually because of peer pressure. When guys do stupid things that send them to jail…it’s usually because of peer pressure. When guys wind up permanently maimed or dead…it is usually because of peer pressure. So…why is that? Why will people so readily and so often act in ways contrary to their own common sense just because they are encouraged by a group of their peers to do so? It’s obviously a very powerful thing, this peer pressure. I’m sure many, if not all of you listening have succumbed to peer pressure at least once in your life. Well, don’t feel bad about it. It turns out it is a very natural human thing. Our peer group are usually people in our same age bracket that are in the same social / economic status as us. This is the water we swim in from day to day. It’s a pretty natural thing to want to elevate your status within your peer group by becoming popular, being well liked, and being accepted and thought of as part of that group. The problem is…often times, people of greater influence in a peer group will encourage others who want to gain status, to do really stupid things. Things you wouldn’t do otherwise. Sometimes it is done just to demonstrate their power. Peer pressure can effect people of any age, it’s not just a high school thing, and it doesn’t just happen in social settlings…peer pressure can happen in the work place too, and it does. Basically, anytime you are talked into doing something you really don’t want to do…you are being peer pressured. I’m sure you can see the...
EMBRACE THE ENEXPECTED! Welcome to Monday! It’s the start of a new week of life…and life, everyday is kind of an adventure isn’t it? Because you never know whats going to happen. Well, I am your host, Alf Herigstad, and whats happening right now is this podcast…thank you for tuning in. So, like I was saying, life…the living of it from one moment to the next is kind of an adventure. Oh sure, it doesn’t always seem like an adventure, especially if you are letting life happen to you. A lot of it you can anticipate and predict…because it’s the same stuff that happens every day, large parts of life might seem boring or mundane…and they are, exactly that. However…in everybody’s life, on occasion something unexpected happens doesn’t it? Someone says something you didn’t expect, or the car in front of you careens off the highway, a deer or rabbit runs across the road in front of you, you get a phone call with terrible news…or really good news. Unexpected things happen all the time, to everyone. That’s why they are called unexpected…because we didn’t know that was going to happen, we didn’t expect it. It is in these unexpected moments that adventure can happen. Some of these unexpected moments can be life changing, while others just become a story you tell at dinner that evening, but each and every one of these unexpected moments are critically important to your life, wether they are good or bad. They give everything else context, and it is in these moments that we learn. Imagine for a moment, life without unexpected moments. Imagine a world in which nothing unexpected ever happens. I think there is a name for that; it’s called death. Obviously, what matters most when these moments happen is what we do, how we react, and it is in these moments that we have an opportunity to know ourselves a little better, based on our reactions. In these times we live in many people have it very easy, too easy in my opinion. Unexpected moments have become rare for some. These are soft times we are living in, and we as men in general are becoming soft as a result. Lets think for a moment about our ancestors. Regardless of your heritage, all of our ancestors had something in common…every day for them was about survival. Every day was chock full of unexpected events. You never...
DEVIL BIKE! Every Wednesday we depart from the regular format and we have Story Time. This is where I tell a story from my strange and interesting life, it could be funny, sad, serious, or even disturbing. Afterwards I talk about the moral of the story…the lesson learned that pertains to being a better man. The message is always consistent here regardless of what episode you listen to; be a better man today, than you were yesterday. Today is another tale from the summer of 1968, it was a busy year. In this macabre tale a young Alf Herigstad becomes the hapless victim of his very own bicycle. AS ALWAYS THOUGH…THERE IS A MORAL TO THE STORY THAT TIES EVERYTHING BACK TO THE MESSAGE…BE A BETTER MAN TODAY, THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY. HEY GUYS, COME AND SAY HI ON THE FACEBOOK PAGE, THIS IS A LINK: https://www.facebook.com/bettermanpodcast/ WHILE YOU ARE AT IT, USE THE FORM BELOW TO JOIN THE EMAIL LIST: _________________________________________________________________ // (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/27/1175410227.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-t8d8jxubo")); // ]]>
Heathenry is going through a difficult stage in it’s evolution, especially lately. In this episode, we talk to Alf Herigstad founder of the Hawk’s Hearth Kindred, about his tradition of heathenry and the various issues that are important in heathenry today. What is heathenry? Why is there racism in heathenry? What are people doing about it? What does Heathen lore say about difference, and how does racism go against the edict of hospitality? Alf also talks about doing prison ministry, being on a Norwegian reality TV show, and his tradition’s use of animal sacrifice. Note: This episode talks about animal sacrifice and farm life. Alf Herigstad grew up in Washington State where he and his wife still reside on a small farm. He is a veteran of the Army, a former owner of several construction businesses, as well as a former long haul trucker and real estate agent. His employment list is long and varied because, as he says...he likes to learn new things. Raised as a Christian Alf at one time had an ambition to become an evangelical preacher and was very active in his local church. After life took several turns he found himself disillusioned with that path. Being descended from Norwegian immigrants he turned to one of his life-long interest; that of researching his heritage...that led to his discovery of Asatru Alf first became interested in Asatru around 2005, he began attending a Kindred local to him. He took to it immediately and after intense study eventually attained a position in the kindred. He was ordained / appointed as a Gothi in 2008. Then, in 2011 founded a new Kindred; Hawk's Hearth, which currently consists of about 30 members. Alf is the host of a new podcast; Being A Better Man. A secular program devoted specifically to the character of men. The idea is to be a better man today then we were yesterday...then do that every day. Although the program is secular in nature, his opinions are strongly influenced by his heathen philosophy and in that way he is infusing his listeners with a healthy dose of Heathen principles...which he says is basically just common sense. Links: Hawk’s Hearth: www.hawkshearth.com (website still being added to and updated) Alf’s Podcast: www.beingabettermanpodcast.com Alf’s email: alf.thorvald@gmail.com
BIG NEWS! (added 04/18/18) The content from 193 episodes has yielded a product! Not every episode, but from the Wednesday stories I tell that have a lesson attached to them. It has been compiled into a book called, Forging A Man ~ A Collection Of True Tales, And The Lessons Wrought From Them. It will be available in both eBook and print form, the print copy will make a fine gift as well. Here is a link to my author page, if you only see one book, that means the print copy isn’t available yet, but it will be soon. Oh, and please remember to leave a review on Amazon, because that makes it more visible to potential readers. Thank you so much! (GET THE BOOK HERE) Welcome, to another installment of story time with Alf, today’s story is The Walnut Tree. As usual with Wednesday’s episodes…there are no regular show notes. But, I will remind you that I really love getting feedback, of any kind. So comment on this episode and others, send me your show ideas here, go to iTunes and rate and review the show, or do the same at stitcher if that is what you use. Subscribe to the program so you get all the new episodes. Join the email list!!! You can also just write to me at alf@beingbetter.men. Why do I want you to engage? Because, your engagement is what will make this podcast sink or swim ultimately. And, it just makes me feel good to know people are listening and to hear what you are getting out of it. I hope you enjoy the story. Now go be better men today, than you were yesterday…I’ll do the same. Alf Herigstad