Connor Beaton delivers a short, personal message about the emotional reality many men face: feelings of uselessness and being a burden. He urges people who support men (teachers, mentors, therapists, coaches, colleagues) to reaffirm a man daily—tell him he is needed and that he contributes and makes a difference.
The stark reality of some men's lives. And I've been there. When they look around, they very logically and clearly see I'm pretty useless. I'm actually not contributing anything. I'm a burden to the person that I'm with. I'm a burden to the people that are around me. And there's no one helping me to become not a burden. There's no one helping me to become useful to the places and the people that I genuinely care about. So if you are an individual that supports men, that serves men, maybe you're a teacher, maybe you're a college professor, maybe you're a mentor, maybe you're a therapist or a psychologist or a coach. I don't know what you do. Your job is to reaffirm and remind a man, whoever he is. Maybe it's just a man that you work with, reminding him you're needed. I like having you around. It's great having you here. You really contribute to my life. You make a difference to me in the way that you show up. But really reaffirming for a man once a day that he's needed and that he's useful.
How to Raise Strong, Unshakable Boys in Today's Culture, with Dr. Shefali Tsabary
