From Foster Boy to Mature Man with Dimitri Dunn

11/11/19 • 97 min

Behind The Mask-ulinity

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Did you ever have a dream growing up? Do you have dreams for your future right now? I think it's safe to say we all do. We all want to be the best we can be and make the best lives for ourselves.

That's exactly what Dimitri Dunn wanted as well. Only before he could figure out how to make his dreams come true, he first had to figure out how to survive. He had to figure out who he was, where he belonged and who the hell was on his team.

One of the most important things we can give a young person in their lives, whether a male or female, is love and care. Someone to show them that they matter, that they're worthy, that no matter what happens they'll always have that support system to catch them if they fall.

That is something Dimitri never really felt he had, at least not in any substantial way. It's something he's still struggling to find to this very day.

We all fall into the trap of complaining and nagging about certain things whether it's our job, our pay, our relationships or that the waiter got our order incorrect. But we hardly ever stop to realize just how damn lucky we already are to have the things we have, like food, water, shelter and a loving support system.

These are things that Dimitri was never really certain he'd have and if he did, he wasn't sure how long they would last.

Join Dimitri and I for a deep, intimate, vulnerable conversation as he tells us about his journey from foster youth, through boyhood and now to a young man, and all the ups and downs and lessons that he has learned along the way.

This conversation will fill you with a deep sense of gratitude.

To join our community and be part of the conversation:

Behind The Mask-ulinity Private Facebook Group

To connect with me directly:

E-Mail Me: [email protected] or Instagram Me

Did you ever have a dream growing up? Do you have dreams for your future right now? I think it's safe to say we all do. We all want to be the best we can be and make the best lives for ourselves.

That is something Dimitri never really felt he had, at least not in any substantial way. It's something he's still struggling to find to this very day.

These are things that Dimitri was never really certain he'd have and if he did, he wasn't sure how long they would last.

This conversation will fill you with a deep sense of gratitude.

Previous Episode

The State Of Masculinity Now: A GQ Survey

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How do Americans today feel about the state of masculinity and where it's headed and how it's changed?

GQ recently conducted a survey of 1,005 Americans who identify as male, female and gender non binary, and asked them some wide-ranging questions about what they see and how they feel about the current state of masculinity.

There were some encouraging responses and results, but there were some conflicting ones. These conflicting answers set the stage for responses that offer plenty of cause for optimism about where we're headed, even as they also identify areas where progress is alarmingly slow.

The survey suggests that we'd have a lot to feel hopeful about if men could extend their most closely held values outward, projecting compassion and respect for others in the public sphere as well as the private one.

Join me as I discuss the results of the survey and I give my opinion on the state of masculinity today.

Next Episode

No More Mr. Nice Guy? with Robert Kandell

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Would you categorize yourself as a nice guy? A people-pleaser? A man who's willing to do anything he can to bring a smile to someone else's face or to make their day just a little bit better?

I would!

Now, there's nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with helping others and looking out for the needs of others and taking their feelings into account before you say or do anything.

But where there is a problem, is when those niceties you hand out regularly are being handed out because you're so worried about what others are going to think or say about you, that you mostly do these acts of kindness just to be in other's good graces, instead of doing them because you genuinely want to do them.

When you do something nice for someone but deep down you do it with the expectation of getting something in return or you do it because you want the admiration of others or because you don't want to others to think badly of you, is that really coming from a kind and genuine place?

This was me for most of my life, always trying to be the nice guy so I could be liked by everyone. I lived with the fear of someone not liking me or saying anything bad about me, I wanted to be everyone's cup of tea. News flash: you're NEVER going to be EVERYONE's cup of tea. Even MLK, Mother Teresa and Gandhi had haters.

Join me as I sit down with Robert Kandell and we discuss how being a nice guy can have its drawbacks, and how instead we should seek to become real guys. To develop the courage to come into situations and interactions with others as our true, honest and authentic selves instead of trying to be the nice guy just to be liked or trying to be someone we are not.