Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] What if I told you that the most powerful breakthroughs in your life, marriage and mindset won't come from a therapist, a book, or even a podcast, but from a pen and an honest page. Journaling isn't just reflection, it's revelation. It's where clarity is born, wounds begin to heal, and purpose starts to rise from the chaos. If it's your first time here, my name is Michael Riggs. I'm a full time author, entrepreneur, men's personal development and marriage, mentor, husband and father of six. And I teach men all over the world how to live full, fully optimized, leveled up lives. So if that's something you're into, definitely stick around. Subscribe to this podcast, subscribe to this channel, wherever you're getting this. Because that's what we do here every week. Inspire men all over the world to become kings of their kingdom. And in today's episode, I'm giving you a series of powerful journal prompts. Each one crafted to help you unlock deeper self awareness, reconnect with your spouse, and reshape the story that you tell yourself every day. If you're ready to transform not just how you think, but how you live your life, this episode is for you. Hello and welcome to the Warrior Kings podcast. I'm your host, Michael Riggs, here to assist you on your journey to living a fully optimized, leveled up life as a man. So again, welcome and welcome back to the Warrior Kings podcast. If you're on the video version of this, you can see that my setting, my background here is a little bit different. That's because we just moved. If you haven't heard this story already, me and my wife and my kids just moved from a house in the country to an apartment in the city. So it's been a huge change. That's why there hasn't been an episode in a while. If you missed that update audio that I posted a couple of days ago. So a huge, huge life change, but super awesome. We're happy to be here. We're happy to actually be close to things because before we lived at least an hour away from everything and now everything is right there and accessible. Way more family friendly, you know, way more for us to do around here, way more places and settings to shoot content, which I'm really excited about because where we were there was really basically nowhere to go. So I'm definitely going to be diving more into the content side of things. If you follow me on YouTube or even TikTok play of stuff like that, I'm going to be Diving way more into the content. So definitely get connected with me on there if you want to follow my journey, our journey as a family. But yeah, like I said, still kind of getting set up here. So there's not much of a background for the podcast right now. I'm actually in my bedroom here at the apartment. But hey, that's the season of life we're in. We're feeling happy, we're feeling abundant, looking forward to just this totally different life and totally different chapter that we have entered. And you know, as we're going through this journey as a couple, as a family, and even with this business, I just want to say thank you, you guys so much, because you are a part of what made this possible. You know, those of you who have bought my books, read my books, continue to engage in this content, listen to this podcast. Just thank you so much because it's really a dream come true, man. Like when I started this thing, I didn't know that it would be this big. I didn't know that I would have thousands of listeners a month, you know, but now that that's happened, I just wanted to express my gratitude for you guys and my community. Definitely reach out if you want to get connected, if you need advice, anything like that. If you're looking for one on one coaching, any of that kind of stuff, I'm anytime in my email there's a link down in the description of this podcast episode or this video where you can get in touch with me. And it's great to hear from you. I mean, even if you just want to reach out and tell me how this podcast has affected your life and helped you in your life, that helps me to stay inspired and motivated to keep doing this. So I love hearing from you guys and yeah, I just wanted to express my gratitude there. Just thank you guys so much for making this all possible for me and my family. And with all that being said and without further ado, let's dive right into the episode. Journaling is extremely powerful, whether you're a deep thinker or not. There's just something about putting things down on a page that allows us to go just a bit deeper. It allows time for introspection and self examination. These days our minds are constantly racing and everything these days is fast, fast, fast. So journaling allows us to slow down, to reflect, to really think and separate from the chaos. So like I said today, I'm going to give you a few journal prompts that you can work through over the next week to expand your mind, discover your true Self. And get back to the why. And first journal prompt that I have for you today is what parts of my life feel out of alignment with who I truly want to be, and what small step can I take today to change that? Our life is a result of the choices that we make every day, no matter how small they might seem in the moment. Everyone has an ideal version of themselves, the person that they would like to be, their ideal self, the fully optimized, leveled up version of themselves. And it's different for every single person. I'm sure you have some kind of idea in your head of the person that you want to become. Like if everything were to work out exactly how you wanted it to be, and you were to be the perfect version of yourself, whatever that is in your mind, I'm sure you can imagine that right now, right? And our daily actions are either moving us in the direction of becoming that person, or our daily actions are leading us in the opposite direction, further away from becoming that ideal version of ourselves. And what a lot of people don't realize is the small choices that we make every day, no matter how small those choices might be, they're leading to big results in the long run. Those small daily actions, whether positive or negative, are leading to. To big results in the end, either to the life of your dreams or your nightmare life. And misaligned daily actions send us backwards. So basically, what I want you to do with this journal prompt is examine those parts of your life that might be out of alignment with that ideal future version of yourself. And through this process, through this introspection, you might find some things that you didn't even realize before, these small daily actions that you need to eliminate to begin moving in the right direction. And so again, that journal prompt is what parts of my life feel out of alignment with who I truly you want to be, and what small step can I take today to change that? And the next journal prompt that I have for you today is when do I feel most like the man I want to become? And what habits or environments help me get there? This journal prompt, while very similar to the first one, will bring clarity to what makes you feel aligned with your ideal self and your ideal life, what habits make you feel aligned with your purpose, with where you're going in life or where you want to go, who you want to be, what environments make you feel alive, the people that you're around, the places that you go, what environments and people and places make you feel more aligned with that version of yourself. Another thing that you might realize While you're going about this journal prompt is what do you need to let go? Are there habits that you need to let go of? Are there people that you need to let go of or spend less time with because they don't align with your vision? Are there environments that you need to stop being in because all they're doing is bringing you down or sending you backwards away from where you want to go in life? Because sometimes it takes letting go of things when they are out of alignment. There's an old saying that goes something like, if you hang out with five millionaires, you'll be the sixth, and if you hang out with five losers, you'll be the sixth. Sometimes it takes changing your environment and changing your circle, or just exiting from it completely, having the bravery to do that and step into a new life, a new environment that is in alignment with who you want to be and where you want to go in life. And this journal prompt will bring clarity to what you should do more of, where you should be more, and who you should be with more. Anything that is out of alignment with your mission, your vision, and who you want to be. Your ideal dream self and your ideal dream life. Get away from that and get closer to those things that make you feel alive, make you feel like the man that you want to be. So again, that journal prompt is when do I feel most like the man I want to become? In what habits or environments help me get there? So first you're going to go through the habits and environments that make you feel alive and make you feel closer to that man you want to be. And then I want you to expand from there on what you need to eliminate and get away from unhealthy habits, unhealthy relationships, unhealthy friendships, unhealthy environments. What do you need to eliminate? And the next journal prompt that I have for you today is what am I afraid to say out loud about myself and what would happen if I said it anyways? I'm going to say that one one more time. What am I afraid to say out loud about myself and what would happen if I said it anyways? This is a really deep and introspective one. What are you afraid to admit about yourself and what if you just admitted it anyways? Is there anything that you hide about yourself? Is there anything behind the mask? If you just said it, would you feel judged? Would you feel rejected? Or would you feel underst and finally able to be free? What are the parts of you that you have hidden from others and how can you feel okay with just being authentically you, letting those things show, owning them, then moving forward. There is great power in authenticity. Just being your true, authentic self, unhindered by the thoughts, opinions, and judgments of other people. And if there are parts of you that you feel embarrassed about or that you hide from others, maybe you need to let those things out, let those things show, be a little bit more vulnerable, vulnerable in that area, realize that it's actually okay, and then move forward with your life so that you can actually just live your life free without anything to hide. I mean, doesn't that sound super awesome to just be able to be yourself, to just get this thing off your chest and then move forward? So what are you afraid to say out loud about yourself? And you know, this also goes in the opposite direction. Maybe you're not hiding something that embarrasses you. That's like a negative thing, like something from the past or something like that. Maybe you're hiding parts of yourself because you feel like it's wrong to feel that way or something like that. Like a big one is confidence. A lot of people are afraid to show that they're confident or that they think highly of themselves because they. They think that other people will judge them for that, especially guys. There's like this limiting belief that if you're confident in yourself, that you're a douchebag or you're cocky or you should be a little bit more humble or something like that. Maybe you're hiding your confidence and thinking highly about yourself. And maybe you would actually feel more free if you just lived life as a confident person instead of hiding under this mask of toning it down for everyone else? You know what I. I mean? And what if you owned your confidence and lived free as the man you want to be? What if you truly believed in yourself? What if you allowed yourself to believe in yourself and you said, I'm awesome and I'm going for it? I mean, the. The fear of confidence, I feel like, holds people back from success almost more than anything else. Because honestly, it takes a lot to put yourself out there, to be authentically you, to not be scared of what other people think. That's a huge step. But as soon as you make that step, then you're living in freedom. Like, a lot of people don't go for a dream because they feel like if they put themselves out there, everybody would be judging them for being confident. Doesn't that seem a little bit backwards? I mean, it's a hard truth. You are going to have people who Think the thing you're doing is stupid or think the thing you're doing is cringy or whatever the thing is, you know, there you have friends and family who are going to kind of laugh a little bit, and all you have to do is be confident anyways and not care. Don't let the fear of confidence hold you back in your life. Allow yourself to have confidence. And as far as those parts of yourself that you might be hiding from other people, this journal prompt is saying, reflect on. What if you just said that thing? What if you just let that being out and just decided to live authentically as yourself? Would things be better or would things be worse? Probably better, but that's what I want you to reflect on. So, again, that journal prompt is, what am I afraid to say out loud about myself and what would happen if I said it anyway? And the next journal prompt that I have for you today to go through this week is, what does a fulfilled, balanced life look like to me? Not by the world's standards, but my own? Again, that is, what does a fulfilled, balanced life look like to me? Not by the world's standards, but my own? If you've been here for a while, you know that I believe that there is this thing called the checklist of life. And it's the checklist that keeps people in this state of what they call keeping up with the Joneses, or, you know, I have to do this specific thing at this specific stage in my life, and there's this checklist that people kind of go down. So it's like, go to school, get the career, marry the lady, buy the house, get the dog, have the kids. You know, all of these things. And there's nothing wrong with anything on the checklist. The problem with the checklist is that people aren't doing these things from a place of authenticity. They're rushing the checklist to keep up with everybody else or to do what they think that they're supposed to do at a certain point in their life. And this is another thing that holds people back from their full potential, from following their dreams, from doing something bigger with their lives. It kind of keeps them in this box, this checklist that they feel like they have to follow when, like I said, there's nothing wrong with anything on the checklist. But what if all of those things fell into place naturally by living an authentic life? And what does an authentic, balanced, successful dream life look like to you as an individual, not someone who is following the same basic checklist that that's been laid out to them by society. And I encourage you today wholeheartedly, as someone who did it myself. Step outside of the checklist, forge your own path, and live free. It is your life. It is nobody else's. You don't have to do exactly what you think you're supposed to do at this juncture in your life, because society says so. If you want to get married, get married when you fall in love and find the one and do that authentically. It doesn't matter if it's. It's when you're at this age or when you're at whatever age. You know what I'm saying? You can let these things happen naturally and authentically by following your purpose, the purpose for your life, living authentically, all the things on that checklist will fall into place. Like I said, people try to rush the checklist, keep up with everybody else, keep up with their peers, and then someday they live in regret because they realize that they didn't really do anything with their life. And me and my wife have decided to live outside of the checklist, to live authentically. We pushed a lot of people's buttons, especially at first, because we. We did things so differently, and we continue to do that. We're questioned a lot by friends and family, like, why are you doing it like that? And we'll say, well, just wait and see. And every single time, in the end, they see. I mean, think about it. We lived in a school bus conversion for a year in the wilderness. Like, who does that? Very few people would have the courage to do that. I bought a school bus, I gutted it, I turned it into a tiny home, and we lived in it with our children. That is so far outside of the box, is it not? But it was a dream that we had. It was something that we always wanted to do, so we did it. While everyone else is getting a mortgage and buying a house and all these things. We're not in a rush to do that because some of our friends did it at the same age that we are. Like, we. We're not trying to keep up with them. We're just living authentically, living our own path. I used to build custom homes. Now I'm talking to you on a podcast. Is that outside of the box? Absolutely. So, again, that journal prompt is what does a fulfilled, balanced life look like to me, not by the world standard, but my own. And really think about that. Because, listen, man, like I said, it is your life, no one else's. I encourage you to step outside of the checklist, find and pursue the calling and purpose for your life and live authentically. And now my final journal prompt for you to work through this week. What am I most grateful for in my wife? And when was the last time I told her? Again, that is what am I most grateful for in my wife? And when was the last time that I told her? And I want you to really think about this one man, because especially if you've been married for while, it's easy to stop recognizing the small things or the things that seem small. And it kind of relates to the small daily actions lead to big results thing that is also true for marriage. Compliment your wife every single day and that will build in her. That love will build in her. That showing of your gratitude for her will build over time. And the opposite is true as well. If you take the small daily action of criticizing your wife or not complimenting her, not showing her gratitude, you just taking things for granted, that will lead to a big result in the end as well. Small daily actions. You understand what I'm saying? So what I want you to do with this journal prompt is refresh the vision and the mission with your wife. Refresh the vision of why you fell in love in the first place. And I want you to write down all of the things that you are grateful for about her. Whether they're small things, big things, whatever it is, every single thing that you are grateful for. And this will refresh that adoration for her in your mind. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's so easy to get caught up in the tasks and duties and routines of life and just miss the point. This might even be one that you want to go through periodically. Like if you have a journal that you regularly work in, you know, skip a few pages and write that prompt throughout the journal four or five times so that when you get to that page, you can remember, oh yeah, I need to refresh this vision in my mind again. What am I grateful for in my wife? And the next thing that I will encourage you to do is begin sharing these things with her. Send her a text message thanking her for something. Tell her that she's a good wife and good mama. Write her a love note. You know, that's. That's not stupid. Women love that. Like, do these things. Compliment her. Start sharing the things that you are grateful for. Thank her for the small things. Because like I said, we stop recognizing them. Start paying attention. That's one of the things that this journal prompt will do. Make you realize those small things and that you need to pay attention to them. Again, like we've talked about before, women thrive on compliments and praise. The more that you make her feel loved, the more that you make her feel appreciated, the happier that she will be and the more secure she will feel in your marriage and relationship. So renew your adoration for her her all over again and pay attention, strict attention to what you are grateful for in your wife. Again, that journal prompt is what am I most grateful for in my wife and when was the last time that I told her? And if you want to expand further on how to have a happy, thriving marriage with your wife, how to re spark the connection, how to find that love again that you had in the beginning, how to save your marriage if you're having marriage troubles or if you're getting close to it, even if you're not having marriage problems, but you just want to level up your game as a husband. I put this book out in January. It's titled Warrior Husband how to be a better husband and save your marriage. And already this year thousands of men all over the world have dove into this journey to level up their marriages and level up their lives. And I put almost everything I know about marriage and relationships in this one book and I want it in your hands because it has been transforming lives, it has been transforming marriages. And hey man, it's a super awesome book. I think I would know. I wrote it. You know what I mean? I'm going to put a link to this book in the description of this podcast episode or this video. It's available in ebook, audiobook and paperback. Personally I prefer a physical physical book because I like to highlight things. I I dry out highlighters a lot. I use a lot of highlights. Well, I read a lot of non fiction books honestly, but I prefer a physical book. But the ebook is available and the audiobook as well. If you're a busy guy, pop your earbuds in and listen to the book. But I promise you valuable information in here that will transform your life with your wife. And I want it in your hands. And hey, if you can't afford a copy of this book right now, if times are tough, if you're just, you know, you just can't get this book right now, but you would love to have have it. Shoot me an email and I will give you a copy of the ebook for free and PDF. I'll just email it straight over to you. There's no catch. I'm not going to try to sell you anything. That's just how confident I am in this book that it will transform your marriage and help you in your life. So definitely get in contact with me by email. There's a link to that as well, contact form, all that kind of stuff. And I will like I said, I will send you the ebook copy of this for free. But of course I love the support. Thank all of you who got this book so far. Thank you so much.
[00:19:12] Super awesome to see how many copies of this are going out because that was my vision and my mission for this year was to level up as many marriages as possible this year and beyond. I hope I can continue to do that again. It's great to talk to you guys today. Definitely reach out if you have any questions or any encouragement for me. Like I said, I love hearing from you guys. But get out there, kill it. Level up every aspect of your life. A life of overflowing abundance awaits you. On the other side of you deciding to make the switch, make the change and level up every aspect of your life, a life of overflowing abundance awaits you. I love you. I'm proud of you and you are going to do great things in this life. You listening to this right now? There's a great calling and a purpose for your life. Again, thank you guys and I'll catch you on the next one. Bye.
