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#101. Being A Good Man and The Wisdom of Kings – Ryan King
August 23, 2022 September 15, 2022 / The Dad.Work Podcast / By Curt Storring
Today's guest is my friend Ryan King.
Ryan is a husband, father, and the CEO of Guardian Payments. He's a thought leader with motivational, nuanced insights on wisdom, manhood, relationships, and leadership.
He is perhaps the most grounded, chill, and balanced man I know, and he absolutely walks the walk when it comes to living a satisfied, content, masculine life as a man, husband, father, and business owner.
If you love wisdom and knowledge, you do not want to miss this…get some of Ryan's chill to rub off on you!
Find Ryan Online at:
https://instagram.com/thewisdomofkings/
Welcome to the Dad Work Podcast. My name is Curt Storring, your host and the founder of dad work. Today, I'm joined by my friend Ryan king. And we're gonna be talking today about being a good man and the wisdom of kings. Ryan is a husband, a father, he's the CEO of guardian payments. And he's a thought leader with motivational and importantly, nuanced insights on wisdom, manhood, relationships and leadership. And guys, I'm not even going to read what we're going to talk about this is just like, this is a very important conversation from the perspective of masculinity and grounded balanced manhood. Right is one of those guys who when I talked to him, just like, Dude, you just got everything sorted. Insofar as you know, even when there's a problem, it's not going to throw you off track, you're going to be able to manage it, you're going to be able to sort it out. He's got a beautiful family successful business, this guy is the real deal. And, man, if you guys follow him on Instagram already, which I'm sure many of you do, you can find him at the wisdom of kings. So instagram.com/the wisdom of kings, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. He's grounded. He's successful. He's humble. And I always feel like I'm talking to someone who's very wise. And I just get so much insights and so much wisdom and support from Ryan, when we talk. So I'm excited to bring this to you today. He's got a couple of boys, and he's getting into the area of his life where he's going to be raising teenagers. So we talked a lot about parenting. We talked about masculinity, we talked about being a man and a husband. And yeah, guys, this is gonna be a great one. And we're not gonna say anything else other than leave a review. Please. If you've been listening to this for an episode, or 100 episodes, it's over 100. Now, can you just leave us a review on Apple? If you listen on Spotify, just tap that star button to leave a rating. But leave me a review. And if you do, I don't know. Send me an email. Shoot me a DM on Instagram. Just let me know you did done. It takes literally five to 30 seconds. And if you think this is important work if this is helping you Why not spread the word? Why don't serve your brothers out there who need this work? By leaving review. Okay, that's it. Let's hop into this conversation with Ryan King. Here we go.
Alright, guys, bye back here for another excellent episode of the downward Podcast. I'm excited to be joined by Ryan king today. You probably follow him on Instagram wisdom of Kings is that the is the wisdom of kings or just wisdom of kings.
Ryan King 2:19
It's the wisdom of kings. Okay, so
yeah, he is growing extremely quickly there. And I think for good reason, because Ryan is one of the few men that I like when I was talking to him about what we're going to talk about today. I was like, Dude, I think we should just talk about how to be a good man, because you're just like, straight up a good man. So we're gonna get into that today from just like real world experience, and really grounded masculine energy and fatherhood energy that I think you guys are getting a lot out of. So first of all, dude, I would love to just dive into fatherhood for you. And I like to talk about this first because it gives a sense of like, where you came from, to where you are now. And in my life is everyone listening knows. It was like, Hey, you're a dad now. And by the way, all of the terrible things in your life that you weren't paying attention to, suddenly you got to pay attention to and I reacted poorly. That's why I'm doing this work. So I'm curious to hear like, who was Ryan? When he first became a dad? What did that look like? And then maybe just bring us through some of the growth points along the way to the man you are today? Sure.
So I don't know that I had that kind of awakening moment for fatherhood. Specifically. I vividly remember read as I was leaving college, you know, me and my buddies. Were sitting around, and it was like my last year of college. And I didn't actually get a degree, but I went for four years, I played baseball in college. So that was basically what I did most of the time. But, and I remember us walking around and talking like, Dude in like, six months, we gotta we gotta be like, men. You know, it's like, when I when I get married, we had this joke about, like, when I get married, is my dad gonna give me like this handbook on how to be a man, you know, because it's like, everything my dad knows how to do. I don't know how my dad can do everything, you know. And I'm one of the fortunate ones that had a dad that was present and active, you know? And he was a great dad for, you know, that generation. You know? What's funny is I'm really encouraged about fatherhood in general right now. Because I feel like every dad, I know, is better than like the best dads that I knew growing, growing up, you know, because we're all more like more present. We have tools now. We're really addressing the stuff that we didn't like as dads and we're not just, you know, following the patterns of, you know, the way our dad's parents did us, but for me, we kind of had this running joke of like, how am I supposed to be a man like when you get married? I'm not ready to do what I've seen my dad doing. You know, he knows how to do everything. And I have I feel completely unprepared and so like, hopefully when we get married, there's like the secret you know, club that they pull you aside and all the grown men are like, Hey, man, here's the handbook for how to be a girl. As men, it's like, there isn't one, you know, so for me, before I was a dad, I kind of started thinking about, about that stuff in general, like, what does it mean to even be a man like, I don't want to learn this. Because if I'm going to do it, I want to be good at it, you know, and that's kind of, and I think I got that from sports, you know, is like, whatever I do, I'm going to, I'm going to, I want to be the best at it, you know. And when it came to being a man, I just started reflecting a lot. And this was before the internet and social media. This is this was like in 2000 2004. So So I mean, Facebook was kind of getting started, YouTube was a thing, but it was mainly mainly just like cat videos and stuff, you know. So it, I didn't really have a lot of resources. As I started thinking about this stuff. It was just me trial and error and things and just reflecting back on like, Okay, I tried this, and it didn't work. You know, and then as far as fatherhood, like, I didn't really follow the pattern that you quote, unquote, you're supposed to follow, you know, my wife and I were dating. And we were both coming out of, you know, other relationships. And so for my wife, and I, you know, the friendship part always came easy for us. The romance part was actually harder, you know, because we were really good friends, and we enjoyed hanging out. And after about a year and a half of dating, she got pregnant. And so we kind of just, you know, my parents raised me to be like, you're not going to be the deadbeat dad, like, if you get a girl pregnant, just just be prepared, you're gonna marry her and take care of that kid, because you're not going to be that debt. And so it was never an option for me in my head. It never even crossed my mind. It's like, oh, okay, well, I guess we're getting married, we're gonna figure this out, you know, and. And so I got things a little bit out of order. Now, so I kind of had to scramble even more, but I was 25. And my son was born, my oldest son, and he was actually born on my 25th birthday. So we have the same birthday. And so yeah, I mean, for me, it's just been learning from experience and just kind of visualizing, like, what kind of man do I want to be? What kind of data do I want to be? I've always, you know, that, from the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, you know, it says, begin with the end in mind. So that's kind of what I do with everything is, you know, what outcome do I want, and I want to work backwards from there. And so as a, as a father, my goal has really been like, you know, so many, so many men feel the need to push that away, to become their own man. Because dad's very authoritarian, and, you know, just telling them ordering, ordering them around trying to control their lives. And so they have to rebel. You know, and for me, there's like, an, I don't remember where I heard it, but it was basically like, you know, most most kids are like, Oh, Curt, when they do something wrong, like, oh, shit, oh, my dad doesn't find out. You know, and for me, I want them to have that reaction of like, Oh, shit. I mean, I messed up, I need to call my dad.
And so that, to me, is kind of just kind of a guiding principle for like, that filters down. And everything that I do as a dad, is, you know, if it's going to cost me influence down the road, because most most of the most important things that they're going to deal with, as a human being are going to be after they leave my house, you know, choosing their career, choosing their spouse, whatever. And I think too many dads are so focused on like, what they do while they live with you, that it ends up sabotaging their desire to reach out to you, during those times that are actually important, like nothing that's going on in childhood is really that urgent, right? Like if, you know, whatever. So that's kind of the main thing that I don't always do perfectly at it. But that's the main thing that I tried to do is really focus on the relationship, and really having a relationship with them more so than being like an authority figure. And I've never had to really be an authority figure. I don't have to pull that card very often. Because they just respect me, you know, when they when we talk, and we have been, they've seen me be real. And so that for me is I've always looked at it as you know, if the most important things that they're going to need my experience and need my wisdom for are going to be things they encounter after they leave my house or they don't have to listen to me anymore. Are they going to choose to listen to me as they're older. And so that's the I would say that has kind of filtered into just the paradigm of what I try to do as a dad. And one of the other main things that I've really tried to be intentional about is to just live in front of them. You know, I think a lot of a lot of parents, man, and I think it's getting better. With so many parents. I feel like you're playing like the character of a parent. instead of being real, and so they'll cuss if they cuss, the customer kid's not around. But when the kids in front of them like, oh, I don't do that, you know, I never drank when I was a kid, you know, it's like, kids aren't stupid man, like they, they pick up on that. And if you're a hypocrite, they're gonna pick up on that eventually, and you're gonna lose all your influence with them. And so it's better off to let them see you be a human being, you know, and so, like, a practical example is, you know, a couple years ago, I went through a really bad bout with like depression and panic attacks and had a lot of health problems physically and different things. And, you know, after I got through all that, a lot of people asked me, you know, like, Well, how did it affect the kids? Like, did you hide it from them? Or whatever? It was, like, Absolutely not, you know, like, I told them what was going on every step of the way, you know, and they saw me be really weak, you know, and it kind of, it kind of shook them a little bit. But I did that on purpose, because I want them to know that someday, if they go through those things, that doesn't mean that there's something wrong with them as a man or that they're weak as a man, you know, I think it's important as a man to let your kids see you in your moments of weakness. Because otherwise, I think that's what contributes to this unrealistic idea that a lot of young men have that, you know, they can't be human once they become a man, you know, because they never saw their dad be human. So they, when when they feel weak, they feel like they're doing something wrong, because they, my dad was never weak. It's like, yeah, he was, he just, he just went, he just hid it from you. So that he was afraid, like, oh, he won't respect me anymore, if he sees me be weak. And so for me, I've tried to be very intentional about like, really being human in front of them so that they know that it's normal to have times where you're down, you know, that you're discouraged that you're depressed or anxious, or whatever. Because the last thing I want, the last impression, I want to give them, you know, when they're older is like, well, I can't call my dad because, you know, I know, he's never been weak before, I don't want to disappoint him. It's like, I remember when my dad went through that, you know, this is normal, you know, he went through this, and I saw him get going, I saw him get on the other side of it. And I saw him find himself and I saw him tap into, you know, new strength. And so I've seen him go through this before. So I'm going to seek him out and say, Dad, how did you do that? What did you do? And so I would say, this is probably the I could talk a lot about fatherhood. But those are probably the two main things that I would say are probably, that I haven't really heard anywhere else that have to do.
That's excellent. Man, I can already tell that the wisdom taps are flowing. And I'm loving it. And one of the things you said is, you know, you're the things that dads used to do, or didn't used to do that are now different. You know, the worst dads will not the worst, as they but some of the dads today are better than you know, the best dads from yesteryear. What are some of those things that you saw? Either your dad do? Or dads of your dad's generation do that? Either you don't do or vice versa? You know, what didn't they do that you're doing?
Ryan King 13:10
Um, well, I mean, for me, I just, it's really I don't know that there's anything's like super insightful, I think there's just things that we almost take for granted. Now that we forget, dads didn't used to do like dads didn't used to tell their sons, I love your I'm proud of you. Just basic stuff, like they wouldn't hug them. You know, like to this day, like my father in law, my father in law, his dad, so my wife's grandpa passed away a few years ago. And he never told my father in law, he loved him his whole life. Not once, he just didn't talk about this. So, you know, it's like, just encouragement, you know, and just being a little more nurturing and not being like a, like a drill sergeant, you know, like so many guys that I grew up with. And especially the generation before, like, my dad's generation, it was like, they were terrified of their dads, like, just absolutely terrified. You know, because dad had no remorse. Dad came home, he's like, I work all day, and you'll leave your toys. And, you know, it's like, whereas now I feel like every dad, even even bad dads are still like, you know, they'll tear up talking about how they love their kids, and they really put forth effort to be part of their lives, you know, consists of so many of just really just, I would say fundamental things. It's really just fundamentals. It's not anything mind blowing. It's just like, I'm going to be present. I'm not just going to be a workaholic and never pay attention to my kids, right? Like, I'm not going to yell at them, you know, I'm not going to get angry with them. Or if I do, I'm, I least, don't think it's okay. You know, whereas, right, you know, like our generation, we still I, you know, I've raised my voice and my kids a lot. I've been a jerk to my kids multiple way more often than I should have But I feel bad about it. Whereas I think, a generation ago, there was not even any, like, check in a man's conscience to yell at his kids. And so just just that distinction alone, I think is a huge difference of like, I know, I shouldn't be that way. And I'm going to try to do better. You know, yeah. Whereas like, you know, 20 years ago, a dad would yell and scream at his kids, and he just go have, you know, eat a piece of cake afterwards and drink a beer and feel nothing. Like they were no remorse at all. Yeah. And so I think just in general, like the idea of like, I think dad's in general, at least have an idea in their head of like, the type of dead they want to be. Whereas it seems like so many dads before us, thought and had the perception that like, me, putting a roof over your head, and putting food in your mouth is my only job. And if you want anything more, you're gonna have to get over it.
Yeah, totally, very harsh. Yeah, that's sort of what I was picking up on, as well as almost this inherent understanding that that's not okay. Because they live through it themselves as children. So it's like, I don't want my kids to feel like that. And a lot of the guys that I work with, feel that, but they don't really know how to get past it. They're like, I'm either saying the things that my dad said, and I hate it. Or I'm so far the opposite, that I'm not doing those things. But I'm also now screwing my kids up doing the part of this kind of the opposite. Yeah, and, you know, maybe it's just the fact that you had a good present father that this, you know, your as I'm hearing your journey, I'm like, bro, this seems too easy. Like what's going on here? And I know, we'll get to sort of the the challenges along the way. But like, Were there things that as you were trying to learn them through trial and error, or like, you know, reading or researching that just were not clicking? And you had to figure this out some other way? Or was it simply like, I'm pretty well adjusted. I know what I want as an outcome. And maybe that's it, like, maybe there's nothing here, man, maybe it's just knowing what you want. And I'm glad that you shared your parenting goal, because that's what I was going to ask you to, like, what what are we what are we doing here? I don't think many men actually think about that. Yeah, yeah.
I mean, and that's, I don't really know where that comes from. For me, I've always it's always been. And I think part of that is just personality, I have a very detached, personality. Like, I don't ever take things personally, like, I just never have, even from the time I was a kid. And so I know other people really battle really bad with that and don't want to, and I think I've just been blessed and fortunate, you know, to just happen to be born in a way that I just, I'm very detached and just look at things objectively, systems, things don't stick, you know, and then I think my dad being a good influence, you know, like my dad, my dad wasn't, was imperfect, he yelled at me and stuff. But one of the things like my dad did is like when he yelled at me, and I actually wrote a post about this, it was one of my first posts. Like, we would usually fight about baseball, right? And, you know, we'd be outside practicing baseball, and I wouldn't do it right. And he'd get furious with me, you know, if I wasn't doing what he was trying to teach me. And we'd get into it. But then literally, every time I would wake up, and he had written me a note on like a yellow legal pad. So like, after I went to bed like it was eating at him, that he felt like he did something wrong. And so he would write me a note on a yellow legal pad and like, apologize and say, I love you, I'm proud of you. And you know, wow. And so I remember it, we got to the point where I knew like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna wake up and there's gonna, it was just a yellow legal pad he just folded into, like, you know, he folded in half, three times and just set it on my bedside table when I was asleep, and I'd wake up and it'd be there. And you know, when so my dad wasn't perfect. And there was a lot he didn't teach me like, my dad didn't push me as much as I needed to be pushed. And he let me get away with too much. I needed more structure and discipline as a teenager, because I've, I've forfeited a lot of things that could have done better.
That, can we stop on that for just a second? Why were you doing that with your kids now? Because I know they're getting up to that age? How are you making sure you're challenging them and pushing them while maintaining that sort of loving base, so they don't shout you out?
I think it's just dialogue. You know, I think you know, so just like, as a practical example, you know, my younger son has a bad habit of like, he cares too much. And so he plays sports, and he has this habit of like, when the moment matters the most. He gets nervous in caves and fails, you know. And so, after his last basketball game about six months ago, after the game, you know, everybody tried to tell him good game, and he missed a couple shots that wouldn't want him the game. And after the game was over, like he wouldn't walk near us, like he walked super fast to get to the truck and didn't want to be talked to, you know, and I just looked at my wife and I said, don't rescue. Just don't rescue him, let it hurt, you know, and we go to dinner and we went out to eat, and he wouldn't talk. He got up and left and went to the bathroom. At one point, and he came back, and you could tell he had been crying. And we got home and I just I just kept looking at my wife, like, don't say anything, don't tell him, it's okay. Don't try to comfort him, like, just let him. And so he came down like an hour later, and he'd been crying. And he's a nice dad, like, I'm just so mad at myself, I'm disappointed and discouraged, and myself. And I said, Son, if you're wanting me to tell you that it's okay. It's not okay. You know, once you know how to do something, as a man, you've got to execute it when that matters. Like once you learn how to drive, and you get into a situation where, you know, there's a lot of pressure, you got to make the right decision, you got to execute, so I'm not going to bail you out and tell you that it's okay. You know, I love you. And it's not and it's human to mess up, you know, but I'm not going to make, I'm not going to tell you, it's okay, and let this pain go away. Because the pain you're feeling right now is important. You need to go up to your room and sit with that pain, because that's what's going to fuel you to go out and work tomorrow, to make sure you don't experience that pain again. You know, and so I think most of that it really is just conversations and dialogues. You know, it's is that harsh. I don't feel like it was harsh. I feel like it was just truthful. You know, I think I feel like it was an important lesson for him to learn. And I hugged him, and I said, you can do better and you will get better. But I wouldn't be doing my job as a dad, if I helped you numb this pain, because that's not going to solve anything. Because then you're not going to practice tomorrow, you know, it's okay to fail. Like, I mean, yeah, it's okay to fail the, you want to not fail as often as possible to, you know, there's nothing wrong with failing. So that's just a practical example of like, for me, I'm just, I'm very active. When I when I see something going on, I'm not passive about it, you know, my dad was just passive about things where he didn't jump in and get involved. And then it feels like the other end of the spectrum is like, you just yell at him and call him a piece of shit, like, you know, whereas I try to find that middle ground of like, No, this isn't okay. But I explain it to them in a way of like, I'm going to let you feel this pain, and I'm not going to let you you know, I'm not going to just tell you, it's okay. But I'm going to, but I want you to know why I'm letting you feel this pain so that you know that I'm doing this because I love you. And here's here's, here's the why behind what I'm doing, you know, and I think that's the biggest thing that I do with mine is I'm just very, anything that I do I tell them the why I treat them like grownups, I talk to him like they're adults. And, you know, I tell them, like, I don't like being this way, but it's my job to make sure you grow up, you grew up to be a good man. And this is one of those times where there's a tough lesson, you've got to learn here, and I wouldn't be helping you by solving this problem for you. Or by bailing you out from having to deal with the consequences of what's happened. You know, here's the lesson you need to learn. And I'm here for you, I'm your biggest fan, I'll always have your back. But this is something you've got to do on your own, you got to figure this out. Because at some point, I'm not going to be here. And you're going to be you're going to need to be able to, to think through these things and handle these types of things. without my help.
Yeah, man, that's an awesome example. And one of the things I've been thinking about more and more, is one of my triggers used to be when the kids are about to do something, and I know that they're going to mess up or fail or get yelled at or you know, like someone won't like what they're doing. Because it was so hard for me growing up to accept criticism to fail, because so much of my identity was built on like, Oh, I gotta be perfect, because I didn't have that what you're just talking about, which is like, yeah, it's okay. And do better. But I love you. It was just kind of like, oh, you screwed up. Like, I don't know about that, you know, like, there was nothing to counterbalance it. And so I've been thinking a lot recently, it's not our job to save them from being hurt. Absolutely. I think I heard someone say recently, like, if they're doing something, and this could be like, you can make this an emotional analogy or physical, if they're doing something and they're gonna fall off and break her arm, let them break their arm. But if they're doing something and they're gonna die, maybe step in before they do that. So that's what I've been trying to use to guide how much I step in. And I really like that ability to just be like, I love you. And you got to learn from this because if I think about all the good things in my life, pretty much everything came from the opposite also being true. One point like being hurt, suffering, hating how I felt, and that's how that's why I became a better dad, because I felt so bad. yelling at my kids all the time. And it was like that was the fuel to be better and I think we're stealing from our kids. We don't let them feel that
Yeah. 100% 100% And a lot of what I do as a dad, is, is is Preparation, you know, so I don't wait until after they fail, you know, I know them well enough to know what's likely going to make them fail. So like, if it's before a baseball game, you know, instead of like getting mad at them after they feel almost do like a mental pep talk with them and say, Listen, let's get your mind, right, what are the things you tend to, you tend to mess up and let's focus on the solution, you know, ahead of time. And so most of my parent, most of my fathering is done, like preemptively teaching them certain things before they have a chance to mess him up. But then when they do mess him up, it's like, you know, this is why we had that conversation about a, b, and c, this is a perfect example, we've talked about this, like, now you're having to live with the pain of what happens when you're not focused, you know, or you don't, you know, get yourself prepared, or you haven't practiced the things that you've needed to practice or, you know, whatever. And I find sports to be a really good way to teach a lot of those lessons, you know, I don't know how I would teach a lot of the same lessons if it wasn't for sports, because to me, you know, sports resembles life has the most correlation to life, you know, you've got to work with other people, you're, It's you versus someone else. You know, so you've got to be able to adapt to each situation individually, there's a lot of inherent failure. There's a lot of things that you've got to learn from the pain of losing or the pain of people, you know, you it's hard to be embarrassed as an adult, when you've been embarrassed as a kid where you had a chance to make the game winning free throw, and you miss it, you know, like you, the whole school sees it, you know, and so, for me, I feel like it helped me a lot like so many of the things that I just took for granted as an adult that were a huge advantage. Other people were struggling with that I learned those lessons through sports.
Right? Yeah, that's, that's awesome. I'm excited. We got my kids in soccer coming up this this fall, which I'm super excited about getting them to jujitsu as well, which is incredibly important as I'm seeing them learn their boundaries, like, you know, when you when you've been pinned, and when you can't get another man, it's like, oh, I suddenly am very clear on where I stop and where someone else can take me out. And it humbles you, but it also gives you like very clear actionable items to move towards. Oh, sorry about that. Okay, man, I want to get into like the the meat here, even though this is all meaty. But I promise we talked about like, being a good man. I know. That is so general and broad. And, like, there's just going to be so much here because like, when I messaged you, I was like, dude, you've gone through the shit. You love your wife, you're good father, you got a business, you got balanced, you got integrity, you love God, like, like, Okay, what, what did you do? How did you do all that? And what are we missing? So let me just throw it to you. Because I've got like, I can guide this, of course, but I wonder what men need to hear about being a good man that you're observing is lacking?
Um, you know, that's, that's a tough question. You know, I was looking back through, I've got a lot of notes on things that I've that I plan on writing about. And one of the things that I think jumped out to me last night, that I feel like really does a good job of articulating kind of my mindset is, you know, ambition is what you want to achieve. There's this quote, and I don't know where it came from, I might have wrote it, I don't know. It was just in my notes, and it says, ambition is what you want to achieve. aspiration is who you want to become. Nice. And. And for me, I've always, I've always been way more focused on who I want to become than I have on what I want to achieve. And it's kind of like, you know, in business, my philosophy was, my business has always been like, my goal isn't money, my goal is to, is to deliver a certain amount of value, you know, and to do things in a way that I can be proud of, you know, and, and I feel like if I do those things, well, the money will just happen. And so I think aspiration is just a higher, more elevated form of that, like, Who Who do you want to be like, What do you want your kids to say about you? What legacy Do you want to leave? You know, what do you want your wife to say about you when you're not around? Or if you were to die? And things like that? And what impact do you want to have on the world and for me, those are the those are the questions that have always driven me and and I feel like that's where the the fruit of, you know, those very flattering words you have to say about you know, me being a good man. If Like the fruit of that's just the fruit of like, I've never been driven by ambition, I've never been driven, you know, motivated by money. I'm motivated by aspiration, you know, like, what do I want my employees to say about me? You know, what do I want my customers to say about me? You know, what reputation do I want to have. And I've always been very inspired by, you know, heroic stories, you know, whether it's movies like Braveheart, or comic books, characters, or movies, like Lord of the Rings, or whatever, like my role models had been these fictional characters that aren't even really realistic, you know, they're, they're, you know, archetypes of perfection that really none of us are ever going to reach. But for whatever reason, there's always been a huge influence on me. And that's kind of, I would say, the common thread, just for me, that's, that's kind of, you know, all the things you listed about, you know, following me being a good father, a good husband, or, you know, being a successful business person, or whatever, I think those are just byproducts of that deeper goal that I've had, like, there's a certain there's a certain type of mandible, I've always aspired to be. And that's really, that's my North Star, with anything that I do is like, it's not just about what I do as a businessman, but it's how I do it. And so I think, I think having that view of, because if it's just a ambition, man, I've seen that happen a lot like, Neil, I've seen a lot of men that are ambitious, but they leave a trail of destruction in their wake on the path to ambition, on the path to achieving their ambition. And, and that's, it's kind of like lying, you know, like, you can get ahead by lying for a little while, but eventually, the lies catch up. Ambitions, kind of like that, too, you know, like if you haven't, if you haven't done it the right way, then it's not that it's not stable, you know, you've got to you got to keep out running the enemies you've made. Because you haven't done it in a way that's it has a way that is honorable, that has integrity. And, yeah, that's just a comment. There was one thing I would say, I wish that I could, you know, download, like The Matrix, you know, like, download that a program and men's minds is, you know, to that higher standard of that, you know, what, I think too often men don't don't really think through the consequences of their actions. Their actions as a father, their actions as a husband, their actions is, you know, I think a lot of times men are like, Well, I'm right, you know, I'm not going to be open to this, because I'm right. It's like, well, yeah, you're right. I mean, you're gonna be alone, and your wife's gonna leave you and your kids are gonna hate you, I hope you enjoy your righteousness, you're gonna be bitter. You know, like, there's more just because you're right doesn't mean that you that good that it's wise to behave the way that you're behaving, because there are going to be consequences for it. Like, you know, that's something that happened to a lot of men.
Yeah, and the thing that came up, as you're saying, that is like doing the right hard thing, builds a good foundation. And I think a lot of guys are just trying to, like, do the next thing. If it's expedient, and without the long because it maybe this is the thing that keeps coming up for me is like, you've got the long view, you've just got like, you know, that the what matters is how you're feeling at the end of your life matched with how you're feeling day to day. And if both of those things are above board, it's going to be pretty hard to shake you, regardless of what happens in your life. Is that was this always in your mind? Even when you were going through? You know, like your you said, you're working like 100 hour weeks, or whatever it was, you know, like just crazy amounts of work. burnt yourself out? Was this in the forefront? And was it good for you to have gone through that to get where you are? Or like, how would you talk about that with the balance you've now got in your life?
Um, well, I mean, I sit down and told my wife what was going to happen before it ever started, you know, when my first son was about six months old, we just got married. And I sat down and told her, I said, you know, the first 10 years is going to be mommy time. You know, I've got to go out and build a foundation for our lives. And I said, if you'll be my partner, and if you'll support me for this first 10 years, our life is not going to be easy. But the commitment I make to you is that at the end of that 10 years, we'll will live a life like no one else, you know, and I won't have to work anymore and we'll be able to go on vacations and we will be able to give our kids when they're teenagers. A life that very few other kids have And so I knew going into that process as far as having to work with 100 hour weeks or whatever. It was part of my long term process that I knew it was just part of the journey. And I also knew that it would be temporary. Because I bet on myself, and I knew how it was going to play out. And so at no point did I question myself or it didn't feel like it didn't feel like in my mind at the time, like a struggle, it just felt like it was necessary. You know, it was just, I know, this is part of the, of the plan that I have that I'm executing. And it's a it's a phase that I that I recognize is inevitable, like, I have to go through this to get to that, you know, gold at the end of the rainbow, you know,
yeah, that dude, that sounds like, it sounds ridiculously wise. And I'm sitting here going like, Well, yeah, I've been doing that for the last 10 years. And every year I go like, oh, oh, no, like, things are terrible. What am I doing? second guessing. And I wish that I had that sort of confidence along the journey, even though like, intellectually, I know it. I still come back to that, like, oh, no, I'm not going to make it. And that's, that's interesting. So I don't know, like, again, all this is like, dude, how are you? Just? How are you just like this? How do I get some more of that? You know, but I don't know that there's an answer other than, like you said, it's just got to get his
point in my life that I feel like, I learned that, you know, if you talk to my parents, they'll tell you, even as a kid, you know, like, I've just always had this thing where I just, it doesn't cross my mind to doubt myself. It's like, I see this thing clearly. And it's like, you know, if you think about it, like playing chess, you know, like, you see seven or eight moves in advance, that doesn't take if you can see seven or eight moves in advance, it's not really confidence, it's just executing a plan, you know, and the thing with life is like, in most aspects, you're not even playing against anybody in chess, it's just, you're in charge of the moves. And more often than not, there's not even anybody trying to stop you, you just have to, you just have to realize, like, even though this move might mean like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna lose this particular piece on the chessboard. It's like, if that if you've thought through the overall plan, then you know, it's just, yeah, I'm gonna lose that piece. But I also know, I'm gonna gain this other piece three months from now, so I'm not that worried about it. Right.
And that's very relevant as I because we just closed down the community that we were doing, and it's going to be something great one day, but it ain't the piece right now. It's, you know, a bunch of reasons taken up way too much time. It's the 8020. But it's like the opposite 80% of the work for 20% of the payoff. And that that did seem like a chess move, because it was like, Okay, now I'm making a little bit less than the business, but the time that I freed up is massive, and the relief, I feel is palpable. So, yeah, that's, that is a good reminder to just, again, get that perspective, do you do anything, practice wise in terms of like meditation, prayer, journaling, whatever, to just, like, maintain perspective in the long game?
Now, it's just how my mind works. I don't know any other way to be. And a lot of times, I wish I could turn it off, because I'm always thinking through if anything, the negative consequence of it for me is that I can't, my mind won't let me stop until I've played the whole thing out. And I see all the moves. And I've factored in all the potential, you know, cause and effects, you know, and I think that look, I think, I think playing through the cause and effect of things is a muscle, you just have to work, you know, and it's a mental exercise of like, okay, if I do this, and you know, I was in sales, for instance, when I was building my business, I was mainly a salesperson. So, you know, before I went in to do a presentation, you know, a good mental exercise to go through and do is like, when I save this thing, there's four or five potential things they're going to respond with. I need to be prepared for each of those five things. So number one, what answer what is the best possible answer to each of those five things? And then how do I remember that answer? And how do I deliver it in a way that's persuasive and with the right tone and natural and all this stuff? And so when I'm anytime I'm learning something new, I'm very checked out with my family because I'm almost manic about like, okay, these are the five things that might come up. If they say this, I need to say this. If they say this, I need to say this. If they say this, I need to say this. And so a lot of times it kind of gets in the way. It's not always a strength. There's times I wish I could turn it off. But that's just kind of, you know, I don't really spend much time worrying, because I'm usually so busy thinking about that stuff. I'm just thinking through what I'm going to do, like, here's probably what's going to happen. So how am I going to prepare for that? And how am I going to prepare for this? And how am I going to prepare for this, and by the time I've went through that exercise, I have complete confidence, that that confidence is a function, and a result of the fact of like, I'm prepared, I know that I'm prepared for whatever they're gonna throw at me. And I think a lot of people, and that's one of the things I try to tell people when they come work for me, or whatever, it's like, you know, Michael Jordan didn't wait until the game, to shoot free throws. You know, and we understand that and why stuff like that is important. When it comes to things like sports, or, you know, martial arts, or whatever we understand, like, you can't wait until the match, you can't wait until the game you can't wait until your life to start practicing. You got to prepare ahead of time. But we don't do often enough as, as men in particular, and and maybe women, too, is mental practice of like rehearsing. If you can, if you can't, if you have to have a difficult conversation. Are you willing to spend five hours practicing that conversation in your head before you have it? Or do you just go in like a bull in a china shop? Well, then you shouldn't be shocked that it didn't go? Well, that's no different than waiting till the game to shoot free throws, and then being shocked that you missed it. Yeah. Are you willing to put in the mental work of rehearsing how to how to have those, you know, a confrontational conversation with your wife, or, you know, before I have a hard conversation with my kids, you know, I'll spend however long it takes having that conversation in my head, before I talk to them, and that keeps me from blowing up and being reactive, and all those things. And I think that preparation and taking setting aside time, and so I don't really, I wouldn't say that I meditate or pray or whatever. I'm just kind of, I don't know where it came from, I just have this habit where it's like, I have this manic side of me, this is like, if I'm not prepared, I'm going to get prepared. And so it's easy to have confidence, if you know for sure you're ready. And I do a lot of work beforehand, to make sure I'm ready. For whatever, whether it's physical, or whether it's verbal, or whatever. You know, so,
man, that's I'm relieved to hear of the madness, to be honest, because I do the same thing i'll check out. And like, just download whatever I need to download from this new thing that I'm learning. And I know every single time I'm worse with a family, and I just come to know it. So I'm, you know, putting guardrails around that now it's like, Okay, I gotta leave this at work, or whatever the particular thing is. So, you know, mildly validating to hear that, that's gone on your head, too. But I'm coming back as the you know, this is, it's so good to hear all this. And also almost frustrating, because I'm like, bro, like, okay, just like, tell me that you should just be perfect. And things will work out for you like, okay, great. But what I'm seeing as well is, you got all this, like inherent confidence, or whatever you want to call it. But I feel like, it's probably really important that you also have the humility to go along with that. And I wonder if that was something that was sort of naturally bestowed as well. Or if you do things that continually Humble yourself along the way, because I'm getting like a very grounded feeling from all of this, that is not too high, it's not too low, it's just you.
Well, I feel like, you know, it's easy to be humble, when you don't know where it came from. You know, I don't know how I got to be so many, there are things that I struggle with humility about, but they tend to be things that like, I've learned or earned or really tried hard at, whereas so many of the things we're talking about right now, it's like, I don't even know where that came from. So, to me, it's like a gift that I've been given, you know, from God, and not even and that everybody that's listening probably believes in God. But for me, it's like, I know, people on the outside are like, wow, look at look at that, that's whatever, you know, it's talent or it's like, dude, like, I was just born this way. Like, I can't really, it's like, being proud of being tall, you know, like, I'm six, four, but no walk around, like, look at how tall I am. It's like, I had nothing to do with it. Right? It's like, you know, it just happened. You know? And so, so many of these things, it's just like, it's hard for me to be, you know, arrogant about it. Because, you know, I know that I never read a book about it, or you know what I mean? Like, I didn't do anything to earn it, like it was just given to me. So it's hard to it almost makes me feel self conscious for other people to be, you know, to say flattering things about it, because it's like, Man, I didn't I didn't do anything to earn any of this, you know, right at And
how are you because one of the things that I'm picking up on from just generally men these days in society is distraction. Like, I think distraction is one of the most, you know, the tools of evil that is getting in the way of what most men who most men want to be that the aspiration. So a lot of guys probably have ambition and aspiration, but it's just easily thrown by the wayside because it's like phone, or Netflix, or I'm tired after work or whatever, like, they don't work out, they don't spend time with their kids, they don't actually do the things to have those conversations in their heads to prepare for greatness. Because I think that is also an important thing, as you're preparing for the greatness along the way. Are you easily distracted? Or is that another thing is just like, I'm good. Um,
I can be, you know, one of the things you said earlier about, you know, you get manic, and you have to put guard rails up, you know, to keep from you know, because you're, every time you learn something new, you get manic, right. And so for me, I'm very, I'm almost ruthless about what I let in, because I do the same thing. So I kind of have this thing of, like, do I need to learn that or not? And if I don't need to learn it, then I'm like, Man, I'm good. You know, I'm, I don't can still don't, you know, I don't consume a lot of social media, you know, I don't read very many other people's posts, especially now that I'm writing. Because I find that it, it affects me. And it bleeds over into what I want to say, and it takes away from my voice. And so one of the things that I bought that I've said a lot, and I'm pretty sure I made this up, I read all the time, and I don't I don't really know where stuff comes from, but I'm pretty sure I made this up, it's like, you know, it's easy to think outside the box if you don't know what the box is. So I don't, I don't let a lot of other people's ideas and opinions come in, I don't read a lot of self help books. I don't, I don't listen to a lot of self help podcasts. Because that kind of defines a box for me. And then all of a sudden, it's like, well, if I'm not doing those things, I'm not doing it right. And I start doubting myself or as I kind of just define my own box, and just try to live that and I try to block out as much as possible to have those guardrails up because I feel like I'm probably even more prone than, than you are probably a lot of the people listening, like if I if I read a self help book, did I highlight everything on the page, like I'm like, everything is you know, and so it's almost kind of, like a coping mechanism for me to, to not let myself get exposed to things that will distract me, because I will get so manic and I'll latch on to it and want to understand it. So in depth, that I can't even function and apply it in real life, you know, and so I'm really strict about what I allow, what I allow in and how often I you know, more often than not, as far as my reading, you know, I'll read stuff like Lord of the Rings, you know, don't don't let a lot of stuff in. And I learned a lot of lessons from that stuff, just kind of by osmosis. More so than like, if I read a self help book, I feel like it's like, Oh, I gotta go do these five things today. And it puts a lot of pressure on me. And I feel like that's a big issue, you know, with people that are trying to get better is like an overabundance of inputs, you know, and it's like, Dude, you can't do everything at once like that, like, it's frickin impossible. And you're going to overwhelm yourself to the point, you're not going to do anything, like, just get better at one thing, man, like, just go get better at one thing, until you don't have to think about it anymore. And it's just automatic, and then pick the next thing. And only work on that until it's like driving, right? Like when we drive, I don't have to think about anything else, I just react, it just happens. And so until if you want to learn something, until you can do it without having to think don't add anything else because you can't multitask those things right? Like, don't do it until it's like driving where you can do it without thinking and that's just, it's your new operating system, and then picks and then pick the next thing. And over the course of a five year timeframe, you're gonna have a whole lot of things that you just do that there's as you and like, it's just your that's just who you are. But the only way that you're never going to make any progress towards that if you're just chasing your tail on you know, a dozen different things you're trying to get better at the same time. Yeah,
my not least like yeah, like the thing that's coming up for me as you're talking about that as everyone wants to like studies for things nowadays. Like you go out into the into the woods and be like, this is a tree and most people would be like, what's your source, bro? How do you know that? It's like we've lost this ability to be objective about what's happening in reality. And along with that is like you don't need to like you say you don't need to read all these different things because you're not going to do them all at once anyway other than just make yourself feel bad, but actually It comes down in this work specifically like self improvement, if you will, to like doing it, go out and try it and then fail and get the feedback and then do it don't go and be like, Oh, I've got to have another like, you know, ceremony. I gotta go do Ayahuasca now I gotta go like meditate for 10 years, I've got to do all this kind of stuff. Like, figure it out, do it fail, come back, do it again. I'm just not seeing enough of that going on in the world. And
what you said about being a dad, you know, like, let your kid break his arm, right? Like, we're aware of that for kids. But are we doing that for ourselves? Like, are we willing to go and break your arm?
Oh, yeah. So many of us are, like, still afraid of that failure? Yeah, still afraid to step out of that box.
One of the most freeing things like my, you know, there's been a couple people in my life that I've told him this, and it's just been like, their new motto for life, you know, is everything is fixable? You know, like, just chill. You know, like, everything's fixable. Like, there's very few things in life that you can't fix, you know, like, people. And I'm not saying this is ideal, but how many people have had affairs that their marriage ended up being stronger afterwards? Because they put the work in, you know, like, How many things have we all experienced, that we thought would be catastrophic? That ended up being the best thing that ever happened to us because of who we became, and what we learned during that process. You know, and so I think a lot of people just need to take the, take some of the pressure off, you know, like, dude, everything's fixable, it's going to be okay. Like, there's a handful of things that we could brainstorm about and say, Okay, what are the things that aren't fixable? Like, truly aren't fixable, right, like, getting addicted to meth? You know, that's, that's not fixable man, like, you have a really hard time getting over like a heroin addiction or whatever, you know, like, you know, like, there's definitely certain things like, you can't fix your reputation. Once you know, if you if you put if you put the wrong thing out into the world, on social media, like your life is ruined. Like we've seen that, right? There's no recovery from that. So be very careful. Be very, very careful about what you put in, you know, put in writing, it's going to be put out into the world. And when on the internet, right, like, so we could brainstorm you know, a list of probably eight to 10 things and there is no recovery from right. But outside of that very loose, very narrow things. Everything else, I think we need to like, I feel like it's like a bar of soap that we're holding on too tightly and it keeps slipping out of our hands. It's like, yeah, you gotta grab the soap. And you've got to exert a certain amount of pressure to, to wash yourself with it, right. But so many people are either afraid to pick it up, because they're afraid to drop it in or when they do pick it up. They squeeze it so tight, that it keeps slipping out, you know, and there's like, there's this, there's this just the right amount of pressure that you have to use to hold on to a bar of soap. And I feel like that's kind of a good metaphor for life. Like, yeah, you do have to try and you have to exert some force. But so often, it's like, people look like, dude, everything's fixable man, you can pick the bar. So back up, it's not, you know, it's not life or death. If you drop it, it's gonna be right there. Yeah, well,
there's so many things that I can think of like, the most recent big one was, I was going to start this local services company is going to prove to myself that you know, I'm an internet entrepreneur, I can make money like that. But that's not real business, I'm gonna go do a real business. And it just like, was the worst decision I could have made. And as I knew I needed to stop that and cut my losses. I was like, Well, I'm like, I guess I'm going to be ruined now. That wasted all this money wasted, like, people are gonna know that I'm an idiot, because I told them, I was doing this. I gotta lay people off, I gotta tell the people that we're not going to do their jobs. Oh, my goodness. And I'm like, all my family and friends are gonna be like, How much money do you waste and you quit that you're a loser. And I just had that fear. And it was one of the hardest things I ever did calling up. Everyone be like, Okay, guys, we're done. And immediately afterwards, it was like, Oh, that was fine. Like, nothing's happened. Literally, nothing happened. And I look back now is that being one of the most freeing things I've ever did ever done, which is, you know, in my mind, that was my first real failure. I never really let myself fail until this point. And now I'm like, Oh, dude, everything good came from that. And so you know, the bar of soap rather than like disintegrating into mush, and never being able to put back together, it was just like, whoop, and I just picked it back out. And it's man, if more people just like, tried hard things, and did hard things more often, then I think we'd like develop the muscle to do that.
Oh, absolutely. As you're talking, I was thinking, you know, like, as a baseball player, you know, I was a pitcher. And so literally, I would throw 100 pitches a game. So you think about the amount of failure and success and it's just like, Oh, that was a bad pitch. I immediately I can't just go to the dugout and go hide like I'm ever buddy's watching him out on the mound by myself, I got to just make the next pitch, you know, and on a pitch by pitch basis, I feel a lot. But that's, you know, talking about the long term view, right? Like, if your confidence is tied to each pitch, you're gonna, you're gonna be all over the place, you know? And the more you can spread that, you know, how are you? How are you grading yourself, you're grading yourself, after every pitch, you're gonna be all over the place, you've got to grade yourself, at the end of the inning, at least, but ideally, spread it out to the end of the game. But even then you're going to have bad game, so spread it out over the course of a season. Because we evaluate major league baseball pitchers by their season, we don't evaluate them on a bad game, we definitely don't evaluate them on a bad ending. And we certainly don't even dream of evaluating them on every pitch. But people live their life as if each pitch is being judged. And your actions aren't being judged. Moment to moment, it's a life that is going to be judged, just like a pitcher season is going to be judged. You know, and the same thing in so for me, I went from pitching to being in sales, which is kind of the same thing. Like, I go up and people tell me no all the time. And it's like, Okay, I've got to, I've got to adapt, that didn't work, I got to try something else. Okay, that kind of worked a little better. I got to adapt and try something else. And I still get rejected all the time. And so I think it's been helpful for me that, um, you know, the main things I've done in my life, whether it was as a kid in sports, or as an adult in business, there's just this inherent, you know, feedback loop of, like, try this, see if it works, and it's so it's never really tied to like, I never take it personally, like, I never expected every pitch to be perfect. No, like, I knew going into it that that was impossible. But I think so many people that haven't played sports, or maybe haven't had that haven't had careers that require just this constant. You know, the nice thing about sports is that you get immediate feedback, the nice thing about sales is that you get immediate feedback. And so, you know, it's just as easy to get to, for me, I just have never known any different, like, I never expect every action to work, you know, I never explained I don't I look at myself over the course of a season, you know, I look at my business over the course of, you know, 10 years, you know, as far as myself, like, I'm trying to be a good man at the end of my life. And I don't expect that along the way, I'm not going to make bad pitches, I'm going to, I'm going to walk people I'm gonna give up homeruns I'm gonna do really stupid stuff, but there's always gonna, I'm gonna get another ball, and I'm gonna have to make another pitch, you got to just, I gave up homeruns, I gave up walk off home runs, like I had, you know, I had a lot of times where I failed, and, but I didn't have the option other than the umpire throws, you know, the ball, and you got to make the next pitch, you know. And I think, you know, I think that's just been a part of my life for so long that I don't really know any other way to be.
Man, that was, I was gonna, I was gonna maybe go somewhere else after this. But that was such a solid, close, that I kind of want to just tell people to go to your Instagram, because you've posted I was going to ask a little bit about the health journey and like the struggles that led to that and how you got through that. But I think you've recently shared some stuff, maybe not too in depth, but you shared sort of a, I'll call it a flex post, but like a well deserved flex post that goes into some of that. So definitely check out Ryan on Instagram, and the posts are the links I should say will be all on the Dad.Work/Podcast notes page. Is there anything else that's coming up for you in terms of just being a good dad what you want other dads to know? Before we wrap up here?
I'm always would say kind of what I said earlier, like don't play the character of a dead don't play, you know, like, just be a human being in front of them. You know? And it's, it's it's similar to like, we've all had bosses, right? Like you've had, we've had the bosses that were like, Oh, I'm the boss. And how'd you feel about those guys? Are those ladies? You know? And then we've had the boss that was like a real person that every once in a while when he had to pull the authority card he did but more often than not he was just a dude you know? Like, who did you respect more? Who did you seek out more when you didn't know what to do? You know, who did you admire more? Who did you look up to more? I feel like as dads that's really important, you know is don't be like the boss that you didn't like, you know, be a human just first and foremost be a human being and live life honestly in front of them. And a lot of dads I think not worry that oh they might not respect To me, or they might not have the you know, they might not listen to me when I need to pull that card. But I would just challenge you like when it hopefully you've had both kinds of bosses. So you understand the metaphor, like, that's a lie, they will respect you, they'll respect you more if they're, if you're real in front of them. You know, they'll listen to you more, not more influence if you're a human being in front of them. And if you need to pull that card, I don't have to pull the authority card very often, because my kids don't want to disappoint me. You know, they're not afraid of me. They don't want to disappoint me. And that's what I have to be careful of, you know, it's because they want to be like me so much. You know, that it's like, Dude, it's okay. I wasn't like me when I was 11. I was like, you and I was the golden man. Like, don't put so much pressure on yourself. And it really broke my heart. Last night, he was making fun of me, because he knew we were going to be doing this podcast, and they'll walk through and they'll hear me. And they'll hear me. And then my youngest was like, Oh, are you talking about how to be a man? What it means to be a man and all this stuff? And I'm like, dude, hold on a second man. Like, you know, I'm doing this for you. Right? Like, I'm trying to make it so that the world doesn't hate you. And you're 35. And the world actually likes man. He was like, I know that. And escolar started kind of wrestling with him and giving you a tease and even ended up hugging him and telling him I love him. And he just like, it just flipped man. Like, I didn't know where he just goes. Dead. Am I on the right track to being a good man? And I was just like, well, wow. And I just put my head on the back of his head. And I said, so far, so good, buddy. Yeah. But man, it just really hit me. Like, as you can tell, he was really thinking about, like, you know, he's seen me talk about this. And so he has like, this awareness of like, what is it to be a good name, you know? And that just like, it went from, like this playful teasing thing that like, all of a sudden getting just like, not stabbed, but just like, kind of punched him punched in the chest. It's kind of like, man, yeah, these
are the stakes we're playing with
Ryan King 1:02:06
man, for real dude, really, really hit me and I just talking about thinking about things like, Man, I just for probably an hour and a half after that, I just could not get that out of my head. I just sit in my library and just really just sit and tried to process that, you know, like, you know, that's deep.
Yeah. Man, I love that you share that. Thank you. And I think we all got to do a better job of just talking about what it means to be a man. Like, that's what we're trying to do here. If we've got, if we got boys, we're trying to raise them up to be good men. And if we've got daughters, we're trying to raise them up so that they find good men, and as they become good women themselves. So I think it's it's, it's not becoming of fathers to just guide through and hope that things will turn out. Because things don't turn out like that. It takes intentionality like you're talking about in that dialogue. And I know that I am bringing up all sorts of things in terms of like, what is a good man? And what are we doing all this for it so that when you like you said, when you're a man, first of all, so the world doesn't hate you, that's I think we've got you know, that sort of thing together here, but so that you can operate and not even care if the world does hate you. So you can slay these dragons, because everyone else is gonna want to keep you down. What does that look like? Let's let's, I want to say toughen up, but let's become good men. So man, I love these really love just talking about this kind of stuff and hear from you. So thank you for giving me the time. And do you want to let the guys know if there anywhere else to find you, if you're doing anything in terms of offering support, or if it's just all on Instagram right now,
right now, it's all on Instagram, this is all kind of taken off a lot faster than I expected. So I don't really have like the infrastructure set up for a lot of things. But that's in the works. As far as like an email newsletter and some other sources, you know, some YouTube stuff. But yeah, for now, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have to hire that stuff out, because I don't have any extra capacity to produce anything else. So for now, it's just on Instagram at the wisdom of kings. And then I'm very active. And so a lot of, you know, I think a lot of people are very passive and when they consume Instagram, but like, if you go to my posts, you know, I reply to every comment. There's, there's some really in depth discussion in the comments of my stuff that you don't see a lot on Instagram, and I'm really active in the DMS and stuff too. And so for the men that do go check that out my page in particular, I try to be a lot more interactive than the general, you know, Instagram page is very kind of hands off. So
yeah, yeah, there's definitely a lot of nuance there. Which is why I appreciate your stuff so much. It's because like, you're actually having the conversation. So if you aren't tired of the sound bites, I would say go give Ryan a follow because there's deeper stuff there. Alright, dude, thank you so much for taking the time to do this. I appreciate you.
Thank you for listening to the dad work podcast. That's it for this episode. But if you would like to stay in touch between weekly episodes, why don't you go over to Instagram and follow me there because I drop a number of things throughout the week that are related to what we talked about on this podcast but usually go a little bit deeper, provide some tips you can find me on Instagram at dad work.curt. That's DADWORK.CURT . And please, if you have been getting something out of this podcast if it has touched you if it has improved your marriage, your parenting your life, would you please leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify, leave a rating. If you have a few extra seconds, leave a quick review. That's the best way that we can get this work in the hands of more fathers. And I truly believe that we change the world, one father at a time because each father that parents better that loves better raises children who do the same. And in just a couple of generations. I feel like we could be living in a world much better than the one we live in today. Your review will help along that path. And I thank you so much for being here to listen until next week. We'll see you then.


October 11, 2012 / P.J.
First, it was football. She would hear me talk nonstop about all the NFL action she could handle, until it all sank in and she acquired this insane level of knowledge that she can unleash to impress our fantasy football league (of which, yes, she is the only female participant).
Now, it is disc golf.
Steve Hill's wife Kelly has started to take up disc golf, so maybe knowingly looking for houses closer to courses wasn't a one-way deal?
Being that I am a disc golf player, writer (allegedly), and all-around obsessive, she is always having to listen to (or tune out – really, I don't know) my various adventures. Ranging from "I was this close to an ace today!" to "I think I want x disc in y plastic, but I am not sure because I like the grip of z plastic better," she certainly gets her fill, yet never complains.
Recently, though, I thought I had pushed her to her breaking point.
You see, my wife was recently offered a new job, which found us relocating to North San Diego County, California. For those who are unfamiliar with the area, it is close to the beach, has boatloads of craft breweries and, most importantly, a nice selection of disc golf courses.
In short, we relocated to my personal mecca.
There was only one minor drawback, though — house hunting. Goodness, house hunting is the worst, and nowhere near as glamorous as those shows on HGTV (which I totally don't watch, and only know about because my wife watches them and I hear them in the background). We were on a crunch for time, and we needed to find a place that would be near enough to her work and not require a ton of time in traffic.
Now remember: Close to the beach, beer, and golf courses. Should have been enough for me, right?
Every time we looked up a new place to rent, I would look at three things — the price, if it allowed pets, and how close it was to the nearest disc golf course. Often times, we were looking at a 25-minute drive, which for many readers (and Rattling Chains head honcho P.J.) is probably close enough.
But herein lies the problem — our prior residence was five minutes from the nearest course. Kind of tough to beat. I was spoiled.
Kelly Hill prepares to throw a shot.
Something tells me she was seeing through my game of Say I Like It But List Drawbacks Before Mentioning Its Distance From the Course.
When all was said and done, we finally found a place, and the nearest course is about 15 minutes away. Definitely not bad, especially since another one is only about 20 minutes from here. All in all, I would call that a win.
But the real win, though, was seeing how awesome my wife is. Not once did she chastise me for caring so much about course proximity, even though I am sure she wanted to. She truly understands how much I enjoy the game, and for that, I am the real winner.
And since we have moved, my luck has grown even more.
I noticed her recently beginning to pick up some of my putters and flick them at the practice basket while we were out in the backyard barbecuing or playing with our daughter. Also, when I recently unwrapped my new MVP Ion in some gorgeous hot pink Neutron plastic, she was quite taken with it. So, I took a leap of faith and bought her first discs, a Latitude 64 Diamond and an MVP Anode. Both are easy to throw for beginners, and they come in some of the best plastic on the market right now.
When they came in the mail, I couldn't wait to give them to her — even though they were supposed to be a birthday present in a couple weeks (not her only gift, don't worry!) — so I made her close her eyes and gave them to her. When she opened her eyes, I was honestly more nervous than anything else — would she even think it was a nice idea, or just a ploy for me to get some plastic in case she didn't like it?
Luckily, she was excited about them. So much so that, the next morning, we headed out to the local nine-holer, Montiel Park DGC in San Marcos, to give them a test run. It's a nice open course with some elevation, so it is excellent for beginners who may not be able to navigate in and out of trees.
Norah Hill is working as a caddy for now, but look out in the future!
With our daughter caddying (I use that term as lightly as possible), we approached the first tee, and I could sense my wife's hesitation.
I assured her that I have seen people play horribly on this course, and that everyone starts as a beginner at one point. After giving her some tips on how to grip the disc and reach back for her drive, she let the first one fly, and it went pretty straight! She carded a four on the first hole, which I would have been more than happy with during my first disc golf experience.
As we progressed through the course, I would try and give her pointers where possible, trying not to overwhelm her with all of the information and timing and thinking that can accompany disc golf. When the disc would come out wobbly, I reminded her to try and snap her wrist some more, to which she playfully replied, "I'm like Peyton Manning after his neck surgery!" She loves her some Peyton.
At the end of the round, she thanked me for the discs and for taking her to play, and I could genuinely tell that she had enjoyed herself.
What I didn't mention, though, is that I should have been the one thanking her. To be able to bring all of my loves together in one afternoon was truly a special experience, and I can't wait for our next round of family disc golf.
I was looking at those two discs and commented to my wife that I'd like to go back to the local course and play some disc golf. She nodded and low and behold, she asked me if I wouldn't mind if she came along. I thought initially that she was just tagging along so that I wouldn't feel 'left out' but when we got to the course, she asked if she could play too. After the initial shock set in, and I picked my jaw up off the parking lot, I of course said yes. Long story, short, my wife and I play 2-3 times a week, we even get our daughters out about 1 or 2 times a month. We (my wife and I) have lost a collective 65 lbs since then (my wife has lost most of that, I'm so proud of her) and the family relationship is starting to get better and we are starting to respect each other a bit more. It's a work in progress, but where there seemed to be little or no communication and interaction, there is now a light at the end of the tunnel.
This article sums up why I love Rattling Chains!!! I am 25 and got the disc golf bug earlier in the summer. I take my partner out when she feels up to it ( she is 7 months pregnant ). Although she hasn't played yet, I look forward to teaching her and our future son how to play. It truly warms my heart to see families out on the course enjoying this game. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
@Joshua Winn – your son and my daughter will probably meet up on the PDGA national tour in about 18 years time. My wife is also 7 months along with a little daughter and I'm hoping that she takes to disc as well as I have.
…..so long as Nate Doss and Val Jenkins don't reproduce any time this decade.
Great story Steve, and great comments as well. I like them all but am especially heartened hearing from Morgan about both the redemptive and fitness potentials of disc golf.
Thanks, Jack. I was thinking the same thing. I am so happy to hear that people are able to being their families together through our great sport.


As one of the most desired destinations for summer, the Amalfi Coast has so much to offer, from the amazing Amalfi Drive to all the beautiful and romantic locations found along the Italian oceanfront. Here is a list of "must-see" towns, cities and resorts.
Amalfi is one of the busiest towns during the summer, but if you don't mind a little crowding, it is definitely worth a visit. The magnificent setting alone, at the mouth of a deep gorge, between the sea and the mountains, is reason enough to stop by for a day or two at least. An impressive attraction here is the Amalfi Cathedral (also known as Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea and Duomo di Amalfi), an impressive building of Arab-Norman Romanesque architectural style, with Byzantine, Gothic and Baroque elements that have been added during the numerous times it has been remodeled.
Amalfi is also the perfect base for excursions to Capri and the Grotta dello Smeraldo, a lovely underwater cave, to which you can get by boat or car for a very small amount of money (max. 20 euros). You can also check out the village annexes, two very romantic locations to visit.
The peak season turns Positano into one of the most crowded places, but the beauty of it compensates for this inconvenience. Check out the town's gift & specialty shops, the beautiful beaches (such as Spiaggia Grande, Spiaggia del Fornillo and Bagni d'Arienzo), the sacred & religious sites (like Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta e Cripta Medievale), the excellent restaurants and the fascinating night clubs and try out kayaking or canoeing along the coast.
Find the best deals for hotels in Italy now!
A more quiet location, better for relaxation and getting away from the turmoil specific to the other places we mentioned, Praiano is a beautiful village that works very well as a base for visiting the area and as an access point for the 11km Sentiero degli Dei (Path of the Gods), a challenging but amazing way that leads along the top of the Lattari mountains.
Some great things to see in Praiano are the religious sites (Parrocchia di San Geranno, Convento di Santa Maria a Castro, Parrocchia di San Luca Evangelista, Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista), the gift & specialty shops, the beautiful beaches (Marina di Praia, Spiaggia della Gavitella), the beautiful Grotte di Suppraiano and the dance clubs and discos, if you feel like it. You should also look into the boat tours, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing – if you're feeling adventurous, Praiano has a lot to offer to you.
The east of Amalfi is a little more picturesque and less "fashionable" than the west, but it's still worth visiting for its many attractions and the beautiful scenery, like the rest of the Amalfi coast. If you are a fan of classical history, a great thing to see is Villa Romana, a first-century AD mansion with fresco fragments and a thermal baths complex; all of this is very well-preserved and visiting the ruins is free.
While you are in Minori, you can also check out Basilica di Santa Trofimena, the gift & specialty shops, the lemon garden on the mountain side (Limoneto I.G.P.), the boat tours, the spas and the nice and calm square of Minori (Piazza Centrale Minori).
Ravello is located on higher grounds than the other towns mentioned, overlooking the Bay of Salerno, and it is relatively out of the way, managing to stay separated from the madness of the coast 350 metres below. The nights in Ravello are actually really quiet and perfect for relaxing and resting.
There are also several attractions here, such as Villa Cimbrone Gardens, Villa Rufolo, Le Ville de Ravello, Duomo di Ravello, Ravello Arte, Museo del Corallo, Cappella Sant'Angelo all'Ospedale, Galleria d'Arte Petit Prince. Try out one or more historical or cultural tours, boat tours, sightseeing tours, visit the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium or the Ravello Concert Society for amazing performances, concerts and shows.
Keep in mind that the summer is the peak season for this region and autumn comes with rain, so check out TripEconomy now and find the beast deals for hotels in Amalfi, Positano, Praiano, Minori and Ravello and book your flight to Italy! Enjoy this amazing summer vacation to the fullest and let us know how it went by leaving a review of the hotel you chose on TripEconomy!


text:
Helvetica Blu-ray
Designed by Experimental Jetset | Country: The Netherlands
"In 2007, we were involved in a documentary about the typeface Helvetica, a movie directed by Gary Hustwit. Our involvement in this project basically consisted of designing two film posters, and making a short appearance in the movie itself. (More about the documentary can be read at Helvetica / Hustwit). In 2008, Gary approached us again, to design the limited edition packaging of the Blu-ray version of the documentary. The DVD version already came out in 2007, so did a special, limited edition of this DVD. The Blu-ray version was released in 2008, and of this version, Gary wanted to bring out a special, limited edition as well. And that's where we came in.
Thinking about a packaging for this Blu-ray disk, we first started to consider the whole concept of Blu-ray itself. It is yet another format, the latest in a string of formats, and just like VHS and DVD, this format will be obsolete soon. This whole theme, of obsolete formats, is something that we have always found interesting; in fact, towards the end of 2000, we dedicated a whole issue of Emigre magazine on this subject (see Lost Formats). So we thought it would be interesting to come up with a packaging that would revolve around this whole theme of formats. That's when we decided to package the Blu-ray disk in a record sleeve, referring to the vinyl 12" LP, a now almost defunct format. There's also another reason why we chose a record sleeve as packaging. When we first met Gary, he tried to explain the concept of the Helvetica film to us. "A rock documentary, but about a typeface", that's how he described it to us. So a record sleeve as packaging for this documentary made perfect sense to us.
In short, the packaging consisted of a 12" gatefold sleeve (double album). One side of the gatefold sleeve contained a cardboard 4-panel insert, holding the actual disk. The other side contained a fold-out poster (60 x 60 cm). Shown below the gatefold sleeve (frontside, backside and inside):
As we said, one side of this gatefold sleeve contained a 4-panel insert. This insert was basically a cardboard sheet of 30 x 60 cm, printed on both sides, and folded in two. On the outside of this insert, we placed a series of five discs; these five discs showed step-by-step how we created the discs on the gatefold sleeve. (When we say 'disc', we are referring the graphic motive on the sleeve; and when we say 'disk', we refer to the actual Blu-ray disk… we know, it's confusing). Anyway, shown below the outside of the insert:
The inside of this insert contained the actual Blu-ray disk. The disk was attached to the cardboard with a so-called 'hub dot', a small foam button used to fasten CDs and DVDs to all kinds of surfaces. In our original proposal, we actually came up with a completely different system: we wanted to fasten the DVD to the cardboard by using a self-invented system of slits. The printer persuaded us to go for the hub, and in retrospect, it was the right decision; slits would have been too risky. Underneath the disk, we placed all the credits (note how the typography on the disk aligns with the typography at the bottom). On the left hand panel, we put an introductory text by Gary, and some excerpts from the movie:
The text on the left-hand panel of the insert contained a little empty space for Gary Hustwit, to place his autograph (the whole limited edition of 1500 copies was signed by Gary):
The other side of the gatefold sleeve contained a fold-out poster, basically a paper sheet of 60 x 60 cm, printed on one side, and folded to a format of 30 x 30 cm. Shown below the poster in its folded and unfolded form:
The sleeve came in a custom-made black cloth record bag (tote bag), printed on one side with the disc motive. (Obviously, we wanted the disc on the bag to have exactly the same size as the discs on the gatefold sleeve, but unfortunately, because of technical reasons, the print on the bag was slightly smaller):
The idea of the spiralling discs came from the 'Meet the cast' poster that we made earlier for Gary (see Helvetica / Hustwit). For the sleeve, we wanted to use the Helvetica alphabet as it was shown on that poster, but we also wanted it to refer to the idea of a 12" vinyl record. So we started spiralling the alphabet, referring to the way a record spins, but also to the idea of a record divided in tracks. (By spiralling the disc in different ways, we could come up with different variations; as you can see on the gatefold sleeve, each version is slightly different).
But besides the fact that the spirals refer to records, we also liked the idea of Helvetica as a typeface spiralling out of control, revolving almost like a planet, or a dark sun, a universe in itself. Next, we hoped that the spiral-like disc would refer to rays, radiation and sci-fi radar technology, underlining the whole idea of Blu-ray.
We also really wanted to show the typeface as a sort of deconstructed type specimen. We thought it would be good to show the typeface without actually showing it. As you see, the forms shown on the sleeve are not recognizable as letters, but you can still notice the shapes that are characteristic for Helvetica. We thought this was interesting."
One Response to "Helvetica Blu-ray"
August 1st, 2010 @ 1:40 am

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The LitSavant Conformity Engine implements "If this…. then that" logical rules into the coding process within Relativity Workspaces. Using the standard Relativity interface, users set up the Conditions to be assessed and define one or more actions to be taken if the Conditions are fulfilled. Users select the actions to be triggered from a set of alternatives whether that be providing an alert (onscreen or by email), updating a Field, executing a Relativity Script or building a new Object. In each case, the user provides the details of the actions to be taken. Any of these logical rules can be applied to the Document or to other Objects and can be specified to operate only on the desired Layouts.
You can use this ability to constrain data entry – by avoiding the input of logically inconsistent coding or by enforcing data entry in one field conditional on the values entered in another. You can also use the LitSavant Conformity Engine to introduce real-time reporting on data entry or to enter additional data associated with the values input by the user.


Am I investing in the right mutual fund schemes for my kids' marriage?
The urbanisation conundrum: Is India ready?
Explained | Where does the govt get money from?
Should Indian firms undertake farming abroad?
India elections 2019: Will the Opposition thwart the Modi juggernaut?


What time JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS depart from MURI Railway Station?
JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS (18110) departs from MURI Railway Station at 08:10.
How much time JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS take to reach SAMBALPUR Railway Station?
JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS reach on day 1 to SAMBALPUR Railway Station. The arrival time of JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS at SAMBALPUR Railway Station is 17:45.
Distance covered by JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS?
JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS covers 385 km to reach SAMBALPUR Railway Station at average speed of 41 km/hr. JAT MURI SBP EXPRESS passes through 14 stations.


text:
Mack, Cummins Chiefs Endorse Obama Call For Truck Fuel, Emissions Improvements
May 24, 2010 CP Staff
Mack CEO Denny Slagle, Cummins CEO Tim Solso and other trucking industry stakeholders joined President Obama May 21 at the White House for the signing of a Presidential Memorandum targeting reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased fuel efficiency in medium- and heavy-duty truck models
Sources: Mack Trucks Inc., Greensboro, N.C.; Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind.
Mack CEO Denny Slagle, Cummins CEO Tim Solso, and other trucking industry stakeholders joined President Obama May 21 at the White House for the signing of a Presidential Memorandum targeting reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased fuel efficiency in medium- and heavy-duty truck models. It directs Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson–both on hand for the Rose Garden event–to create a National Policy aimed at raising trucksÌ fuel efficiency by up to 25 percent and lowering their greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 percent in 2014Ò2018 models.
"This is consistent with measures we have in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from operations and products," said Slagle. "Mack joined the EPA's Climate Leaders Program in 2004 as one of the charter companies. We originally pledged to reduce GHG emissions by 20 percent per unit from 2003Ò2010." Energy-efficiency projects at manufacturing and administration locations, he added, brought the actual GHG emissions reduction level from operations to 42 percent per unit, two years ahead of the 2010 target. Additionally, Mack's ClearTech selective catalytic reduction technology, bringing diesel engine exhaust systems into 2010 EPA compliance, has improved trucksÌ fuel economy by 5 percent or more in some applications.
Cummins recognizes the need for a consistent set of standards to address the threat of greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our nation's dependence on fossil fuels, said Solso. Regulations that recognize the needs of business, offer clear direction, and provide incentives to companies that create innovative technologies have the power to significantly benefit the environment while creating jobs in this country.
Obama issues mandate for truck MPG and GHG standards
Block Machinery Technology Aligns Mold Tamperhead, Bottom
Astm Probes Pervious, Conventional SlabsÌ Freeze-Thaw Durability


Driver's License and Age: Drivers must be in possession of a valid national or international driver's license. Minimum rental age is 25, except special arrangements.
Payment: Rental charges are paid at the time of delivery by cash (Sterling) or by credit/debit card without any commission.
Fuel: Fuel is paid by the renter.
Deliveries and/or Collections: Free delivery and collection from and to Ercan Airport or to where you are staying. Vehicle will be delivered at an agreed time on the morning after arrival. Larnaca Airport transfers will be charged extra.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a serious offens. A person is considered legally drunk when his or her blood alcohol level reaches %50.


Abstract : In Switzerland, the panorama of scientific research is deemed to be deeply affected by language barriers and strong local academic identities. Is this impression confirmed by data on research projects? What are the factors that best explain the structure of scientific collaborations over the last forty years? Do linguistic regions (Switzerland is divided into three principals) or local academic logics really have an impact onto the mapping of research collaborations and to what extend are they embedded in disciplinary, historical and generational logics? We focus on the very large database of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the principal research funding agency in Switzerland, which lists all the 62,000 projects funded between 1975 and 2015. While scientometric studies generally focus on measuring work – and financial – performance, we aim to raise awareness on pursuing a socio-history analyse of Swiss academic circles by crossing the SNSF data with a prosopographic database of all Swiss university professors in the twentieth century provided by the Swiss Elite Observatory (OBELIS). Beyond the interest for the history of science and universities, we explore the noteworthy technical challenge of a network analysis of nearly 88,000 researchers and more than a million of collaborations. By combining those two databases, we measure the temporality and spatiality of academic collaborations, i.e. to define a way to deal with the volume of information in order to provide not only a global vision but also to enable a fine processing of personal trajectories.


What's the record for the most narrators on one audiobook? Because, with 166 celebrities tapped to narrate the Lincoln in the Bardo audiobook, I think we might have just broken it. The cast for George Saunders' novel features a lot of familiar names, including the author himself.
In Saunders' highly anticipated debut novel, Abraham Lincoln visits his 11-year-old son's crypt on the night of his funeral in 1862, sorting through his grief at losing Willie to illness and a large portion of the U.S. to war. Lincoln in the Bardo treats readers to the stories of Willie's graveyard neighbors as well, making for a funny and touching novel.
With 166 voice actors, listening to the Lincoln in the Bardo audiobook is sure to be an experience you won't soon forget. In fact, the title seems destined for the Audie Award runnings this year. Saunders's short-story collection, Tenth of December, was shortlisted for the National Book Award in 2014.
Listen to the audiobook version of George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo on Feb. 14.


text:
Zrak je smjesa plinova što je kao omotač vezana uz Zemlju pretežno gravitacijskim silama, sudjeluje u njezinoj vrtnji, tvori Zemljinu atmosferu i nužna je za život na Zemlji. Ukupna masa suhoga zraka iznosi 5,1 · 1018 kilograma (približno milijunti dio Zemljine mase).

Toplinski procesi u atmosferi
Atmosferski zrak je smjesa suhog zraka i vodene pare. Sadržaj vodene pare i promjene koje nastaju pri prijelazu vodene pare u tekuće i kruto stanje, odnosno pri prijelazu iz tih stanja u vodenu paru, imaju osobito značenje u atmosferskim procesima. Budući da je količina vodene pare u zraku uvijek malena, to se u mnogim termodinamičkim procesima u atmosferi ne uzima vodena para u obzir, nego se zrak smatra plinskim medijem jedne faze sve dok ne dođe do zasićenja vodenom parom (kondenzacija). Zato se odvojeno razmatra suhi zrak i vlažni zrak koji je zasićen vodenom parom.

Zemljina atmosfera

Pod Zemljinoj atmosferom se razumijeva zrak (smjesa plinova koja okružuje Zemlju i sudjeluje u njezinoj vrtnji). Osnovni su sastojci zraka (volumni udio): dušik (78,08%), kisik (20,95%), argon (0,93%), te u promjenjivim količinama vodena para (0 do 4%) i ugljikov dioksid (0,03%), a u neznatnim količinama vodik, helij, ozon, metan, amonijak, ugljikov monoksid, kripton i ksenon. Količina vodene pare u atmosferi promjenjiva je, ovisno o temperaturi, a udio se smanjuje i s visinom. U najnižim slojevima atmosfere ima sitnih čestica anorganskoga (sol, prašina, pepeo) i organskog podrijetla (pelud i mikrobi), te olovnih, dušikovih i sumpornih spojeva i čađe, što je posljedica emisije industrije i prometa. Pojedini oksidi dušika i sumpora veliki su zagađivači, osobito zbog djelovanja kiselih kiša i utječu na čovjekovo zdravlje. Posebnu važnost ima ugljikov dioksid, zbog uloge u zagrijavanju atmosfere (staklenički učinak). Količina ugljikovog dioksida posljednjih stotinu godina neprekidno se povećava zbog izgaranja fosilnih goriva. U posljednjih desetak godina porasla je za više od 10%.

Životinje, biljke i čovjek udišu kisik, ali biljkama je potreban ugljikov dioksid za fotosintezu. Topliji zrak je lakši od hladnijeg te se on diže gore, a hladniji se spušta dolje. Na velikim visinama nalazi se vrlo malo zraka, a u svemiru ga nema.

Kemijski sastav zraka
Današnji volumni udjel kisika, najvažnijega sastojka zraka za postojeće oblike života na Zemlji, postignut je prije približno 400 do 500 milijuna godina kao posljedica fotosinteze zelenih biljaka u oceanima. Istodobno je fotolizom kisika u višim slojevima atmosfere nastajao ozon, koji štiti žive organizme od štetnoga djelovanja Sunčeva ultraljubičastoga zračenja. Čisti, suhi zrak plin je bez boje, okusa i mirisa. Njegova prosječna fizikalna svojstva ovise o temperaturi, tlaku i nadmorskoj visini. Prosječna je molna masa suhoga zraka 28,97 g/mol, a gustoća na morskoj razini, pri tlaku od 101 325 Pa i temperaturi 0 °C, iznosi 1,295 kg/m3, odnosno 1,2250 kg/m3 pri prosječnoj temperaturi na Zemlji (15 °C). Miješanjem zračnih masa različite gustoće, temperature i tlaka nastaje vjetar. Iako se s porastom visine gustoća i tlak zraka smanjuju eksponencijalno, zbog okomitih i vodoravnih strujanja kemijski je sastav zraka do visine od 80 do 90 kilometara (turbopauza) uglavnom stalan. Zrak sadrži i vodenu paru, kojoj je volumni udjel u rasponu od 0 do 4% (prosječno oko 1%), a ovisi o nadmorskoj visini, klimatskom području i meteorološkim prilikama. Iako im je volumni udjel malen, ugljikov dioksid i vodena para vrlo su važni sastojci zraka, jer apsorbiraju toplinsko zračenje Zemlje (dugovalno zračenje Zemlje) i djelomično ga vraćaju na Zemlju, pri čem se zagrijavaju tlo i oceani. Zrak sadrži i vrlo promjenljive količine krutih i tekućih čestica prirodnog ili ljudskog podrijetla.

Najreaktivniji je sastojak zraka kisik, koji se troši u prirodnim procesima (disanje ljudi, životinja i biljaka, oksidacija stijena), pri izgaranju fosilnih goriva i u mnogim tehnološkim procesima. Asimilacijom biljaka kisik se vraća u zrak i tako kruži prirodom. Kako u mnogim od tih procesa nastaju ugljikov dioksid i voda, koji se na primjer asimilacijom biljaka opet troše, kružni tok kisika i ugljika u prirodi usko su povezani. Dušik je kemijski vrlo trom (inertan) sastojak zraka, no kao glavni kemijski element jedan je od najvažnijih sudionika u biološkim procesima. Nitrificirajući mikroorganizmi koji žive na korijenju mahunarki (leguminoza) vežu dušik iz zraka i otpuštaju ga u tlo u obliku spojeva potrebnih za život drugih biljaka. Denitrificirajući mikroorganizmi, pak, smanjuju (reduciraju) nitratne ione u molekularni dušik, pa tako i dušik kruži prirodom.

Primjena
Zrak se najviše koristi u različitim industrijskim procesima, gdje kisik služi kao oksidans. Osim toga, zrak se primjenjuje kao sredstvo za grijanje ili hlađenje, u pneumatskim sustavima koji rade sa stlačenim zrakom i drugo. Ukapljeni zrak, plavkasta tekućina koja vrije na –194 °C, služi za dobivanje kisika i dušika frakcijskom destilacijom i za postizanje vrlo niskih temperatura.

Izvori

Kemija

en:Atmosphere of Earth#Composition

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia