What every boy needs to know about being a man.

I watched Cinderella Man for the first time about a week ago.
I'm not a big fan of movies that deal with the depression era because it was a very sad time for our country.
However, this movie inspired me in a way that few movies ever did.
I found myself on more than one occasion saying, "That's what a real man does".

Without spoiling the movie, I found that the main character, Jim Braddock, was a man to be admired.
A boxer, husband and father, Jim finds himself a victim of the great depression. Unable to box, Jim takes on any job, sacrificing every last shred of his pride, to keep his family together, warm, and fed. On one occasion, you see him offering the only meal he was to have that day to his child, who was still hungry.

Don't worry, the story gets great after that.

But this story made me realize how a real man should be. So here's my rundown:

A real man is proud of what God has given him, not what he has achieved.
A real man sees that his wife and family are taken care of first. He is a distant second.
A real man does not revel in the humiliation of his wife... even in jest.
A real man protects his family at all costs.
A real man sacrifices all, even pride, to provide for his family.
A real man encourages his wife and children to be all that they want to be, not all he wants them to be.
A real man doesn't compare himself to other men.
A real man teaches his children to be prepared for the world in which they live.
A real man doesn't hide it when his heart is touched.
A real man asks for help when he needs it.

And the final one...
A real man doesn't need to read this.

Sounds like a lot, doesn't it?
It's not though.

The simplest thing to think about when it comes to being a real man is that he doesn't put himself first.

Simple enough huh?