Success Is More Than Just Money
“The degree to which you are free is the degree to which you are successful. Hard stop.” -Travis Neville.
There is so much more than money that defines what makes a man successful. Things like slow mornings, love, health, preparedness, mastery, and camaraderie are all parts of a successful man’s life. You’ll learn about each of these in my new book, Ideal Man, MASTERING MASCULINITY.

The Language of Strength vs. Subservience
The word ‘allowed’ broadcasts subservience. Allowed by whom? Allowed is a word that children use. Children are allowed by their parents, who are in total control in every way. Allowed is a concept that is synonymous with low hierarchy. If you are allowed to do, say, or think something, that means there is a body that is more powerful than the autonomy that you possess to control your own mind. Their power is given to them by you, in that case.
A Successful Man Does Not Fear Words
As a man of words, it enrages me to think that there could ever be words that I am not allowed to say or write. All words have power. Some are so powerful that the feeble-minded feel they need to be protected from them. Anyone who seeks to remove words and ideas is invariably coddling and thereby insulting those weaklings. They are most likely timid and afraid themselves. What a terrible place to inhabit, a mind that fears words and ideas.
A Sovereign Man Controls His Thoughts
What is speaking and writing, if not an organized expression of thought? And so, to disallow words is to disallow thoughts. To censor what is written or said is to judge how a man thinks. I refuse to believe that my United States of America could ever become a place that is less than free in all arenas, let alone what goes on in a man’s head. The moment you subscribe to a list of words you’re not allowed to say, you give up your sovereignty, and you become a part of the very mechanism that would seek control over you and anyone else willing.
The Danger of Self-Censorship
Unfortunately, most voluntarily give up their inherent freedom as men. The fear of retribution via banning, canceling, loss of job, spousal embarrassment, and a host of other manufactured, imaginary scenarios cause men to kneel to public opinion. The fear of censorship leads men, ironically, to self-censorship, which is at least indentured servitude to the opinions of others, and the most humiliating of all forms of censorship. The agreement these men make is simple: I’ll agree not to hurt your feelings with my honesty if you agree to never stop liking me. This is childish and far beneath the ideal man.
A Successful Man Is Not Governed by Fear
If you believe that it is the government, media, or some other institution that has determined what you are allowed to think, I pity you. Have we devolved to a place where we have become subservient to our government? I fucking hope not. Your government is just that; yours. We vote those people in, and when they fail, we remove them. If they won’t leave, we kill them.
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” – Thomas Jefferson
Social Media vs. Reality
Perhaps you’ve delineated that it’s not exactly the government that might choose to impact how a man thinks, writes, and expresses himself verbally. The moment you realize that social media is not the same as your country, that should immediately pacify any fears you might have conjured. None of these platforms have any ability to harm you in any way outside of words. Do not misconstrue public opinion with politicians. And NEVER consider politicians to be the same thing as The United States of America. Those politicians care far more about public opinion than you ever could. Should you ever need it, this is a weakness of theirs that you can exploit.
Mastering Personal Sovereignty
The next step towards personal sovereignty is to cease altogether to consider that there could ever be anyone or anything that can censor you or harm you in any way. Or at least, to have a solid plan should anyone ever try. Anything that isn’t you, your loved ones, or your goals then fades into obscurity.
“When I was 15, I cared so much what other people thought of me. By 30, I decided to quit worrying about that. By 45, I realized that the whole time, nobody was even paying attention.” – Ralph Landry
A Sovereign Man Chooses His Battles
Regardless, to stand up to anyone trying to affect you further reinforces the mechanism for their make-believe oppression. To fight against a thing, you first must recognize and acknowledge that thing as being strong and worthy of fighting. You would never fight a flower since that flower has no control over you. To act with sovereignty is to act with no acknowledgment of anyone or anything that would seek to try to inhibit your natural existence. You functionally ignore them. A sovereign man acts first on the natural and permanent set of virtues within him. To not primarily consider these virtues is to take a shit on each person who came before you that helped you to develop those virtues in the first place.
The Peace of Mastering Sovereignty
Once you learn to master your own personal sovereignty, there comes with it a sense of well-being. The comforting calm that comes with the confidence you have earned is contagious. It will make you a more effective leader of your kingdom. The kind of peace that comes with surviving major losses and conquering formidable adversaries is attractive. You know when it’s time to worry, and that’s never. This keeps your people calm too.
A Successful Man Owns His Kingdom
A respected, sovereign man is a boon to all around him. You’ve got nothing to prove to anyone anymore. You’re established in your life, and you own the whole thing. From that base, you can now act effectively as king to your kingdom.
Tests of Sovereignty
- What do you worry about most of the time?
- Do any have anything to do with what people might think?
- Wrestle first with internal decisions. All external things are secondary.
- Who is your greatest ally?
Take Control of Your Life
Success isn’t just about money, it’s about mastery. Master your mindset, actions, and independence.
Ideal Man: MASTERING MASCULINITY provides real, actionable steps to help you become the man you were meant to be.

Better to live in a shack in the woods as a free man, than in a castle as a slave.
Nothing is more valuable than freedom and a man should strive to be free in all areas.
Absolutely!