Being a man is about using your will power to chisel out what you want from life. Being a man grants you the ability to decide for YOURSELF what path in life to take. A real man always assumes responsibility for the circumstances that he has created. This is part of the evolution and growth of every man. At some point in his life he has to own that all of the wealth he has attained, or lack-of, both spiritual and physical, is the result of his own actions.

As a man you reach a crucial turning point in your life once you decide to take responsibility for your circumstances, and instead of being a victim to your environment, you decide to change things by looking for opportunities. When an opportunity presents itself, a man will not hesitate or falter if it is line with his purpose.

When you take responsibility for yourself and then use your power as a man to serve others, there are some key components of expressing yourself energetically as a man to be aware of.

How To Become a Better Man

1. Learn to say NO.

Being a man means being able to put your foot down and say no. Sometimes you need to scream NO. In a society of people who love the idea of being average and maintaining the status quo, it can be difficult for the modern man to stand up for himself. This type of conformity strips men of their inherent masculinity and potential to become powerful and great men.

It is becoming more and more socially acceptable to “fit-in,” and stop working on improving yourself. Be a good worker-bee and do not forget to punch in. Do not listen to music while sitting at your desk 8 hours a day. Make sure to have that report on my desk by 3 P.M.

You have to draw the line at some point. I recommend that as a man you define what your line is for yourself energetically, in your professional and personal life. Once someone crosses that line you do not think twice about telling him or her, very firmly, that the answer is NO. Reclaim your independence by setting firm boundaries that no one ever gets to cross, regardless of the circumstance.

It may not always be easy to say no, but a real man does not allow himself to be compromised on his boundaries as a man, and he lives with the consequences of his decision.

Read also: 7 Simple Ways To Say “No”

2. Claim your space and territory.

Powerful men will express their dominance and claim their territory. This is done with a strong mind and body above all else. I am talking about truly being Alpha.

Being Alpha does not mean that you run around punching your chest and being a brute, this is not Alpha. Alpha is being calm, breathing deeply, and expressing yourself in the moment.

Alpha means that you claim your space and project your energy as a man. Standing tall, breathing deeply, and speaking loudly and clearly makes you Alpha. As a man who is 6’ 5” sometimes I do not always feel comfortable expressing myself to my full ability, whenever you feel this way you have to FORCE yourself to express yourself completely.

Stand up tall, breathe, smile, and EXPRESS yourself clearly. A real man does not cower, slouch, talk lightly, scowl, or choose to be weak. These are all postural expressions that are completely within your control as a man, so choose to be more Alpha.

3. Stand up for those who are weaker or in a lesser position than yourself.

A man who has the ability to build others up should always do so. This is the most powerful skill as a man that you have. I am not saying that you go out and waste all of your energy on charity, but I am saying that you always be a positive influence on those around you that can use it.

See someone who is upset? Ask them if they are ok and let them know that you are there for them.

Is someone getting bullied or unfairly blamed for something that you know is not his or her fault? Stand up for them and make it clear that behavior like that will not be tolerated, you do not have to explicitly state these words, just make it clear with your tone of voice and firmness.

Always use your masculinity to bring out the strong points in others, help those who can be helped and are open by showing them their strengths and limiting their negative beliefs.

4. Express your sexuality and do not be ashamed of it.

A powerful man is undoubtedly a sexual man. Do not be ashamed of your sexuality or dominance as a man. If you are attracted to someone, make your intentions clearly known.

One of the things I see many men struggling with is that to often they do not wish to upset anyone. They do not want to step on anyone’s toes, especially women. They are so afraid of insulting a woman or coming off as creepy or disrespectful that they let fear cripple them from even introducing themselves.

One of the aspects of being a powerful man that you are going to have to accept, sooner or later, is that you are going to upset some people. Most people may love you, but there will always be those who disagree with how you behave, think, and what you believe in, and that is ok.

Stop doing this. You are a man, you decide who you talk to and how you portray yourself to the world. By being fearful and timid you exude anxiety and weakness. Be strong, bold, and more aggressive if you have this problem, you can always scale it back if you are being a bit overly aggressive.

You may upset a lot of women and people, but at least they will respect you. At least you are trying to make connections and express yourself sexually, not simply lingering.

5. Energetically protect and serve those in your family, and closest friends.

A man protects and serves his family and loved ones. It is part of your responsibility to exude energy of safety, strength, power, and love, to those around you. It is not someone else’s, your parents, your friends, or your job and money. A man is responsible for creating the vibe of security and strength for his family.

Your loved ones can greatly benefit from the presence and influence of a strong man in their lives. When they need help, you drop everything else you are doing and commit to them. You honor the relationship and bond you have with these people above all else.

By using your unique talents and energy to help your family, they will be there to build you back up when you need it the most, and a time will come where you do need them, trust me.

6. Produce more than you consume.

A real man has a higher purpose and dream that is bigger than him. It is bigger than his bank account, his social life, his day-to-day job, and maybe even his family. A real man is always working to pay what he owes to society and those who gave him the means for survival growing up.

As a man you will always strive to produce as much value to others as you possibly can. By serving others you can fulfill your deepest needs as a man, which is to build and create.

My purpose as a man is to show other people how to maintain a strong body and mind through approaching their health holistically. I aim to help as many people be healthy and happy as I can, so that the energy I use in the world is worth something and growing in value. I work each and every single day to achieve this goal harder than anything else in my life.

When a man is producing work that is fulfilling his purpose and serving others, it seems that there is not enough time in the day because his work consumes him. It becomes passion. And passion is much more motivating than just a “job”.

7. Always have integrity.

A quick Google search defines integrity as:

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

The state of being whole and undivided.

Integrity means that you have a strong moral code that guides you throughout life. Some examples of my moral code are things such as:

I will never contribute to any form of business, association, or activity, which is not in-line with my values of healthy food and a healthy lifestyle.

I will not steal.

I will never cause direct harm to others or talk ill about someone.

Read also: 10 Ways To Be a Man Of Integrity

So if a job requires that I pollute the environment for millions of dollars a year. I do not do this job simply because it is not in-line with my morals. It would not make a difference if I was making minimum wage or a billionaire, I do not perform that job simply because doing so would break my moral code, and I would lack integrity.

The same goes for talking behind another person’s back. Even if someone is my worst enemy or my best friend, no matter how mad or upset I am, I do not talk behind that person’s back simply because of the fact that this would cause me to lose my integrity.

The second definition of Integrity, the state of being whole and undivided, is especially important to consider. If I stole a bag full of money from someone who would never know, it is still stealing.

I do not steal from the people I love, but yet I would consider stealing if I knew that I would not get caught? This is not congruent. This is a state of being energetically divided and split.

A man who is energetically split and not concrete in his morals and integrity is not a real man anymore; he is someone else’s puppet. He will allow himself to become easily influenced by those who do not have his best interests at heart. He will waiver and become broken over time.

Integrity is the most important aspect of being a man. It involves having the discipline to set a moral code that you never break, not for yourself or anyone else.

You break your moral code for no one, and through your strong integrity you gain a state of being whole and undivided. Do you see how powerful this is? You are an immovable force, no matter what the circumstances. You give yourself the ability to create change in the face of 100mph winds trying to blow you over, through your unwavering integrity.

A man with integrity will never go without that which he needs.

There you have it, what it means to express yourself as a powerful and whole man.

Remember that every man should have firm boundaries and know when to say NO. And that as man you should always stand up for those who are less fortunate or weaker than you are.

Display your dominance by standing up tall, breathing deeply, talking loudly, and claiming YOUR space. Allow yourself to be as sexual as you desire; do not be ashamed of expressing your sexuality.

Remember that you serve your family and those who are closest to you above all else; I am talking about people who have sacrificed for you and would truly care if you died tomorrow.

Define your purpose and spend the rest of your life fulfilling it. Strive to serve the world and those in it so that you are always outputting as much value as possible. This is the essence of being a powerful man, creating the positive change and empire that you choose to create.

And lastly, always remember to develop and maintain your integrity. A man with integrity is whole, complete, and maintains a strong moral code. Do not break your moral code for ANYONE or ANYTHING, no matter the circumstances. To break your moral code could end up shattering your power energetically as a man.