Once upon a time, another man thought enough of you to extend an invitation. They saw something in you that you didn’t see yourself. They recognized that inside the man visible to the rest of the world, was a man invisible to himself; and that invisible man needed to be set free.

I had two men think greater of me than I thought of myself and extend this invitation. These men shared with me something they had found by way of other men extending a similar invitation. Utilizing morning workouts in any number of outdoor locations around town, my eyes were eventually opened to a level of Fitness, Fellowship and Faith I didn’t know I needed, much less, existed. Many of us have had similar thoughts and experiences.

However, that only explains part of it. In hindsight, this seems like the obvious effect of the organization, F3 (f3nation.com). The thoughts I’m sharing with you here are not intended to rewrite “Freed to Lead” or the “QSource,” but there are teachings in each of those books that have helped to shape my thoughts and do show up here. With that, I’d like to share a few of my more recent thoughts about F3 and its impact on me as I’ve journeyed down this path I’m on. In the spirit of sharing and extending an invitation to experience something similar, I’d like to invite you to read through what I’m now comfortable sharing as an attempt to leverage your resources.

Within F3, there are a ton of resources. Resources I’m not sure the founders, Dave Redding (Dredd) and Tim Whitmire (OBT), even considered. Some resources were available from the beginning back in 2011 while others are more recent. Resources like the aforementioned books, Shieldlock, mentor opportunities like Whetstone, countless community and international service opportunities, Bible studies and access to other men around the country who are willing and excited about the opportunity to help a brother whenever possible. I’ve participated and benefited from many of these over the years since I’ve become involved with F3, but it is my more recent comprehension of these resources that has inspired me.

If you’re reading this and have only participated in what we call the 1^st F, Fitness, do recognize that you’ve yet to tap into the greatest resources F3 has to offer. We all know that Fitness is not only the most obvious of the F’s, it is also the easiest to talk about and the easiest to address. It is what originally brought you out into the gloom.  To show you how much I care about you, I may “encourage” you to do a few more push-ups or run a little further. After all, that is easy to measure. But it is the opportunities available through the 2^nd and 3^rd Fs that have brought me to experience even greater growth.

Consider the growth experienced through engaging in a Shieldlock.  Each week I come alongside three other men who consistently hold me to a standard worth living.  Surely, if left to my own devices, it is likely I will negotiate with and eventually convince myself to take the easier more ego driven, path. Something like not apologizing, forgiving or engaging. Something like giving in to a temptation or a frustration. However, when I sit down with 3 other men who know my tendencies, they can read through the façade that many others don’t know exists. This engagement in a Shieldlock as we call it, is a more intentional way to know AND show that I do matter.

Whetstone. This has been an area of struggle for me. The struggle started as the belief that I didn’t have experience or wisdom that another man could benefit from. I imagined the men who engaged in this opportunity to be significantly wiser and even spoke with wise words. In short, I just didn’t see myself in the same realm as those men. What I later learned was that I was prescribing to selfish thought. Selfish to not share my experiences or ideas with another man. Why would I let another man make the same mistakes I made just a few years earlier? I’d hate to know that another man I respected didn’t care for me enough to help me from walking down the same challenging path. While inconsistent at times, I have engaged in Whetstone relationships with blades. It is up to them to determine how this is going.

Here’s one more. How about having the pride to not ask a man who is a few years ahead of you, to be a stone? No thanks, I’m good, I’ll pass. I’m not going to burden him with my baggage. Am I talking to you? Of course, I am. This man, those men, they are all resources for you to tap into. It may take a few times to find the right fit (not the easy fit but the right fit) but don’t give up. Know that another man out there is wondering whether their experience could be valuable to you. I’ve recently become a blade again, after swallowing my pride, thinking I had to have it all together.

Does any of this sound familiar? It now brings me to the 3^rd F, Faith. While it’s not about a belief in a specific faith, it is about a belief in something greater than yourself. After all, the world does not revolve around me and I am not the most important thing in this world. The primary development of my faith has not been through F3, but it has surely grown and become more of who I am, through F3. Mission trips, church involvement, Journey groups (influencers.org), leading at home, confidence to talk about my faith and the strength to live out my faith, have all accelerated because of F3.

I’m barely scratching the surface of F3 resources. These are free of charge and open to all of us. Could you imagine if this was available to all men we meet? How much could you sell this for? Or, how much would you pay for this? You know the answers to these questions.

Here is where I’m really struggling. We all know the benefits of the 1^st F. I’ve gotten stronger, faster, and leaner. That’s easy for me. What’s harder for me and become the reason for me writing this is how do I share my experiences relative to the 2^nd F and 3^rd F? How do I share with other men that even if you’re unable to do 30 pushups straight or run an 8 min mile, F3 is still for you and F3 needs you? I believe the next-level impact occurs by truly engaging in these latter 2 F’s. I can’t share this all in a few tweets or Slack posts. I can’t fully share this here in my writing. In the end, I can’t share all my experiences because after all, they are my experiences. You must engage in these other areas, recognize you’re not perfect and you’re not expected to be perfect. Take a step into something you know you need, then you can have your own experiences that make you smile and wonder why you didn’t do so, sooner.

So, you know that guy that used to post a few days a week? That guy you looked forward to talking with after a C.O.T.? That same guy you only see when you’re getting gas, groceries or while at Church? Maybe he didn’t see F3 the same way you do now. Maybe he wasn’t aware of these additional resources. Maybe, just maybe, the time is right now to extend that invitation to get him back out in the early morning and share with him some of your recent experiences. Or maybe its time for you to take a step out and invest in your own growth, because there are resources here for you, waiting to be leveraged. Look to your left and to your right, you’ll find them.