Childhood wounds do not disappear just because we get older.
We grow up, put on muscle, get jobs, raise families and pretend the pain is gone, but deep down it still shapes us. The anger that flares out of nowhere, the silence we use to protect ourselves, the way we shut down when someone gets too close, the fear of failing as a man or as a father.
That comes from the boy inside us who had to survive things he should have never faced. Some of us were told to quit crying and toughen up. Some learned that attention only brought more chaos. Some were forced to become the man of the house before we knew what being a man even was. We carried that weight into adulthood like it was part of our identity.
However, ignoring the wound never healed it. Burying the pain never killed it. Being a man is not about pretending nothing hurts. Real strength is facing the parts of you that still feel scared, still feel small, still want to know you are worthy of safety and love. You deserve healing. You deserve to stop being controlled by the worst moments of your childhood.
The fact that you are even reading this tells me one thing. You are ready to stop running and start rebuilding… that might be the toughest and most courageous move you ever make.
Here are 2 questions to reflect on…
What moment from your childhood still shapes the way you react as a man today even if no one else can see the connection? Write the scene. Write the feeling. Be honest.
What did you need to hear as a boy that you never heard and what would it change if you spoke those words to yourself now?
What’s one thing you wish someone understood about the man you are today that was shaped by the boy you once were?
👇If you are comfortable, share below. If not, write it for yourself👇
If this hit something in you and you’re tired of carrying it alone, The Stronghold is where you belong.
It’s a community built for men who refuse to hide their battles. A place to be real. A place to heal. A place to rebuild the man within the boy who survived. Join us and start connecting with guys who get it, who have lived it, and who are fighting for the best version of themselves every single day.
Step inside The Stronghold
Your story isn’t over. Your healing has a home.
