The Masculine-Feminine Imbalance

For generations, men have been conditioned to lean heavily into their masculine traits—strength, logic, decisiveness, and control. While these qualities have their place, an over-reliance on them can create blind spots in relationships, personal growth, and leadership. Whether in business, family, or friendships, men who balance their masculine and feminine traits become more effective in achieving success—however they define it.

These feminine traits exist naturally in men but are often suppressed by societal norms, limiting their ability to connect meaningfully. Carl Jung called this inner feminine energy the Anima—an essential part of a man’s psyche that fosters emotional intelligence, creativity, and deeper relationships.

The Role of the Anima in Psychological Wholeness

Jung believed that integrating the Anima allows men to achieve psychological wholeness. Without it, they risk becoming emotionally rigid, disconnected, or overly aggressive. However, by embracing their intuitive, receptive, and empathetic sides, they unlock a more balanced and fulfilling way of navigating the world. This balance does not diminish masculinity; it enhances it, making men more adaptable and capable of meaningful connection.

The Value of Feminine Traits in Relationships and Leadership

One of the greatest benefits of integrating feminine traits is stronger relationships. Safety, trust, and loyalty are the foundation of high-performing teams, families, and friendships. When tension builds, productivity declines, and stress increases. Men who develop emotional intelligence, active listening, intuition, receptivity, and collaboration foster deeper connections and healthier environments.

Embracing both masculine and feminine traits is similar to the power of diversity in teams. Research consistently shows that diverse teams—where different perspectives and thinking styles are valued—outperform homogenous ones. A team that combines logical, action-oriented thinking with intuitive, relational intelligence can approach problems from multiple angles and create more effective solutions. Likewise, men who integrate both sets of traits become more well-rounded individuals, with greater emotional range, understanding, and adaptability.

Lessons from Experience: Rethinking Leadership

Early in my career, I worked at a well-known investment bank where feminine traits—and women—were largely absent. Sure, people made money, but the culture was stressful, competitive, and often aggressive. It felt like a playground for bullies, where posturing and power games ruled. I carried this leadership style into my own ventures, only to realize that over-aggressiveness was unsustainable and counterproductive. It took years to unlearn these behaviors and cultivate a leadership approach that valued both strength and connection.

My hope is that men recognize the value of feminine traits so they can contribute to environments that highlight connection, trust, and safety while maintaining a passion for excellence—without the emotional toll of hyper-masculine conditioning.

Redefining Strength and Success

Society often equates masculinity with strength, but true strength comes from balance. A man who can stand firm in his convictions while making space for others’ perspectives is a more effective leader. A father who models both discipline and emotional availability raises children who feel both secure and understood. Male friendships deepen when men allow openness and vulnerability to be part of the relationship.

Ram Dass famously said, “We are all just walking each other home.” This reminds us that life is not just about reaching a destination—it’s about embracing the journey. Without this perspective, men can become consumed by the pursuit of success, missing out on the richness of life unfolding in the present moment. Growth happens through experience, not just accomplishment.

The Future of Balanced Leadership

Success is not about abandoning masculinity; it’s about integrating the full spectrum of human potential. When men embrace their feminine side, they not only find deeper fulfillment but also elevate their relationships, leadership, and contributions to the world. The future belongs to those who recognize that true success is measured not just by achievement but by connection, self-awareness, and the ability to walk the path with others.

I’m here to tell you that meditation is the essential, no-excuses tool for anyone who wants to develop insight into what’s holding them back—and to discover what might boost their personal and business success. Too many people live on autopilot, spending no time training or understanding their own minds. And yet, meditation has been around for thousands of years, appearing in ancient practices of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. If you aren’t doing it, let me say: you should—especially if you want to become a human being rather than just a human doing.

“Your mind is the basis of everything that you experience and of every contribution you make to the lives of others. Given this fact, it makes sense to train it.”
— Sam Harris

I’ve meditated daily since 2012, currently practicing 30 minutes each day with a peer group over video. I can attest firsthand to the power of simply giving yourself time to be with you. At its core, meditation is self-reflection—it helps you build a relationship with yourself and develop an awareness of your patterns. If you don’t recognize those patterns, it’s nearly impossible to change anything about anything. Meditation slows things down just enough to catch a glimpse of how you’re constructing your reality.

If your aim is greater self-mastery—and if you agree with Sam Harris’s quote—then prioritizing time to understand your mind and its direct role in your happiness and success makes a great deal of sense.

Sharpening the Saw

Stephen Covey famously introduced the concept of “sharpening the saw.” If you get up every day to cut wood and neglect to sharpen your saw, you’ll struggle with a dull blade. In the same way, meditation is about honing your mental tools and gaining self-control, so you can effectively pursue your goals and live the life you truly want.

What Life is Like for Non-Meditators

If you don’t meditate, it’s likely that you:

• Remain unaware of emotion and thought patterns that don’t serve you
• Jump from task to task, possibly staying busy to avoid something
• Mistake your thoughts and feelings as indisputable “reality,” perplexed that others don’t see things the same way
• Have far less control of your happiness and effectiveness than you could

What Life is Like for Those Who Meditate

People who meditate regularly develop:

• A sense of calm and perspective they can summon during stress
• An element of self-control and the ability to respond rather than react
• An understanding that they create their own reality through focus and interpretation
• The capacity to slow down enough to notice insight and patterns in their thoughts, feelings, and response loops
• A sense of compassion for the human condition and interconnectedness of the world

Why Some People Avoid Meditation

Despite the proven benefits, many people resist meditation because they:

• Believe it’s just a form of relaxation they can’t “do well”
• Think they’re “too high-strung” for it
• View it as something only for the spiritual, not for them
• Tell themselves they don’t have time
• Don’t see how sitting quietly could help anything
• Feel fear at the idea of sitting alone with their thoughts

Meditation Benefits for Business and Life

Building Mental Muscles

Breath meditation, arguably the most popular form, involves paying close attention to your breath—without controlling it—just noticing. Inevitably, your mind will wander, and your instruction is to come back to the breath. This repeats over and over. Over time, you’ll catch your thoughts before you’ve gone too far down the mental rabbit hole. It’s like glimpsing something in your peripheral vision—except it’s the “eye of your mind.”

In these moments, you get a choice: Will I sit with my busy mind and let these thoughts go for now, returning to my breath? Each time you come back, you strengthen the muscle of self-control and focus.

Learning to Focus

You can develop the ability to direct your attention. If you’ve ever been in a “Why does everything happen to me?” mindset, you know that your focus is actively searching for the negative in everything you experience. That same “flashlight” of focus can shift elsewhere; you can reframe events, see opportunities, and ultimately change how you experience reality.

Learning to Respond Instead of React

In psychology, we talk about the sequence of Stimulus → Thought → Feeling → Action (STFA). A stimulus triggers a thought, which influences a feeling, which leads to an action. For many of us, this happens on autopilot. We react habitually, unaware of our triggers or the thoughts and feelings they spark.

With meditation, you start to observe those thoughts and feelings as they arise. Instead of suppressing them, you simply note them and return to your breath. Over time, you realize this is just part of being human—our minds chatter like a slightly annoying roommate. Yet this awareness lets us spot our patterns and, crucially, choose new actions rather than defaulting to old habits.

Getting to Know Yourself Better

Many people haven’t truly “sat with themselves” since they were kids. Meditation provides structured time to reintroduce yourself to you. Yes, it can be uncomfortable initially because you meet your own internal chatter without distractions like work or social media. But as you face reality—thought by thought—your newfound self-awareness gives you a starting point to enact meaningful change.

Seeing Your Mind as a Tool

As Michael A. Singer writes in The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself:

“There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind—you are the one who hears it.”

Over time, regular practice reveals that the mind is a tool that serves a purpose—it’s not who you are. By design, the mind endlessly churns out thoughts and worries to protect you. But you can learn to use it skillfully rather than letting it run the show.

Developing Self-Confidence and Willpower

Sitting with yourself in meditation—especially with a gentle focus—builds mental quality and resilience. Your confidence grows as you commit to a daily habit, proving to yourself that you can follow through. That success then transfers into other areas of life. The best way to start is small—try 2–5 minutes and gradually build to 20 minutes or more. Using an app can help you learn and keep you accountable. Adding a friend for a daily video meditation call is another great way to stay motivated.

In Conclusion

For millennia, meditation has been a powerful tool for navigating the human condition. Spending time with yourself—learning how you create your reality—is transformative and can only benefit you in the long run. Ignoring your inner world or never “checking in” with yourself might be the biggest missed opportunity of your life.

When you gain the awareness and perspective that comes from meditation, life becomes more real, and you can respond more skillfully and intentionally to whatever comes your way. Meditation is truly an essential tool for success, both in business and in life. I imagine even Bobby Axelrod would agree.

Suggested Resources and Activities

Learn-to-Meditate Apps

• Waking Up by Sam Harris: https://www.wakingup.com
  • Features an excellent 28-day introduction to meditation. Costs $99/year, but free upon request if you can’t afford it—just email them.
• Ten Percent Happier: https://www.tenpercent.com
  • Offers a wide variety of guided meditations from diverse experts and programs focusing on anxiety, stress, focus, and more.

Must-Read Books

• The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
  • A compelling story demonstrating how letting life unfold with openness can yield profound results.
• The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
  • A deep dive into understanding your mind’s chatter and discovering that you are the awareness behind it.

Activity: Keep a 10-Day Emotional Journal (2 mins a day)

Each day, jot down:

1. A brief (10-word) description of the day’s situation or challenge.
2. What you thought as it happened.
3. How you felt in that moment.
4. How you responded.
5. How you ideally would have responded.

Reviewing this journal helps you see patterns, making it easier to implement more mindful, intentional responses moving forward.

Remember: Even a few minutes a day can open up new possibilities for how you experience life and how effectively you show up in the world. Give yourself the gift of self-reflection—and watch how it transforms everything from your business decisions to your personal relationships.