In this episode we explore how identity becomes the strongest force a man must overcome. Through two powerful real-life stories — a woman who returns to her wheelchair after regaining the ability to walk, and a man hiding 19 affairs behind a perfect image — we reveal how fear, shame, and false identity keep us trapped.

What You'll Hear:
🔥 Why your identity isn't who you are — it's who you're afraid to stop being
🔥 The hidden cost of staying attached to pain or performance
🔥 How false identity can destroy self-worth, relationships, and purpose
🔥 What it takes to face your shadow and reclaim your truth
🔥 A challenge: What’s the “wheelchair” you’re still holding onto?

Power Quote:
“Your identity is the strongest force you will ever have to overcome in your lifetime.”

"This isn't about fixing you. It's about remembering who you are and rising as a man that you were born to be." ~ David Mehler, Host and Man On FIRE Founder

00:00:37 – Why Men Feel Lost or Like Imposters

"How many men actually feel like a fraud, an imposter or a liar… feeling like they didn't access their potential, feeling like they've let other people down looking at a man in the mirror and… not liking who they're seeing." It doesn’t have to be this way anymore!

00:01:36 – The Broken Model Handed to Men

"We were told, go to school… get the good grades… get the good job… And what a lie. What a farce. What B.S."

00:02:34 – The Inner Critical Voice

In the Man On FIRE world, the voice that comes from the over-critical mind, we call it the pirates… “That voice has one agenda and one job only. And it is to bring you down."

00:04:17 – Parental Influence & Early Programming

"For many of us, sadly, it came from our parents… rather than building you up, was tearing you down."

00:06:35 – Power of Programming & The Forgetting

"That programming is so hard to get to the other side of … [it] keeps reminding you that you're not good enough."

"So what happens to all of us is that we end up feeling lost. We end up feeling like the fraud… like imposters. And we go into what I call the Forgetting…."

00:07:38 – How We Get Stuck Despite Efforts to Change

"And no matter how many cool books you read or you go to seminar here, and it temporarily cracks you open and boom. You go back to [your old] programming. You go back into the Forgetting."

00:08:55 – The Call to Remember Who You Are

"We forgot to dream big. We forgot to have a grand vision for our life. We forgot that we were built for more… We go into the Forgetting, and it's time to remember. It's time to wake up. It's time to rise."

00:09:20 – David’s Personal Story: School, Programming, and Self-Worth

David shares some of the deep programming that was running him, having him believe he wasn’t good enough or smart enough… until he was able to see it for what it really was.

00:11:43 – The Role of Passion and Support: A Father’s Well-Timed Advice

"I'd like you to find what you're truly passionate about. And for the next six months… I want you to go discover what are you passionate about, what would light you up, what would motivate you..."

00:12:54 – Surrounding Yourself with the Right People

“I started to listen to people that would motivate me, that would empower me, that would inspire me, that would bring me into a higher vibrational frequency, a higher range, and start to really bring me into the Remembrance.”

00:13:27 – Who You Surround Yourself With Matters

"His friends weren't elevating him. His friends weren't helping him step into the bigness of who God made him to be…. Our peer group matters. Who we hang out with matters. The voices that we're listening to...MATTER."

00:15:18 – Self-Compassion Over Self-Criticism

"Don’t be another person that wants to bring yourself down. There are plenty of people… that would love to bring you down… Don't add to that list."

00:16:43 – What Will You Do With This Realization?

"So my question for you is, do you feel lost? Do you feel like an imposter?... And if so, what are you prepared to do about it?"

00:17:11 – Your Mistakes Don’t Define You

"The things you've done in the past do not define you. Good people do bad things. All of us have hurt other people… That is not what defines you. But it is an invitation to be refined."

What does it mean to be a man, right now? This isn’t about trying to fix you. It’s about remembering who you are, lighting that fire within, and rising as the man you were meant to be. Get started or jump in wherever your soul needs it most…

[00:00:41] – Manhood: Rambo… or Ross?

Join David as he challenges all the stereotypes—do we have to be the tough action hero, the pleaser, the triggered one… or something entirely different? Get ready to pause and check your own definition.

[00:02:04] – The Great Lie Men Were Sold

Ever feel like you did “everything right,” checked all the boxes…and still landed nowhere close to freedom or joy? You’re not alone, and there’s a reason.

[00:03:22] – Chasing External Success vs. Internal Fulfillment

The millionaires’ secret you’re not hearing about—and why external achievements might leave you feeling emptier than you expected.

[00:03:52] – A Father’s Story (and a Son’s Awakening)

David gets painfully honest about his dad, his upbringing, and the cost of buying into the old script. (If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your own father, this will hit home.)

[00:05:31] – The Hidden Weight Men Are Carrying

Why do so many men push down their emotions and “shoulder the load”? David unpacks the silent epidemic of suppressed feelings and why it’s costing more than anyone realizes.

[00:07:00] – What Happens When Feelings Stay Buried

This segment goes deep where most men don’t want to look (but holds the secret to liberation). David shares how pent-up emotions don’t just fade—they manifest in surprising (and sometimes devastating) ways.

[00:08:15] – Regrets… And the Power to Choose Differently

Hear the emotional story of David’s final moments with his father, and the decision to break generational patterns—starting right now.

[00:10:51] – So, What IS a Man? (David’s Real Answer)

Skip the clichés. David spells out in powerful, practical terms what it really means to be a man today. How many of these ring true for you?

[00:13:06] – Why the World Needs Masculine Leadership—Now

From relationships to the planet itself, David calls for men to rise and lead with their hearts.

[00:14:54] – How to Activate…

Ready to fly? David offers powerful (but practical) steps to get fired up, step up, and surround yourself with brothers on the same journey.

[00:15:46] – You’re Not Broken But…

Tune in to wrap up with wisdom and a reminder: you’re not broken, but you are….

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Hit subscribe, share this with a brother, and let’s rise—together.