A weekly brief for men building careers and families.

Whatup fam. End of the week is approaching - hold the line. Also, can't not mention it: the Hurricanes are taking names this NHL postseason and the Heels take the diamond in the NCAA tournament. Good time to be from Carolina. Let's get into it. -C

The standard to carry this week: have friends that sharpen you.

THE QUOTE

THE TAKE

Aight fellaz - shoutout all the moms out there who told you to stop hanging out with lil Joey because he was a bad influence. They were right.

The guys you spend the most time with are shaping you whether you realize it or not. Their habits. Their standards. What they complain about, what they laugh at, what they let slide. It all rubs off. This is just facts. Don’t @ me.

But here's the uncomfortable part: most of us haven't really audited that list in a while. We just kept whoever was still around. And "still around" is a fine quality in a golden retriever. It's not really enough when you're trying to build something - a career, a marriage, a family, a life that honors God.

As we get older, I don’t think we need a lot of guys that fit this bill. We just need the right ones. Men who know what you're actually dealing with, not just what you posted about it. Men who will tell you the truth when you're off track and still show up for you anyway. Men who make you better just by being in the room.

That's a short list for most of us. And that's worth paying attention to.

THE MOVE

Write down the three guys you talk to most. Now ask yourself - are they making you sharper, or are they just comfortable? Comfortable is fine but comfortable won't get you anywhere.

THE QUESTION

Know a man who'd find this useful? Forward this to him.

Hold the line,

-Collier