109: Why Married Men Have No REAL Friends (And How to Fix It)

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I'm David Fenwick, and on this episode of Next Third Best Third, my friend and producer Taylor and I get into something almost every man deals with but rarely talks about: real friendship. Somewhere between high school, college, marriage, and kids, most men lose the environments that used to make friendship easy, and they never rebuild them. What's left is a quiet void, one a lot of guys end up filling with work, alcohol, porn, or just numbing out in front of a screen instead of admitting they're lonely.

Taylor and I walk through what it actually takes to build real friendships as a married man with kids, from using an "airport test" to find out who will show up for you, to using your children's activities as a bridge instead of a barrier, to being willing to risk rejection by inviting the same guy to golf eleven times. We also get honest about how friendship has to include your wife, why shoulder-to-shoulder friendships eventually need to become face-to-face ones, and why the friends you keep should be moving you toward the man you want to be, not away from him. Taylor shares one of the most vulnerable moments in this podcast's history about how relationships kept him alive through some of the hardest seasons of his life.

We close this one out with a challenge: find at least one or two men you're willing to invest in for the rest of this year, one you relate to and one who will push you higher. If you're a man who feels isolated, or you just want deeper friendships than the ones you have now, this episode gives you a real, practical starting point. Subscribe, comment, and let us know who you're going to reach out to first.

Chapters
00:00 – Why Grown Men Stop Making Real Friends
04:38 – Marriage, Career, and Kids: How Life Steals Your Social Circle
09:09 – Remote Work, Social Media, and the Quiet Death of Friendship
13:40 – The "Airport Test": How to Find Out Who Your Real Friends Are
18:14 – Using Your Kids as Bridges to Build New Friendships
22:54 – Shoulder-to-Shoulder vs. Face-to-Face: Why Your Wife Belongs in the Conversation
27:24 – Choosing Friends Who Match Your Values, Not Just Your History
31:59 – The Power of Calling a Friend Higher (Even When It's Uncomfortable)
36:36 – Why Friendship Saved My Life: The Five Pillars of Brotherhood
41:06 – Find Your Circle: Closing Challenge and Final Thoughts

Welcome to Next Third Best Third! Join us for the inaugural episode of the Next Third Best Third podcast! Host David Fenwick, founder, author, and life coach, introduces the mission to inspire men over 40 to thrive in the next stage of life. Discover how to conquer life's challenges across physical, mental, relational, spiritual, and emotional dimensions. In this episode, David shares insights on:

- Physical Health: Strategies for maintaining fitness and vitality as you age.
- Mental Resilience: Techniques to stay mentally sharp and manage stress.
- Relational Growth: Building and nurturing meaningful relationships.
- Spiritual Fulfillment: Finding purpose and deeper spiritual connections.
- Emotional Well-being: Managing emotions and fostering a positive outlook.

Don't miss out on this journey towards making the next third of your life the best third!

Website: (https://www.nextthirdbestthird.com/)