It’s actually a little surprising how infrequently I’m asked the question, “Why did you choose New Hampshire Man?”
There are a few good reasons for it and I want to share them with you to provide the context around what this site, and my mission, are all about.
First: New Hampshire
New Hampshire is considered one of the freest states in the nation. And with a motto “Live Free or Die”, it should come as no surprise.
New Hampshire has never required adults to wear helmets on motorcycles, or seat belts in cars. The New Hampshire Constitution protects citizens’ right to bear arms. We recently decriminalized marijuana possession and vowed to never regulate crypto-currency. There is no state income tax, or sales tax. In fact, there is a whole movement to bring freedom minded people to this state because of the liberties it provides (The Free State Project at FSP.org).
I grew up with those liberties and even while I lived elsewhere I maintained residency, so it’s really all I’ve ever known.
But…
As I embarked on my own journey for freedom I realized how much weight others placed on the freedoms that states and governments allow, or take away. In my opinion, almost all of them are, in a lot of ways, totally irrelevant.
The first step toward true freedom is to implement it in our own lives, not remove oppression from external entities.
All these global problems and federal regulations are meaningless if we are not in a position to take care of ourselves. We need to design our lives so that we don’t become dependent on government programs or live our lives at the whim of elected officials. They are noise. They are insignificant with regard to almost everything that actually matters in life.
The purpose of New Hampshire Man is to redirect our attention away from all that noise and toward the things that actually matter.
What Matters?
I’ve narrowed down the things in life that actually matter into four categories:
- Money
- Health
- Resilience
- Relationships
All the posts and newsletters associated with this site will be guiding principles for taking control of those four categories in YOUR life.
You OWN them. True personal freedom means having full responsibility and control over everything that falls into those categories. Only once you’ve nailed those are you ready to take on a global pet project.
Personal Freedom Through Lifestyle Design
My chosen tagline for this project is Personal Freedom through Lifestyle Design.
To take control of everything in those four categories requires purposeful thought, reflection and, ultimately, design. You must know what you need, and where you want to go, and then implement the steps in order to arrive at that destination.
Just as a ship captain does not leave port without a detailed plan and itinerary, so must you look forward and layout the plan to arrive at your desired destination.
That design will look different for everyone. Be wary of any cookie cutter approach. Only you can decided what you want your life to look like, and only you can implement the steps to get there. This site, and this project, is simply a source for motivation and encouragement to embrace the journey.
The Image
Based on that description of this project, I hope it is clear that this is a gender neutral project, though it is inevitable that, as a male writer, the message may resonate more with males than females. Please know that I respect anyone who makes a conscious and deliberate effort to take control of their life and design their own future.
When one focuses the inner eye on a “New Hampshire Man” I hope it conjures up images that can be described using words like: strong, courageous, independent, resilient, resourceful, kind, dependable, aware, compassionate, introverted and the like.
New Hampshire Man might have a beard, and rough or dirty hands and clothes that are worn in, but not out. He’ll make eye contact, and deliver a firm handshake. He’s someone who will listen to your case, but not take kindly to being told how to live his life, he’d rather return to the woods where you can’t bother him because he knows you’re not strong enough to follow him where he’s going.
New Hampshire is a great state to be in for freedom.
And New Hampshire Man is a great place to be for personal freedom.
Live free or die,
NHMan
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