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GROW IN CONFIDENCE. KNOW YOUR IDENTITY.
JOURNEY
FOR GUYS
DEVELOP FOUNDATION
The Quest to Develop Welcome to Brave & Bold Journey 3! In this journey, you’ll dive into topics that help strengthen your core—your integrity, character, values, and understanding of healthy friendships. These are the foundations that will help you stand firm in what is good, right, and authentic, no matter what life throws your way. Whether you see yourself as a natural leader or a steady supporter, leadership is something you’ll step into at various moments in life—within your family, with friends, on teams, or in the workplace. Leadership and values are like the roots of a strong tree—they keep you grounded and help you grow tall and resilient. Developing leadership means learning to take responsibility, make confident decisions, and stand up for what’s right, even when it’s tough. Your values act as your compass, guiding you to honor not just others but also the person you are becoming. As you engage with these articles, may you continue growing into someone others trust, honor, respect, and look up to. Come to this journey with a teachable heart and, as in previous journeys, prepare to be surprised, challenged, empowered, affirmed, and transformed. Step by step, as you develop into the man you’re called to be, you’re building your capacity to make a powerful, positive impact on the world.
Let’s get started!
With gratitude, The Brave & Bold Team
Brave & Bold Copyright © 2025-2026 Releasing Generations Published by Releasing Generations Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All articles, art, and photographs have been published and printed with the permission of their creators. Art Direction and Graphic Design by: Ahava Design, LLC. Photos by Unsplash and iStockphoto.
TheBraveSeries.com Through The Brave Series, we are on a mission to help youth and adults of all ages overcome insecurities about their value and purpose. The Brave Series empowers teens and adults to: • Grow in confidence and emotional health. • Gain wisdom and vision for their future, enabling them to step into their purpose and pursue their dreams. • Become aware and equipped to safeguard themselves and others from exploitation and sex trafficking victimization.
Learn more at TheBraveSeries.com or visit us at ReleasingGenerations.org
Brave & Bold Volume 03 (Classic) – 03/2026
FOR GUYS
DEVELOP FOUNDATION
The Journey: 03
Journey 01
Journey 02
HE IS BRAVE & BOLD Defining What is Brave & Bold
LET IT GO The Value of Forgiveness
KNOW YOURSELF Becoming Self-Aware
GOOD GRIEF Dealing with Losses in Life
STAND FIRM Being Secure and Confident
UNRAVELLING EMOTIONS Navigating Anger, Fear, and Anxiety
YOUR DESIGN Discovering Your Uniqueness
STAY THE COURSE Persevering Through Hardships
BORN TO CREATE Activating Your Creativity
PARENTS AND YOU Exploring the Impact of Parents
FREEDOM TO DREAM Dreaming Big for Your Life
FORGED IN COMMUNITY The Value of Belonging to a Community
Discover Purpose
Dig Deeper
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Develop Foundation
Journey 03
Journey 04
BUILDING YOUR CORE .................. 10 Establishing Character
PORNOGRAPHY The Negative Effects of Pornography
VALUES TO LIVE BY....................... ....................... 24 Embracing Key Values for Success
OVERCOMING TRAUMA Understanding Trauma
LEADERSHIP................................ ................................ 42 Becoming an Effective Leader
SEXUAL VIOLENCE Addressing Sexual Violence
FRIENDSHIP.. . ............................... 56 Building Healthy Friendships
SEX TRAFFICKING Protect Yourself and Others from Victimization
THE POWER OF WORDS ................. 72 Life-Giving Communication
THE BROTHERHOOD The Value of Men Arising
HE PROTECTS .............................. 86 Guarding, Defending, and Supporting Others
RISING STRONG Onward with Vision and Purpose
Develop Foundation
Daring Pursuit
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BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Imagine a metal hammer pounding against a red-hot sword to shape it. Imagine the sound. We are like a sword being forged. Let’s take a closer look at the four major steps a swordsmith takes to craft a sword and see the connection to how we develop into great men.
DEVELOP.
1. Forging So, how does a sword come to life? Forging first involves the swordsmith melting and blending different metals to create a super strong new metal that can slice through just about anything.
by Damon Gohata
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We first need the right raw materials to create the strongest metal alloy. This chapter will give you the right foundational components to build your life on. To be forged well, be open to embracing positive, life-building mindsets and perspectives from others.
meant to be. It’s hammered, remodeled, and thrown back into the fire time and time again. This whole intense process sorts out flaws and reinforces the weak spots that might mess up the sword’s strength and impact when needed. All that hammering strengthens the metal, making it more durable and resilient, so it’s less likely to break in battle.
Fire also refines. Let the tough times and words of challenge reveal and burn away the impurities and negativity in our lives that hold us back. 2. Shaping
Listen well to the words of these mentors who will help build your character core and stir up in you the guts to keep going. If we allow the wisdom of the wise to shape us, we will become adaptable, strong, and resilient rather than being easily broken and weak when faced with challenges.
This new metal mix then goes through the shaping stage. Usually, the metal isn’t put into a mold. Instead, the smith keeps pounding on it with a hammer to shape it into the weapon it’s
3. Sharpening After it is shaped, the swordsmith grinds away at the edges and dull parts of the sword to sharpen it to a fine edge. We’ve all got some rough edges—our lives are a work in progress. If you are open to learning, prepare to be sharpened into your best self. 4. Decorating Finally, the sword is decorated with a beautiful handle so that the warrior can hold the weapon, and it can be a glorious symbol of victory when the battle is won. Imagine your life being a combination of purpose and beauty—like a beautifully crafted sword made with the artistry and creativity of a master craftsman. This is you—there are so many marvelous, creative facets to who you are that are meant to shine.
Just as a sword goes through stages to become something powerful, you’re also being shaped into a force to be reckoned with. Get ready to jump into the following chapters focused on building you into a guy who stands strong with purpose and confidence!
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“Integrity is essential and irreplaceable. It is the most valuable asset for a person, a company, or a society seeking to build and progress.” Rex Tillerson, former US Secretary of State
Chapter 01
Building Your Core
Where is your core? It is the central part of your body, including your abs. Building a strong core is about getting your core muscles to work as a team. This helps boost your balance and stability and makes you stronger overall.
The lessons in this chapter are like building blocks for life and leadership—they’ll help shape who you are. Your character is built on the beliefs and habits that guide how you treat people. A solid core will help you overcome tough times and act as a compass that will point you toward making the right choices for the right reasons!
In the same way, building a strong core of character and integrity will give you the stability and balance needed for long-lasting success in life. But like building muscle, building a strong core requires effort, work, and being intentional.
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FAITHFULNESS. by Pat McFall
“By being faithful in the little things, focusing on good relationships, and intentionally focusing on the right priorities, we can honor our limits and still be men that people can count on.”
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Who is the most faithful person you know? Who is a person whose integrity passes all the tests? For me, it was my dad. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but my dad was a man of mature character. As a school administrator, people trusted him when he spoke, and they believed in his leadership as an educator. It’s something that I strive for today.
numerous temptations and pressures that can erode our commitments and create tension between us and others. So how do we cultivate healthy relationships built on integrity that encourage us towards the best versions of ourselves? We do this by prioritizing our most important relationships, being faithful in our commitments, showing love to those around us, and resisting the temptations that could harm our relationships. Remember, direction flows through relationships.
It can be challenging to remain steadfast in our character, especially in a culture that promotes pleasure and self-indulgence as if they are life’s highest good. But we know that life is more than just having the most fun or getting the most wins at any cost.
So, what are the most important relationships in your life? Are you the kind of friend who encourages and supports those around you? Do you have friends who inspire you? Are you someone that your friends can count on? The answers to these questions give insight into where we may need to grow in our faithfulness and integrity.
Character matters. That’s why a life of faithfulness and integrity is so important. Let’s explore a few places where we can practice the kind of faithfulness and integrity necessary to be the men we aspire to be.
Focus The little things The last area of faithfulness we’ll discuss is our focus. More and more, our world is trying to grab the attention of young men. Advertisements tell us to look over here or to buy this product so that we’ll feel cool or accepted. Our day is full of distractions that try to compromise our focus. Video games are on our phones, tablets, consoles, and computers. Doom-scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, or endless news stories isn’t helping anyone. Even good things like sports or school can consume much of our time and attention to the degree that we feel like we don’t know who we are anymore, and it can get us off track in accomplishing the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
The first area where faithfulness is essential is what you and I call “the little things.” Yup, those small, seemingly insignificant actions of diligence. It’s easy to think that only significant actions or epic moments matter in our lives, but the small things we do daily grow us the most. If we want to be trusted with greater responsibilities and opportunities, we must be faithful to the small things. I want you to understand that some of the most important things that you will do, no one will ever see. The moments of self-control as you navigate a challenging situation. The diligent mornings of getting up and preparing for your day so that you have the clarity to discern your most important tasks. The moments of kindness and excellence at school or work that no one is ‘high-fiving’ you for. Showing up on time and doing what you say you will do. These are the hidden moments of faithfulness in the little things that deepen a mature character and enable you to have greater influence in life.
One of the best ways you and I can mature is to stay focused on who we are becoming and what we are supposed to be doing. Saying ‘yes’ to one thing means saying ‘no’ to something else. Because I can’t do it all, focusing on my priorities is integral to my life. We may need to learn to say ‘no’ to a few things, but it will help us be ‘all in’ for the things we say ‘yes’ to. Having integrity in a world of competing priorities and values takes work, but it is possible. By being faithful in the little things, focusing on good relationships, and intentionally focusing on the right priorities, we can honor our limits and still be men that people can count on. We can be the kind of men who say what we mean and do what we say we’ll do.
“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” – Mother Theresa Relationships Another area where faithfulness and integrity are essential is in our relationships. As young men, we face
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