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Copyright © 2018 by Ryan Michler No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
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ISBN: 9781946697912
DEDICATION
To my wife, Tricia; my sons, Brecken, Eli, and Otto; and my daughter,
Vivian. I may be my own man, but I wouldn’t be the man I am without
you. You are the reason this is my life’s work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
PART I: THE BATTLE
Chapter 1: The Situation
Chapter 2: The Choice
Chapter 3: The Path
PART II: THE MISSION
Chapter 4: Protect
Chapter 5: Provide
Chapter 6: Preside
PART III: THE CODE OF CONDUCT
Chapter 7: Self-Reliance
Chapter 8: Intentionality
Chapter 9: Discernment
Chapter 10: Wisdom
Chapter 11: Ownership
Chapter 12: Strength
Chapter 13: Humility
Chapter 14: Integrity
Chapter 15: Conviction
Chapter 16: Self-Awareness
Chapter 17: Discipline
Chapter 18: Mastery
Chapter 19: Courage
PART IV: THE BATTLE PLAN
Chapter 20: Vision
Chapter 21: Objectives
Chapter 22: Tactics
Chapter 23: After-Action Review
Conclusion: Engage
Appendix A: Code of Conduct Overview
Appendix B: One-Page Battle Plan
Appendix C: Battle Plan Tracker
Appendix D: Resources
What Next? The Iron Council
Acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
“The sovereignty of one’s self over one’s self is called liberty.”
-Albert Pike
Sovereignty (noun): the quality or state of having supreme power or authority.
What is sovereignty? Perhaps it’s better to start by illustrating what
sovereignty is not. To do that, you don’t have to look very far. Take a
walk around your neighborhood. Take a stroll around your office. Have
a conversation with your buddies. Everywhere you look, you’ll find the
signs of men who have neglected their responsibilities as men and, in
turn, have given up their sovereignty or, in other words, the power they
inherently have to control the outcome of their lives.
These men are no longer in control of their hearts and minds. They’ve
traded their individual liberty and personal responsibility for a decent
marriage, a steady paycheck, and a relatively painless life. In doing so,
they have unknowingly enslaved themselves to their marriages, their
jobs, and their governments.
The shackles they willingly submit themselves to are hard to quantify
(if they were easily spotted, men wouldn’t be so willing to give up their
freedoms). These shackles come in the form of a marriage with
“potential,” a fancy 401(k) and retirement package, and the promise of
safety and security in exchange for just a small percentage of their
paycheck.
A man who has given up his sovereignty fabricates excuses. He tells
himself stories. He feeds himself lies.
All of this to justify the reality that he has given away the one thing
that has the potential to allow him to be the man he is meant to be: his
sovereignty.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to maintain the status quo. After all, the truth
—that we are living in a cloud of delusion magnified by a silent attack
on the very traits that make us men—is hard to bear.
This cloud of delusion makes everything feel real. We feel as if we
command our minds, follow our heart, and take control of our bodies.
We feel as if we’re in charge, but ultimately we are being controlled and
manipulated by some outside force we can’t quite seem to see or
understand.
But if we look deeper, beyond the thick cloud of delusion, we already
know that, don’t we? We can feel it lingering in the back of our
consciousness. We can’t yet wrap our heads around it, but we know it’s
there.
The first step toward sovereignty is to lift the cloud of delusion. It’s
not easy. It’s not pleasant. But it’s a necessity if you have any chance of
overcoming the nagging thought that your life is not your own or that
you know you’re destined for more but don’t know quite how to wrap
heart, mind, and hands around it.
This is about control. This is about ownership. This is about facing the
ugly reality that you aren’t as good as you think you are and that the life
you live today is not the one you’re meant to live.
The answer to regaining control of yourself and lifting the cloud of
delusion we all experience is the victory that lies only in becoming a
Sovereign Man.
A SOVEREIGN MAN
A man who has battled for and reclaimed his sovereignty is a man who
has decided to take ownership of his life and everything in it. This man
recognizes that, although the world would have him believe otherwise,
he has certain responsibilities. The only way to fully fulfill those
responsibilities is to be the master of his life.
A Sovereign Man protects himself, his loved ones, and those who
cannot protect themselves. He provides—not just financially, but
emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well. He presides in that he
leads himself, his family, and his community.
It is painfully obvious that the Sovereign Man is becoming a rare
breed. Take a look around society and you’ll see the results of a lack of
Sovereign Men.
The family unit is under attack. More and more young men and
women are growing up without fathers. Crime is running rampant.
Businesses are failing. Leadership at every level—from the home to the
boardroom to the city, state, and national government—is all but
nonexistent.
It seems the plague of men who are more interested in shirking their
responsibilities for the path of least resistance is growing by the day, and
Sovereign Men are becoming an increasing rarity.
Stepping through the cloud of delusion into the truth that you are
called to be not just a man but a Sovereign Man is not an easy task. I
know because I’m on the battlefield with you. I have two businesses to
run. I have a wife to lead with. I have four kids who require me to be the
type of man to which I’m referring. Add to that community service,
spiritual obligations, and the endless requests for my time, and the task
becomes nearly impossible.
It seems that making ends meet, keeping a roof over our heads and
food on the table, coupled with the infinite number of obligations I have
is never-ending. How is it possible for me to focus on myself and regain,
at least to some degree, my own sovereignty?
In order to recapture your sovereignty, you’re going to need to
understand the first truth I want to share with you: as important as it is
to fulfill your manly responsibility to others, it’s imperative that you
learn to take care of yourself. Because, at the end of the day, a man is
responsible and accountable to himself first, then to the people he has an
obligation to.
And that is the essence of what it means to be a Sovereign Man:
maintaining accountability and responsibility to yourself.
Unfortunately, I didn’t always live my life this way.
LIFTING THE CLOUD OF DELUSION
Description:Every man is born with just one thing: his sovereignty - his power to respond to his environment and his circumstances. Unfortunately, most men have spent much of their lives giving away that sovereignty. Every time a man passes blame or shirks his responsibility, every time he makes excuses for his
