OUR STORY
THE AGREEMENTS
On the 12th May, 2024 a group of 8 of us came together in an old dance studio to create a space where we as men could unmask, get connected to our deeper feelings and be supported to show up with full power to be in service of our projects, people and highest ideals.
6 months later over 30 men have joined and we have upgraded to a magical event space with a sauna and cold plunge.
THE PILLARS
In the first session, we asked ourselves what were the necessary agreements for us to create a safe yet powerful container for us to really do the work, get real with each other and truly grow into the men that we wanted to become. The agreements still hold true today.
True Story: At the end of our discussion I asked “Is there anything else that you feel is missing from this list?” There was a pause. Most of the guys pushed out their bottom lips and shook their heads thinking hard. Thijs, one of the members, broke the silence: “HAVE RADICAL FUN!” he declared. "Too much of life is serious. And if all this isn’t to have fun, what’s it all really for?" The only space remaining on the page was right at the top. So from that day on, the first agreement became
HAVE RADICAL FUN.
THE VISION
The space has organically evolved over the time to meet the needs and desires of the community. Men taking responsibility for what they want from the space and from the community is what has allowed it to be what it is today; a space for heart, community, growth and service.
HEART: learning to deepen our love for ourselves, others and the world by practicing radical honesty, self-compassion and self-responsibility
COMMUNITY: cultivating loving and authentic relationships with other men to have fun, celebrate one another, be and get support, and to be called in on our BS
GROWTH: developing our ability to have significant impact on the projects and relationships that matter to us most so that we may navigate the world skillfully and create greater positive change in our lives
SERVICE: listening and answering life's calling to show up for our communities as a leader and champion for a brighter world
Looking ahead, and looking inwards, I find myself lit up by the idea of being a lively hub of growth-minded men here in Portugal. Imagine 100 men in a space coming together every week to go deep, rise up and have fun; Men who are working on projects together, training together, going on surf trips, helping each other paint a new home, being there at each others’ weddings. I want to see us be of service to our local communities, going into business together and influencing politics. Hell yeah. I often ask myself:
“WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GROUP OF BIG-HEARTED AND BRIGHT-EYED MEN COME TOGETHER TO CREATE IMPACT?”
It also makes a lot of sense for us to have a Headquarters where we can gather, co-work, train and host events. A place with a gym, podcast studio, cafe corner and meeting rooms. I’m looking for a warehouse somewhere around Santos and central Lisbon for us to call home. If you have any ideas I'd appreciate support finding our space.
