Morning, Greg here!

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In Today's Issue of Midlife Male:

• What is a Presence Whisperer and Do Midlife Men Need One?

• Travel Warning: Stop Trying to “Win the Flight”

• 16 Reasons Summer in the '80s & '90s Crushed Summer in '25 and Why Our Kids Are Soft

• Enter Sandman Never Gets Old

• These High-Protein, Natural Meat Sticks Are Delicious

• Our MLM Movie Rec that Combines Speed & Style: Go See F1

• Huge News: Become an MLM Live Founding Member!

Let’s get to it!

What is a Presence Whisperer and Do Midlife Men Need One?

By Greg Scheinman

This is how the conversation started. Just a simple text.

I know Light Watkins. Not super well, but well enough. We met a few years back at a speakers boot camp. Right away, I thought he had a cool, understated, minimalistic vibe. Later, I found out he was literally living out of a backpack, traveling the world, teaching meditation, writing books, speaking to big companies. I liked him even more after that.

I started following him on social, listened to some of his podcast episodes, caught a few more interviews he did on shows I’m a fan of. And even though I wouldn’t call myself a “meditator,” what Light talked about made sense to me.

I’ve been on his podcast twice now. Both times, the conversations were real, layered, and varied. Two guys with similar interests and values, but very different ways of going about living our purpose. We don’t see eye to eye on everything. Two midlife guys rarely agree across the board on politics, religion, certain viewpoints, etc., but that’s part of what makes it worthwhile.

I know this because I have to admit that I unfollowed Light for a stretch. Not because I didn’t respect him, but because I didn’t want to get irritated by something I disagreed with and fire back in a way I’d regret. I don’t even remember what the specific issue was at this point. Like I said, relationships are nuanced.

But that’s exactly the point of How I See It, right? Different perspectives. Open dialogue. Sharing insights that help us live better, especially in midlife.

So I invited him on.

This time, I got to ask more of the questions. He did more of the answering.

One thing that stuck with me.

Light said:

“In a high-noise world, presence is your most underleveraged competitive edge. No checklist or playbook can substitute for that.”

I feel that.

For years, I lacked presence. I let the noise get to me. It influenced my actions, habits, behaviors and it cost me.

We unpacked that (and a lot more) over a couple of hours. He’s deep. I always talk about living your message. Light Watkins? People describe him as the embodiment of his message.

On the business side, he’s written five bestselling books on happiness, mindfulness, minimalism, and transformation. His TEDx talk on rethinking mindfulness is closing in on a million views. His show, The Light Watkins Show, is a top-50 podcast with stories from people who’ve found purpose by following their inner voice.

And for five years, he lived with nothing but a backpack. Proving that presence isn’t the destination. It’s the path.

They call him The Presence Whisperer. He’s funny, thoughtful, practical and memorable.

I still haven’t taken him up on his offer to be my accountability partner, but I might soon.

Enjoy this week’s HISI with Light Watkins.

Travel Warning: Stop Trying to “Win the Flight”

By Greg Scheinman

Last week, I was flying to New York to speak at the Athletech News Innovation Summit.

The flight took off early Monday morning, and right on cue, I reached for my laptop like I always do. No thinking. Just habit, routine, reflex.

I opened my inbox. Checked the calendar. Jotted down a few quick notes for the next newsletter. I was trying to keep the momentum going. Never miss a Monday, right? The usual Monday motivation.

Except this time, not really.

The WiFi was down.

That Twitch to Stay Busy

I went through all the usual steps. Turned airplane mode off, then on, then off again. Nothing worked. I asked the flight attendant if the WiFi was working. She shrugged. No service.

I looked around the cabin. It was full of guys in suits. I always notice who looks healthy, who doesn’t, who seems happy. Body language never lies.

This was a plane full of work trips, presentations, meetings. Everyone looked like they had done this before.

I was sitting in row seven, like I always do. Poor man’s first class. I like that row because you get a good view of the plane. You can see the divide, who is in front of you, who is behind you.

I noticed the polished shoes, the AirPods, the laptops, the phones in every direction. Everyone looked like they were working on something important, or at least trying to look that way.

Meanwhile, I was just sitting there, feeling that familiar urge. The need to do something, check something, answer someone. To move the ball forward. To be productive. To earn my seat.

But I had to stop and ask myself, what is actually so urgent?

Why can’t I just sit here?

Maybe It’s Not the WiFi

That is when it hit me. If I can’t go three hours without WiFi, without feeling off, maybe the problem is not the WiFi…

16 Reasons Summer in the ‘80s & '90s crushed Summer in '25 and Why Our Kids Are Soft

By Jon Finkel

Here’s something every dad reading this can sense intuitively: our childhood summers in the 80s and 90s were FAR superior to the summers our kids have now. We had more freedom. More fun. More friends. We roamed. We made shit up. We got into harmless trouble. 

We had Blockbuster and Tower Records and no internet. We played pick-up hoops and hit up the town pool or lake with no social media. We left the house after breakfast and came home at dinner. We didn’t have phones but somehow our parents could find us at any time. We didn’t have GPS but we knew where our buddies lived. We never made plans but we always had plans. Life was good.

I was explaining all of this to my kids (12 and 14) in an epic "Back in My Day" Summer rant over breakfast today and I got on a roll and I wanted to share the highlights with you:

Here are 16 reasons Summer in the ‘80s & '90s crushed Summer in '25 and why our kids are soft:

1) Gatorade Citrus Cooler > every crappy Prime flavor

2) No Gatorade? Thirsty? Any garden hose on the side of a house in the '90s will do. Tasted better, in fact...

My kids: "Gross. It has no filter."

Me: "Filters weren't even invented when we were kids. Drinking mud and hot copper from the hose made us stronger."

3) Kids in '25: "Can you text Joe's mom to see if he's home?"

Really? Now we have to go through 7 texts so you can see your friend? The old way was perfect:

Kids in the ‘80s & '90s: "I'm calling Joe's house to see if he's home."

4) Even better: 

Kids: "I'm biking to Joe's to see if he's around."

Parents: "Good. Be home at 5."

Biking > driving 

Calling > texting

5) Kids to parents in '25: "Can you set up a playdate with Ed?"

Hey fellow parents: When did the term "play date" take over? It's lame, weak parent-speak. It's our fault. 

We should stop using it.

Our kids don't need dates to shoot driveway hoops.

Kids in '95: "Can Ed come over?" (simple)

6) Kids in '95: "Ken Griffey Jr. is the most awesome baseball player ever!"

Kids in '25: "What's baseball?"

(Sorry, mostly true. I know, you like baseball. I LOVED it. Not my fault. The pitch clock and Ohtani and Judge help though)…

Enter Sandman Never Gets Old

MLM Founder Greg Scheinman took his wife Kate & son Auden to their first metal show.  Here’s his take: 
We missed them in Houston, where tickets were 2x the price btw, but scored on Denver for their final US show of the tour.  In true Midlife Male style, we skipped the openers. No more getting to a venue at 4p and staying through midnight. Those days are over.  I get the show rundown in advance. Nice family dinner first, arrive at the venue with pre-paid parking 20 minutes before Metallica hits the stage and we’re golden.  No more pit or GA seats either; do your homework. Front row club level. Better amenities, and you can sit as much as you want with an unobstructed view.  They played the 4 songs we came for, and we beat the crowd out of the parking lot. Winning.  

These High-Protein, Natural Meat Sticks Are Delicious

We are loving the meat sticks from New Primal. Particularly the Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Sticks. With 10 grams of protein and zero sugar, these all-natural chicken sticks are a perfectly portable, protein-packed option that delivers the delicious rotisserie flavor you crave. They're super convenient for anytime snacking, whether you’re lounging at home or heading out on an adventure. So, if you’re craving rotisserie goodness without the hassle, grab a stick and snack the smart way—anytime, anywhere.

Need a New Travel Points Card? We’re Big Fans of Marriott Bonvoy

Summer travel means spending.  That’s just how it is. We make the most of it by using the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.  Rack up the points, use the points for hotel stays, and pro-tip use it to pay kids' tuition, camps and even taxes (just make sure to pay it off in full to avoid interest!).  This is our go-to card with great perks, status and options. 

Here’s our referral link:

https://www.referyourchasecard.com/252j/YSZUMW896A

The Best Dumbbells for Your Home Gym

We’re constantly being asked what to put in your home gym.  The one item we cant do without is a pair of SMRTFT adjustable dumbbells.  We’re partial to the set that goes up to 80lbs per DB, and they also have an option that goes up to 60lbs.  They’re super easy to use, durable, space saving and versatile.  Get the stand as well. 

When You Have to Wear Pants this Summer, Wear These

Pants in summer? Yes.  They need to be baggy, free flowing and cool.  These Oliver Military style pants from Imogene+Willie are favorites. Inspired by an old pair of military trousers that were worn down to the threads, Oliver is an effortless reconstruction of an iconic garment using a yarn-dyed Japanese fabric with a beautiful slub in the weave, it truly could be mistaken for the original fabric used for military wear from the WWII era.

Our MLM Movie Rec that Combines Speed & Style: Go See F1

Lightning fast F1 cars. Exotic locations. Crashes. Competition. Brad Pitt’s charisma on 10. Go see F1 on the biggest screen possible. Take your wife and kids. Doesn’t matter if you’re a racing fan. This movie was pure summer blockbuster entertainment. 

Huge News: Become an MLM Live Founding Member!

We’re opening the door to something new. Something exclusive. Something I wish existed when I first started grinding my way through midlife, trying to learn directly from the best.

We’re calling it MLM Live, and it’s your chance to join us inside our Midlife Male ‘How I See It’ cover story interviews. 

Yes. From now on, whenever I have these conversations, I’m inviting you IN to join me!

Not after they’ve been edited. Not on some podcast two weeks later. Live. Real time. Direct access.

Here’s how it works:

 ✅ You’re invited to join & watch our interviews as they happen. 

• These are raw, unfiltered, real conversations with world-class guests.

 ✅ You get to ask your questions directly.

• Every interview ends with 15 minutes reserved for your questions, straight to the guest. And you can submit questions beforehand to me (Greg)!

 ✅ You’re part of the experience.

• Forget passively watching or listening, you’re participating in the room where it happens.

✅ Total Access to the complete library of unedited interview

• You get complete access to our entire library of completed MLM interviews as well as all replays instantly after the interview is done.

We’re talking to high achievers, founders, elite performers, A-list leaders. The kind of people we feature in the magazine every month covering the topics you care about in all of our 6Fs: Family, Fitness, Finance, Fashion, Food and Fun. 

Read Our MOST POPULAR Cover Stories:

Troy Aikman on Reinvention, Wrestling Demons and What Success Looks Like

Laird Hamilton’s Blueprint for Ageless Living and Unstoppable Energy

15 Pieces of Wisdom from Chef Robert Irvine

MLM Founder: Greg Scheinman / Follow Greg on Instagram & LinkedIn

“You either define midlife, or it’ll define you.” - Greg

MLM Editor-in-Chief: Jon Finkel / Follow Jon on Twitter/X and Instagram

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.” - Teddy Roosevelt

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