Quote of the Week #14
Reflections on Jason Wilson, masculine healing, and the daily work of emotional mastery.
“Emotions are great servants but poor masters.”
— Kajana Cetshwayo (as quoted by Jason Wilson in Cry Like a Man)
Lately I’ve been reflecting on masculinity and emotion—specifically, the tightrope we’re taught to walk between feeling everything and showing nothing.
When I came across this quote in Jason Wilson’s Cry Like a Man, I immediately added it to my mental bank. It’s been sitting with me ever since.
Emotions, when channeled productively, can guide us with clarity, empathy, and conviction. They can point us toward what matters. They can fuel our purpose.
But when emotions take the lead—when they master us—they cloud judgment, distort truth, and often leave damage in their wake.
Just as dangerous, though, is when we ignore our emotions altogether.
I’ve been there. Angry but silent. Hurt but stoic. Calm on the surface, but fighting a war inside.
The problem isn’t feeling. It’s the lack of control and discernment about when and how those feelings serve us. It’s letting emotions drive without wisdom in the passenger seat—or refusing to let them in the car at all.
Jason Wilson has become one of my favorite voices pushing this conversation forward. A martial arts master, author, and founder of The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy in Detroit, Jason has spent decades mentoring young boys—particularly Black boys—teaching them to navigate anger, pain, and fear with honesty and discipline. His viral videos of young men breaking down and breaking through emotionally have inspired millions, showing what it looks like to guide boys toward manhood without stripping them of their humanity.
His work creates space for emotional honesty without shame.
It’s a blueprint for how we begin to redefine strength—not as suppression, but as alignment.
To feel deeply and lead wisely? That’s the real work.
And it’s the practice I return to daily.
💬 What’s your relationship to emotion these days?
Are you in control—or just reacting?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.