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the black sheep club

123 members • Free

3 contributions to the black sheep club
Comparison is Costly
“Why does someone else’s success quietly bother me?”… Most men don’t realize when comparison starts. It doesn’t arrive as jealousy in the beginning. It shows up as a distraction. You notice what someone else is building. How fast they’re moving. How visible they are. Their “followers” and influence.. Without meaning to, your attention leaves your own life and focuses on theirs. That’s where the damage happens. Comparison doesn’t usually make you quit or cause you to act urgently. It makes you hesitate. You pause longer than you should or would have. You question work you were once confident and joyful in. You delay action waiting for a new clarity that never comes because it was never meant to be your focus. There’s a strange comfort in watching others live. No risk. No exposure. No responsibility. But there’s a cost. Scripture speaks to this, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” 1 Peter 4:10 NIV Not someone else’s gift. Yours. Talents aren’t ranked. They’re entrusted. By God. For you, specifically. When you measure yourself against another man, you abandon stewardship. You stop tending what’s been placed in your hands and start staring at a field you were never asked to work. We’ve all heard the saying “everyone wants what they don’t have” and that is the work of the enemy. In real life it looks like this. A man gifted with stability envies momentum. A man built for depth compares himself to speed. A father with influence at home feels small next to public, material success. Nothing is wrong with your gifts. The problem is where your eyes are. Here’s the trade most men don’t see. Comparison offers: Short-term motivation A sense of urgency Something to react against But it takes: Peace Clarity Forward motion Faithfulness doesn’t usually public influence. It feels quiet, lonely, and narrow. And narrow paths don’t invite spectators. But they do require commitment and they do lead to a fulfilling life. So sit with this question today,
2 likes • 7d
I feel like my biggest struggle is identifying what gift I actually have. It is easy to look at others and identify their gifts and compare myself to how they are able to publicly speak, or create, or their discipline and drive, and compare all of that to myself. Hopefully taking time today to sit in silence and meditate with no distractions I can start to identify what gift God truly wants me to use and how I can best use it.
What will you choose today?
A revelation I had yesterday. Nothing new, but a deeper reminder that I feel called to share here: Faith requires you to believe in something you cannot see. Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” On the surface it sounds straight forward, but if we are honest it can also be unsettling. It’s scary to think about stepping forward into the unknown. Moving before we have clarity or certainty. But, something we often miss or overlook: fear operates the exact same way. Fear also asks you to believe in something you cannot see. It paints pictures of outcomes that haven’t happened, losses that aren’t guaranteed, and failures that exist only in imagination. On 1 hand Faith says “I cannot see what is ahead of me, but I choose to step forward in Faith anyway and trust in God that it will work out.” On the other hand fear says “I cannot see what is ahead of me, so I choose to stay here where at the very least I recognize my surroundings.” Often even if you’re unhappy with those surroundings. Both require belief. Both involve uncertainty. One keeps you moving forward while the other keeps you stagnant - frozen in comfort until it becomes a cage. The game changer is when you realize WHO you’re putting your trust in. Is it yourself? People around you? Or is it God? You don’t get to choose whether or not you’ll believe. Those thoughts arise all on their own. Belief is already there. However, you do get to choose which voice you’ll follow! Today, identify an area where fear has kept you standing still. Then take one intentional step, no matter how small or big, toward what God has placed on your heart. Share that step here if you feel up to it! Let’s choose faith together and move forward, even when we can’t see the whole path yet. I’ll go first. I’m saying yes to being on a small, relatively new, faith-based podcast I’ve been invited to as an opportunity to share my testimony. I don’t feel ready, nor do I feel worthy, but I do feel called.
1 like • 7d
I love the idea of Faith and Fear being two sides to the same coin and it is up to us to identify the different and ensure we are putting our trust in God and not necessarily in ourselves. An area where fear has kept me standing still would probably be my mental health. I am stubborn and for years have refused to admit that there are somethings that I need help with when it comes to mental health and how to deal with life situations. Today I signed up for my first therapy appointment in hopes of learning healthier ways to cope with life's difficulties and ensure I am taking care of my mental as much as I am taking care of my physical.
Welcome to The Black Sheep Club 🐑
If you’re here, chances are you’ve felt it before. That quiet sense of not quite fitting the mold. That nudge to take a different path, even when it doesn’t make sense to everyone else. That tension between what’s expected of us and what we feel God calling us toward. This space, Right Here, exists for that exact reason. This isn’t a place to impress anyone. It's not about cliche motivation or pretending we have it all figured out. It’s a room for men who think differently. Who feel early. Who know what they should do, but don’t want to walk it alone. Here’s how we keep this space solid: • We’re honest • We’re respectful • We’re present • We speak from our own experience • We leave people better than we found them Let’s get this started 👇 Introduce yourself below: 1. Where you’re from 2. What made you realize you might be a “black sheep” 3. What season of life or decision you’re currently navigating No pressure to overshare. Just be real. This community will only be as powerful as we choose to make it. Glad we’re here. We’re not early. We’re not late. We’re right on time. Let’s walk this road together. 🤝
Welcome to The Black Sheep Club 🐑
3 likes • 10d
Hey all, I'm from Northern Virginia but spent 6 years of my childhood living overseas. Went off to college and joined a Fraternity and then the Military as a way to find my group but constantly felt out of place and even in large groups of people all in similar life chapters, I felt that I was never on the same page as them. I always felt one step ahead or 10 steps behind. Post college did worked some government contracting then tech sales before ultimately finding a 15 week, free Community college class about Data Centers and got a job making twice what I previously made and realizing 4 years of college wasn't as beneficial as I had hoped. Over the last year I have struggled with self identify issues, relationship problems, neglected my physical health, and realized I had lost my faith. I decided back in October 0f 2025 to make a change for the better and started with cold plunges, working out regularly, and was able to re-find my faith in Jesus and began attending church and living a more faithful life. I know one of the best ways to improve my mental and spiritual journey is to surround myself with those a season or two ahead and be open to the mentorship and advice. Decided that I was tired of just saying words with no action, and want to finally take the action to improve myself and those around me. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
1-3 of 3
Shane McDonald
2
14points to level up
@shane-mcdonald-2433
Trying to figure life out

Active 21h ago
Joined Feb 1, 2026