Do you feel lost in the life of your own making?

The weight of being a provider and constantly measuring our success by what we “do” in the world can lead us to dark places. It’s time to break free and gain a deeper connection to your life by discovering what makes you tick.

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In an age where marriages and communities crumble, partially because we have not welcomed men in their wholeness, Trapped! is an essential exploration of healthy masculinity.
Alana Fournet
best-selling author of Radiant Powerful You
Trapped! is a must-read for the man who has achieved success yet feels empty and unfulfilled. It gives a simple-to-understand yet profound blueprint for finding meaning beyond career and family.
Dent Gitchel, PhD, LPC
author of Pursuing Purpose

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My journey to reclaiming happiness and personal freedom through a simple, easy-to-follow framework will guide you to...

  • Assess, understand, and heal unhealthy patterns keeping you stuck
  • Work with anger, frustration, and other challenging emotions
  • Overcome feelings of isolation and create more connection in your relationships
  • Prioritize and value yourself for who you are and not just for what you do
  • Build upon your successes to live a life of meaning and purpose

The Responsible Man's Guide to Personal Freedom and Happiness

More Praise

As a psychotherapist, I'm grateful to Nathan Joblin for writing Trapped!. This material is timely, given that some of our culture's voices can mischaracterize the masculine as solely toxic, leaving many feeling misunderstood and maligned. This book speaks to the need for compassion, courage, and strength in addressing the healing and health of the masculine. Nathan Joblin's work is a pathway forward for men looking to shift/free themselves toward a new paradigm of grounding their lives in purpose, meaning, and love. Trapped! is a must-read to awaken and support the heroic masculine, a crucial and valuable part of the human collective.
Natasha Senra-Pereira, MSW, RSW, RP
Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Author/Speaker
Trapped! is for men who feel stuck in their financial obligations and routines and want to find their way back to a sense of liberation. The book offers a direct and simple approach filled with practical tips, exercises, and strategies readers can use to break out and break free. Nathan Joblin emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life and making conscious choices aligned with one's values and goals. He provides guidance on how to set boundaries, communicate effectively with others, and cultivate healthy habits supporting personal growth. I know many men who have fallen into the TRAP and highly recommend this book.
Paul Lemberg
author of Be Unreasonable
Many men will feel a deep resonance with Nathan Joblin and the feeling of being trapped in roles they have created for themselves. Rather than offering glib advice or a 'quick fix, ' this book provides practical guidance to help us find deep satisfaction and purpose in our lives, creating fulfillment for ourselves as we support and nurture those we care about.
Bryan Welch
author of Beautiful and Abundant, Building the World We Want, 
Co-CEO, Silk Grass Holdings & US Former CEO, Mindful Communications
Trapped! offers practical, accessible steps men can take to grow into their fuller selves. Joblin's trustworthy guidance has the mark of a man who clearly knows this territory.
Reuvain Bacal, MA
Transformational Men's Coach

About the author

Nathan Joblin

Nathan Joblin is COO + Co-Founder of Modern Wisdom Press. His passion for simplicity and all things operational has included decades of experience in the publishing, nonprofit, and educational sectors, where he has directed production, finance, and administration for a number of organizations.

Nathan's journey to becoming a published book author inspires him to support clients in overcoming the inherent obstacles to getting a book into the world. His expert skills and passion for streamlining the publishing process empower first-time authors to transform their manuscripts into bestselling books.

What’s in the book?

Chapter 1: The Responsible Man’s Dilemma

We were taught to be team players and play by the rules, and since we tend to do what we are told, we make sure that we are good at it. And because we play the game so well, we believe we should be rewarded with happiness, success, and prosperity. In reality, though, nothing is promised to any of us, and we do ourselves a disservice by defining success in material terms. This dynamic will continue indefinitely until we take responsibility for defining our real needs and desires in this world.

Chapter 2: Digging Up the Roots of Dysfunction

We stay small and stuck when we don’t ask questions and when we assume that how things are is how they will always be. I want to shake you, wake you up, and tell you that transformation is possible! You and I have shown how capable we are at managing burdens on behalf of others. Let’s take those skills and apply them to our own experiences, our own intelligence, and our own strengths. Let’s use what we’ve devoted to the outside world to bring lasting meaning to our own lives.

Chapter 3: Healthier, Happier, and More Present

We men who identify mainly as providers and doers find ourselves deeply entrenched in predictable roles. Many of the tasks we perform are essential in handling the practical aspects of life. Others have to do with relationships and behavioral patterns. The prompts outlined in this book will allow you to make significant changes without having to upend your entire life.

Section 1: Awareness

Chapter 4: Respect the Life That You Have Built

Though you are embarking on a transformation of sorts, it’s important that you recognize the gifts and strengths you already possess. In this chapter, you are guided through exercises to help you own the successes you’ve already achieved.

Chapter 5: Question Your Assumptions

Your ways of seeing your life and the methods you use to navigate it started out as ways to help you stay safe. But now they may be causing you to stay stuck. This chapter digs into our self-limiting views and how to remove our blinders.

Chapter 6: Observe What’s Present

Meaningful change cannot happen unless it is rooted in personal truth. This chapter challenges you to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself about how you currently navigate the world.

SEction 2: ACCOUNTABILITY

Chapter 7: Own Your Power

Many of us imagine we are the victims of cruel, external forces. This belief, while possibly self-supportive, can also be immobilizing. In this chapter, you will have the opportunity to change your view of yourself from a person who is passive to one who is engaged.

Chapter 8: Face Your Fears

This chapter invites you to do what every one of us dreads: face what frightens you. With exercises and a slice of my recent history, I will accompany you through this process. It’s very liberating to discover that it is in facing what scares us that we can most easily be released from its power.

Chapter 9: Open Up to Connection

Many of us have spent years, even decades, disconnected from our true feelings, wishes, and needs. This chapter makes the case that to be intimate with other people and the world around us, we must first forge a connection to ourselves. Questions and exercises offer a pathway to begin that process.

SEction 3: ACTION

Chapter 10: Create Momentum

The steps that we take to improve our lives do not happen in a vacuum. Though we may feel that events unfold randomly, we can shift our perspective to create coherence and build confidence.

Chapter 11: Explore Your Purpose

Unleashing your true self alters how you approach your daily life. It provides much-deserved contentment and a newfound sense of agency. Before long, you may find yourself seeking something bigger, a guiding light, an organizing principle. In this chapter, we will discuss your higher aims, and you’ll identify what you value most and explore your purpose.

Chapter 12: Ever-Expanding You

The book concludes with this chapter that reminds you of the power of your struggle for liberation and the magic of its rewards. You have navigated some challenging inner exploration. Of course, the journey continues. But you are engaged in the process of setting yourself free, and that is cause for celebration.

Available in Both Paperback and eBook Formats

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