Hunting Season: Four Targets. One Purpose.

Hunting season isn’t about what you bring home, it’s about how you prepare, what you prioritize, and what you refuse to chase anymore. I’ve spent the last few weeks reflecting, praying, and getting honest about the next season of my life. What I found is simple and uncomfortable: if I don’t hunt with intention now, I’ll keep starving later, even if things “look” successful from the outside.

I’m naming four pursuits that actually sustain me: peace, mental stability, financial freedom, and partnership. We talk about how easy it is to put conditions on peace, debt-free, bigger business, fewer problems, and how that mindset quietly moves the finish line. I share a real practice that helps me reset before I walk through my front door, so I don’t dump the weight of the day onto my wife. Peace isn’t perfect circumstances; it’s learning how to breathe while you’re walking through difficulty.

We also get into men’s mental health and mental stability, especially the way one negative thought can spiral into ten. I explain what I’m learning through faith, therapy, and brotherhood, and why focus matters more than most of us realize. Financial freedom shows up here as options and the ability to build, not just “getting rich,” and partnership as participation, communication, and showing up emotionally, not only physically.

If you’re trying to grow, heal, and lead yourself better, press play, then share what you’re hunting right now. Subscribe, leave a rating and review, and send this to a friend who needs a reminder that scars are part of the story, not the end.

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Connect with me on Instagram: @scarred.sons

If this episode spoke to you, share it with another Scarred Son on his healing journey.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional therapy. If you need help, please seek support from a licensed mental health provider.

Transcript

A New Season And A Clear Aim

Ty 0:00

I'm glad you're here with me again. I've spent the last couple of weeks reflecting, praying, and trying to understand what the next season of my life is supposed to look like. I think I found it. Today we're stepping into hunting season, and I want to share the four things I'm intentionally pursuing. Let's get into it. Hunting season is upon me. And when most people hear the words hunting season, they think about the harvest. They think about what comes home. They think about what ends up on the table. But what I've learned is hunting isn't really about the harvest. It's about preparation. It's about understanding what you need. It's about knowing what you're looking for. It's about knowing where to go, when to move, when to wait, and when to act. You don't just walk into the woods and start firing blindly. The best hunters have a plan. They've studied, they've prepared, they know exactly what they're after. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I know what I'm hunting. I've named the wounds, I've had the conversations, I've confronted difficult truths, I've made mistakes, I've learned lessons. And while there's still work to be done, I finally have clarity. I know what needs more of my attention, I know what needs less. I know what needs to stay, and I know what needs to go. Because if I don't hunt now, I'll starve forever. There are four things I'm hunting in this season of life: peace, mental stability, financial freedom, and partnership. Welcome to the Scarred Sons Podcast,

Why Preparation Beats The Harvest

Ty 1:50

where we dive into scars of life and the outcomes they shape. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about my journey, the lessons learned, the struggles endured, and the growth that followed. Geared towards helping other sons with scars. We'll explore topics like personal development, mental and spiritual health, and the path to becoming the best version of yourself. Let's navigate these challenges together, one story at a time. Let's dive in. The views expressed on this podcast are based on my personal experiences and insights. I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or medical professional, and the content shared is not intended as a substitute for professional advice or guidance. Please consult a qualified professional for advice tailored to your specific needs. I am not responsible for any decisions or outcomes resulting from the use of this content. What's up to all my scarsons out there? I'm your host, Ty. Before we dive in, I want you to know this is a safe space. I'm not here as someone who has it all figured out, just a man willing to speak his truth. And if you carry scars, welcome home.

Peace Without Conditions

Ty 2:50

I placed so many conditions on my peace. Things like let me work harder so I can eventually stop working so hard. Let me sacrifice a little more, let me push through one more season. Let me accomplish one more goal. For years I treated peace like a reward, something I could earn. I told myself peace would come when I became debt free. Peace would come when the business grew. Peace would come when life slowed down. Peace would come when certain family situations improved. The problem is every time I reached one destination, I created another condition. Another reason I couldn't rest, another reason I couldn't breathe. Another reason I wasn't allowed to enjoy life. And one day I realized something. I wasn't chasing peace. I was postponing it. Because every time I reached one destination, I moved the finish line. The truth is, some of the things I've been waiting on may never arrive. The conversation may never happen. The apology may never come. The understanding I hope for may never exist. If my peace depends on those things showing up, then I'll spend the rest of my life waiting. I've done enough waiting. One of the ways I've learned to practice peace is through a simple drive home. There are days when work has taken everything out of me. The phone calls, the emails, the pressure, the metrics, the responsibilities. And before I walk through the front door and dump all of that energy onto my wife, I take a moment for myself. Sometimes it's a bike ride, sometimes it's a drive, sometimes it's both. I put on one of my favorite Earth, Wind and Fire songs, Golden Time of Day. That song is only five minutes and thirty-six seconds long. But for those five minutes and thirty-six seconds, I get to escape. Not from my responsibilities, not from my life, but from the weight I've been carrying all day. People think you have to leave town to get away. I don't. I just roll the windows down and drive. No destination no agenda. Just me, the road, the trees, the farms, the warm breeze, and a reminder that life is bigger than whatever problem is sitting on my shoulders that day. And if one playthrough isn't enough, I play it again. Because those few moments remind me of something I've spent years forgetting. Peace isn't waiting for me on the other side of success. It's available to me right now. I've confused peace with perfect circumstances. And if you're anything like me, challenging seasons haven't been your favorite seasons. And maybe peace isn't the absence of difficulty. Maybe peace is learning how to breathe while you're walking through it. Peace isn't something I'm trying to arrive at. It's something I'm learning to practice. There are still days when my mind gets into overload. Days when I let everything pile up. Days when I become my own worst critic. Days when I feel behind, still not where I thought I'd be financially, still carrying responsibilities, still trying to build, still trying to grow, still trying

Mental Stability And Thought Spirals

Ty 6:20

to figure some things out. My biggest problem during these moments is allowing myself to entertain those thoughts for too long. I've learned something about my mind. When I let one negative thought stay too long, it starts inviting friends. Before I know it, one concern becomes ten. One bad moment becomes a bad day. One setback becomes a story about why I'll never get to where I'm trying to go. And while I'm entertaining all of those thoughts, life is still moving. Opportunities are still showing up. Blessings are still happening. People still need me, my wife still needs me, my future still needs me. That's why I can't afford to live there for too long. Drowning in my thoughts still is my joy. It still is my peace. It still is my energy. And most importantly, it still is my time. What has changed in that I'm now reminding myself of the progress I'm making. Not the progress I haven't made, the progress I have. I remind myself that I have a chance. And honestly, that's all I ever needed. A chance. No guarantees, no certainty. Not a perfect plan. Just a chance. A chance to learn, a chance to grow, a chance to fail and get back up. A chance to become the man God created me to be. And as long as I still have that, I'm not finished yet. Thank God for always welcoming me into relationship with Him directly. I'm thankful for my wife. I'm thankful for my brothers. And I'm thankful for therapy. Those have become my secret sauce. That's how I continue to get back up. That's how I continue moving forward. And that's how I continue hunting. Mental stability isn't the absence of hard thoughts. It's learning not to believe every hard thought. One thing I've been learning lately is that whatever I focus on tends to grow. If I focus on what I'm lacking, I start feeling behind. If I focus on disappointment, I start feeling discouraged. If I focus on comparison, I start feeling stuck. That's why this verse hit me differently than it would have a few years ago. Colossians chapter three verse two says, Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. The more I sat with that verse, the more it made sense. Because what we focus on eventually becomes what we're chasing. For years I focused on what I didn't have, the relationships that weren't what I hoped they'd be. The money I wish I had, the opportunities I thought I missed, the things I felt behind on. And the more I focused on those things, the heavier they became. This first reminded me that where I place my attention matters, because eventually my mind starts moving in the direction of my focus. That's why this season feels different. I'm not pretending life is perfect. I'm not ignoring the challenges. I'm simply becoming more intentional about what I'm hunting when what I'm feeding. We've discussed quite a bit.

Mirror Moment What Are You Hunting

Ty 9:40

Let's take a few minutes and jump into the mirror moment for this week. The mirror moment is a space where we slow down and take an honest look at the man in the mirror. No distractions, no pressure, just reflection. Look at the man in the mirror. I want you to sit with this question for a minute. What are you haunting? And more importantly, why? Because if you're haunting approval, you'll never catch enough of it. If you're hunting validation, you'll always need more. If you're hunting acceptance, you'll spend your life changing who you are for other people. But if you're hunting peace, mental stability, purpose, and healthy partnership, now you're hunting something that can actually feed you. So ask yourself again, what are you hunting? And is it helping you become the man you're trying to be? Thank you for listening to this week's Mirror Moment. Let's get back to the episode.

Reciprocity Boundaries And Disappointment

Ty 10:45

When I sat down and asked myself what I was really hunting, it wasn't money. It wasn't success. It wasn't recognition. And it definitely wasn't more validation. I spent enough years chasing those things. Problem is, every time I caught one of them, I still felt hungry. That's when I realized I wasn't hunting the wrong things. For years I thought putting everyone else's needs before my own was honorable. To a degree, I still believe that. Just not at the expense of myself. What I wanted wasn't another thank you. What I wanted wasn't another pat on the back. What I wanted was reciprocity. I wanted to know that if I needed help, someone would show up for me the same way I showed up for them. I want acknowledgement, respect, partnership. I wanted people to value what I brought to the table. Whether it was a work table, a marriage table, a brotherhood table, or a spiritual table. As I got older, I started noticing which relationships filled me up and which relationships drained me. I noticed who only showed up when they needed something, who disappeared once they got it. Those situations hurt the most because those were often the people I gave the most to. I paid when I didn't have it. I showed up when I was exhausted. I listened when I had my own responsibilities waiting on me. I gave access to my time, energy, and resources. The problem wasn't that I cared. The problem was that I didn't have boundaries. I had expectations. And expectations have a way of creating disappointment. Today I'm hunting something different, peace, mental stability, financial freedom, partnership. Because these are the things that will actually sustain me.

Financial Freedom Means Options

Ty 12:50

Financial freedom isn't about becoming rich, it's about creating options, creating stability, creating opportunities, creating the ability to build something bigger than myself. Back when I was in middle school, my band director, Mr. Bynum, encouraged my mother to enroll me into a mentorship program. Every Saturday morning, I spent time with a group of omega men who poured into young black boys like me. We learned about leadership, college, public speaking, life skills. More importantly, we learned what it looked like for men to invest in other young men. I didn't realize it then, but those mornings planted seeds. Seeds that are still growing today. One day, I'd love to create something similar. A place where young men can learn, grow, be challenged, and be supported. Financial freedom isn't about what I can buy, it's about what I can build. Partnership has become one of the most important things I'm hunting. Not because I can't do things on my own. I've spent most of my life proving that I can. But because I finally realized my dreams are too big to accomplish alone. As a kid, I was incredibly shy. Groups intimidated me. I've always been comfortable staying to myself. And while independence can be strength, it can also become a prison. Life has taught me something. Healing is difficult in isolation. Growth is difficult in isolation. Dreams are difficult in isolation. One thing I've learned about partnership is that not everything belongs at home. There are days when work wears me out, days when business isn't moving as fast as I'd like. Days when bills feel heavy, days

Partnership Requires Participation

Ty 14:45

when life just feels like a lot. Years ago I would have walked through the front door carrying all of that with me. Not because I wanted to hurt anyone, but because I hadn't learned how to put it down. Now before I walk into my home, I try to create space. Sometimes it's a drive, sometimes it's a bike ride, sometimes it's five minutes with my thoughts. Because my wife deserves the best version of me that I can bring home that day. Not perfection, just intentionality. I've learned that partnership isn't just about being present physically. It's about being present mentally and emotionally too. And that's still something I'm working on. Because when life gets heavy, it's easy to retreat into your own thoughts. It's easy to become distracted. It's easy to become unavailable. But partnership requires participation. It requires communication. It requires effort. And the older I get, the more I realize that healthy relationships aren't built by accident. They're built through daily decisions. Today I understand something I didn't understand when I was younger. I need God. I need my wife. I need my brothers. My dreams are too big for me to accomplish alone. If there's one thing I hope you take away from this episode, it's this. Be careful what you're hunting. Because eventually what you're chasing starts to shape your life. For a long time I thought the answer was one more accomplishment, one more opportunity, one more breakthrough, one more goal. And while there's nothing wrong with pursuing those things, I've learned something important. The things I'm hunting today aren't

Practices That Shape Who You Become

Ty 16:40

destinations, they're practices. Peace isn't a destination. Mental stability isn't a destination. Partnership isn't a destination. They're things I have to choose repeatedly. They're things I have to protect. They're things I have to invest in. Because if I neglect them enough, I'll eventually feel the consequences. The older I get, the more I realize life isn't just about what you build. It's about what you're becoming while you build it. I don't spend as much time wondering if I'll make it anymore. These days I'm more focused on becoming the kind of man who can handle it when I do. And maybe that's the shift. Maybe success isn't arriving somewhere. Maybe success is becoming someone. Someone with peace, someone with discipline, someone with stability, someone who can love well, someone who can lead well, someone who can keep going when life gets hard. So before you leave today, I want you to ask yourself one question. What am I hunting? And is it feeding me or is it starving me? Because the things worth hunting aren't always the loudest things. Sometimes they're the quiet things, peace, purpose, faith, brotherhood, partnership, the things that help you become the man God created you to be.

Closing Takeaways And Next Steps

Ty 18:20

Thank you for spending this time with me. And if this episode spoke to you, share it with another scar son who may need it. Leave a rating, leave a review, or send me a message. I'd love to hear what you're hunting in this season of life. Until next Sunday, keep healing, keep growing, and keep believing that your scars are part of your story, not the end of it. Peace and love. Thank you for joining me on the Scarred Sons podcast. Remember, every scar tells a story, and every story has the power to inspire growth. If today's episode resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to reach out and share your journey. Don't forget to stay up to date with the podcast by liking, commenting, and subscribing wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also follow us on Instagram at ScarredPeriodSons for more content and updates. Until next time, keep moving forward, keep healing, and remember scars don't define you, they shape you. Stay strong, and I'll see you in the next episode. Peace.