KingMe: The Words Every Man Was Born To Say
There comes a moment in a man’s life when he realizes the script he’s been following no longer serves him. The chase for external validation, the relentless pursuit of success, and the pressures of being who the world expects him to be—it all begins to feel hollow. He stands at a crossroads, faced with a choice: continue playing by rules that no longer fit, or rise up and claim the role he was always meant to embody.
King me.
To be a king is not about dominance or control. It is about sovereignty—ruling over oneself with wisdom, integrity, and purpose. In a society that has misrepresented masculinity, the king archetype has been misunderstood, even vilified. But the issue isn’t that we have too many kings. The issue is that we have too few. Instead, we see men trapped in the roles of tyrants, cowards, manipulators, nice guys, or lost boys who never truly became men.
The true king is different. He is not a slave to his ego or to the approval of others. He is a man who has faced himself, who has looked his fears, wounds, and weaknesses in the eye and emerged stronger. The first step toward kingship is awakening—recognizing that the old way no longer works and answering the call to something greater.
The Second Journey Across the Board
Life in the first half is like a game of checkers. It doesn’t appear that sophisticated. It doesn’t seem that profound. The rules are relatively simple: gobble up as much as you can, as quickly as you can. Get yours and get going.
Most men spend decades in this mode, chasing achievements, collecting titles, accumulating wealth, proving themselves. And for a time, it works. Until it doesn’t. Until you realize that the game you’ve been playing doesn’t lead to victory—only exhaustion. Until you realize that following someone else’s script isn’t the same as writing your own story.
Then something shifts. You make it to the other side of the board. And suddenly, the game changes. The way you move changes. The way you see the board changes. The man you are changes.
This is the defining moment.
King me.
For those who make it through the game, to the other side, that’s when the shift presents itself. The rules that once mattered no longer do. The goals that once drove you no longer inspire. And the question that emerges isn’t about getting more—it’s about becoming more. It’s about stepping into a new way of living, one defined not by taking but by creating, not by proving but by knowing, not by following but by leading.
Living as a King
But what does it mean to be a king?
A true king does not simply wear the crown—he carries the weight of it. Kingship is not about power for power’s sake, nor is it about being served. It is about service. It is about standing at the center of your own life, fully accountable, fully present, and fully engaged with your purpose.
The defining difference between the first half of the journey on the way to that destination, and the second half on the way back across the board, are the rules. A king no longer plays by the rules of others—society, his friends, his contemporaries, even his family, his partner, his wife. As much as he loves and respects them, when a man says, King me, he loves and respects himself. He is his own sovereign. He answers only to a higher authority. And that’s what King me means. His rules. His goals. He moves in any direction he chooses.
Those double-stacked checkers represent so much more than symbolism for a true king. They mark his transformation. He embodies Dr. Viktor Frankl’s driving thesis, summed up in the words: “The last of human freedoms, to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” A king chooses his own way.
The world is filled with tyrants, cowards, manipulators, nice guys, and lost boys—men who never made the second journey across the board, who either refused the responsibility of kingship or corrupted it. A tyrant rules with fear. A coward hides from the call. A manipulator deceives to get his way. A nice guy pleases to avoid confrontation. A lost boy never grows up at all.
But a king is different. The king’s role is to create, to lead, and to leave a legacy. He is a protector, a provider, and a builder—not only of wealth but of wisdom. He is a man who sees beyond his own needs and works to elevate those around him. The world does not need more tyrants, nor does it need passive men who shy away from responsibility. The world needs kings—men who understand that true leadership is about lifting others, not ruling over them.
King me.
Living as a king means making choices with clarity and conviction. It means having the courage to say no to what does not serve your purpose and yes to what aligns with your highest self. It means recognizing that life is finite and that the only thing that truly lasts is the impact you leave behind.
This is your moment. The call has been made. The path is before you.
Will you rise?
Welcome to KingMe. This is where your true journey begins.
—
Dr. Baruch HaLevi is a therapist, coach, and guide for men who are ready to rise up and say those magical words: King me. Learn more at defiantspirit.org.