Why even do it in the first place? You know there will be ups, but why put yourself through the downs? What is the purpose of all of it?

I just found this photo the other day and I have to say it is pretty inspiring and is also a brand new concept to me. I never really thought of it that way. I was always taught to visualize the end result, but the respecting the goal itself never came across my mind. But now it has. In fact, it has given me some new life. So what is my why? But first, what are the goals?

To become an elite fitness competitor

To eat clean for a full year (No salt, sugar, juice, candy, fast food, processed foods, chips, soda, dessert, chocolate)

To have over 100,000 followers on Twitter

To put out high quality inspirational videos (original content) and be a top name in that area

To run social media accounts for large clients

And the list goes on and on, but those are some of the top ones. But the why I have figured out is just as important. Why is it important to become an elite fitness competitor? Why is it important to eat clean for a full year when many gasp and say “moderation is key.” Of course I agree with everything they say – but at the end of the day it’s my plan right? In order to truly grow you have to take the advice of others, learn what you can from it, and then go out and experience life. So why are these goals important?

I am going to achieve this goal because…

The connection between the mind, the body, and the soul is crucial to being able to take things into 4th gear. Without three strong pillars, the 4th can never be achieved. Also, it means a lot to me to be able to inspire people to not only work on themselves mentally, but to create a dream body and be able to achieve it.

I have had my struggles with junk-esque type food and want to put some demons away once and for all. It will mean a lot to me because I will have great control over what I put into my system. If you want to have your car drive like a Porsche should – stop putting crappy gas into the engine.

I have a message that I want to spread to thousands and even millions of people around the world. 100,000 followers is an achievable goal using modern networking tools and it will also help my amplify my brand and the message that with lots of love, tons of passion, and a never quitting attitude you can achieve anything you want.

I love inspirational videos – and there is a great space for them on the web right now. I want to be able to inspire people visually and give them reasons to get up in the morning and go out and kill it! This also fills my bucket and helps me feel fulfilled.

I want to run social media accounts for large clients because I love connecting people with great products and I am truly passionate about the online space. I can earn a great living doing this as well and it is important to be to have a steady income so I can further The Better Man Project and take it to levels it has never seen before.

So there it is. The Rock today taught me how to respect my goals and dreams and give myself the why factor. Now, it is time to go out and achieve them.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW

First of all, right off the bat, I just wanted to say that there is nothing wrong with the saying “They were right, college was the 4 best years of my life” or any other saying related to that idea. Yesterday was exactly one year since I graduated from university and seeing all of the pictures of everyone’s caps and gowns really brought me back. But those short sayings about college being the best 4 years (or 5 for those super seniors) really struck me and I got to thinking.

I was taught a while ago that in this moment there is nothing, no past, no future, it is perfect…nothing to fix or change. From nothing, I can create – anything. And then I thought back to my experiences at school. Many were up, many were down. But then I thought about the whole entire idea and started to ask some serious questions.

Were those really the best years of my life? Am I totally screwed if they were?

And I know what people are thinking when they say, “Soak it in now, these years will fly by fast and the college ones are the best of them.” But really? Seriously? Don’t get me wrong, college was fun – but out of everything it was a learning experience. It was a gigantic game of paddle ball. Try something, almost get an automatic result, and since I hadn’t tried it before…often of times the consequences were…dicey. Drinking, partying, college classes, group projects, friends, friends getting into trouble, yourself getting into trouble, the opposite sex, major life events…the list goes on and on.

What makes people think back and say that those were the best?

College is a time of finding out what you love and what you are passionate about. You get chances to take classes and meet people who are new and interesting. You get opportunities to mingle with alumni and teachers and really gain some wisdom, if your ears are open at least. You can pretty much make decisions for yourself and lead the life that you want to. But college was no joke. Major emotional turmoil, carrying friends home who were blacked out or strung out, horrible gossip, sorority and fraternity cliques and eruptions after a sister or brother crossed the line with another’s crush or love interest. Drugs. Alcohol. Reckless sex. General cluelessness. Overeating. Eating disorders. Back stabbing. Pain. Anguish. The best years? Are these the best? How do you even define the best?

They were fun years. But now speaking for myself, I never thought that they were going to be the best years out of my entire life. I knew that I had to go through those years to truly understand the importance of what my vision was – without knowing the darkness you can never appreciate the light. I knew that with empathy and compassion for other people, I could help them through whatever bad things happened during those years. But college for me was a period of time where I shut my mouth and listened to what was going on around me. So I did…and I learned some pretty interesting things.

But here’s really what I wanted to talk about today. Aristotle once said that “we are what we repeatedly do.” I believe this is true and I also believe that we become what we think about. I understand why people think that the college years were the best ones…you don’t have to go to a 9 – 5 job, pay the bills, have major responsibilities etc…but why can’t the rest of your life be the best of your life? Why can’t you take what you learned from that time and build upon it as a foundation rather than seeing the rest of your life as a denouement  to your story. I know I’m not. I want to make every year better than the last. In fact, I want every day to be better than the last. Sure there will be some terrible things that happen and it might knock you down, but each and every day you have an opportunity to really turn it around and change your world. I know this to be the truth.

So to all those college graduates out there: don’t settle. They were great years of your life, but they weren’t the best. The best ones  come in the 60+ years ahead of you. They will be the best years of  your life if you live them. Yeah, you might have to grind it out for a while doing a job you don’t really like, but if you find what you are passionate about in this world, and work on that when you get home from your other job, soon enough you will be able to create things you never imagined you could. Passion ignites your soul.

- Evan Sanders

What’s my passion?

What excites me?

What drives me?

What makes me push down the pedal?

What inspires me?

What motivates me?

What lights that fire?

What are the possibilities?

What could be the future?

What could I create?

What can I do?

What limits could I break?

Who could I inspire?

Whose hearts could I touch?

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Can I do it?

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You’re damn right I can.

- Evan Sanders

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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

It’s you vs. you.

Don’t be mistaken.

It’s not you vs. anyone else.

Anything else.

Something else.

It may appear to be that way.

But it really isn’t.

It’s you vs. you.

The fight is within.

The exterior is just the playing field.

You make yourself the best you can.

Take it to the limits.

Break barriers.

Jump over obstacles.

Defy your previous handicaps.

It’s you vs. you.

It’s all in your head.

Now go win.

- E.

Mowing the lawn is not really an epic feat. Let’s be honest…it’s more of a chore than anything else. But halfway through the uneventful task of trimming the grass, I was taught something pretty significant. The device that runs the back wheels which pushes the lawnmower along gave out, and I was left with a half cut lawn and a heavy piece of machinery.

What do I do?

Well, in my mind there were a couple of options. Leave the grass half cut and blame it on the lawnmower, bother my dad about it who was already dealing with a major debacle with the sprinkler system, or just try to push the damn thing. Needless to say, that lawn looks great. But it took a whole lot of effort in the hot sun to get that grass cut.

But what could I possibly learn from this?

When life gets tough and you run out of natural talent – and the testing times come rolling your way – what are you going to do when life gets tough? Are you going to leave your dreams and goals half realized? Or are you going to keep pushing no matter how significant the fears, doubts, and insecurities are? To me this correlates perfectly to what happened with the lawn today. Realize your final vision or always be left with an unkept piece of your life. The choice is simple.

So keep mowing.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW

“In these bodies we will live and in these bodies we will die, where you invest your love, you invest your life.” – Mumford & Sons

There are some really challenging aspects to life that I find myself struggling with and thinking about quite often. Looking deep within, no matter how many times you do it, it’s always a scary heart-wreching proposition. I often wonder if it is a challenge sent from above to truly see what I am actually made of. My answer to this is usually yes. How could it not be? Seems to always know exactly what I need right at the perfect time so I can grow. Faith has been building.

And yet I often find myself asking the same question over and over again – if I pour all of this love out into the world, when is it going to come back? Or is it and I just can’t see it? Maybe it isn’t in what people say to me, but in how they look at me when I see their eyes. It’s just hard for me to really know what is going on…and as much as I try to be okay with it there are many times when I am not. Honesty prevails here.

All I know is that years ago I decided to take the moral high ground and by god it has been difficult. But I can never go back – and even if I try the consequences would be so drastic that I would set myself back a significant amount. This journey has been decided and it will never change. I find myself asking why a lot. Maybe this is part of the story where I begin to truly find myself…or maybe it isn’t. Needless to say the questions still come up every day.

I guess for me that first quote sums it all up. Where you invest your love you invest your life. And at the end of the day, for me at least, its about continuing to invest my love into myself, other people, and my passion. I don’t think I could ask for more.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW)

Before I get going tonight, I wanted to let you know that I will be posting the video blogs on a separate page – but just to introduce you to the concept number one is above – hope you enjoy this journey.

Tonight is pretty simple for me. It’s interesting that sometimes you can go a whole day and not really have anything profound happen to you, and then all of a sudden right before you are about to turn in, bam…it happens. I feel that a lot of people have sympathy for others and that can semi-relate to other people’s situations etc, but I feel that the true winning formula in creating long-lasting relationships with people is in developing empathy for them. I have always come back to the same example over and over again which I will write out below.

I have had the great fortune of having some pretty significantly bad things happen to me throughout my life so far. I say great fortune because I have been able to learn from them and turn them into strong pieces of my foundation. However, there have been many times where people have come up to me and said, “I know this doesn’t really compare to what you have gone through, but…” and I usually stop them right there at the but. I tell them that it doesn’t matter what I have been through…and just to tell me what is on their mind. “Maybe the worst thing that has ever happened to you is your dog dying…but it isn’t the situation that matters in our relation to one another…it’s the emotion behind everything.” Immediately that usually opens up doors.

I think that a lot of the time people lack empathy…the true feeling and recognition of another people’s emotions. To truly be able to relate to another person on an emotional level while mostly disregarding the heavy specifics is something that I focus on dearly. Because no matter what happens or how many times it happens, we will not be able to have the same event happen to two different people exactly the same way. Not impossible, but incredibly improbable. Therefore I think it is so important to look deeper than what is on the surface and really try to resonate with someones heart.

Open your arms to people if they come to you in times or light or darkness. It isn’t your job to decide when you could be someones angel. But it is your responsibility as someone who has a warm soul to let others experience what you have to bring to the table. Keeping your talents from others is essentially hiding your true self from the world. Sure it takes work. In fact…it takes a lot of work much of the time. But the satisfaction from filling another persons bucket far exceeds the slight exhausted feeling that you may have if things go south. However, I have found that if you are truly being empathetic towards someone, you end up being fulfilled beyond your wildest imagination.

So open your heart. Love deeply and passionately. It will make this world a better place.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW

The book has launched!!! Thank you everyone for supporting me. I would love for you to share this if you can or if you have read the book already, please write a review on the sites below (it would help a ton!) It can be found for ($4.99) at these retailers

Amazon - http://ASIN.cc/bfjGYq

iTunes - http://bit.ly/13HfmcW

Kobo - http://bit.ly/121ofB0

Sony - http://bit.ly/17qFY7h

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If you have two minutes, please check out the video for the project – it gives some details as to what the book is about as well as my general mission.http://bit.ly/102d2Lf
Here’s what some have said about the book so far

“Sanders unlocks the door of each aspect of a man’s world as he breaks through the boundaries of life’s disappointments, anguish, pain, and hostility. He uncovers the mysteries of love, honesty, integrity and respect. His acute sense of understanding the world around him and his ability to relate to all people enables him to share his philosophies and he gifts his inspiration to us in this book. It is not his full story. It is not the answer. It is the beginning and the now of a great man and his unique insights to how we can all become better every day.” – Melissa Reyes

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I have been hooked since the first blog post I ever read! Evans openess to share his life’s ups and downs, and insights into life is just inspiring. You get to know Evan through these pages and it is perfect because, you will get to know yourself as well. I related to many many pages and I think you will too, it is for everyone, young and old, short and tall. Download a copy of The Better Man Project to help motivate, inspire and get a move on to accomplish your own dreams and help someone accomplish theirs! – Amberly G

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“This book is a groundbreaking work that will inspire men and women alike.” – endsolitary

This book is not just for men, its for anyone and everyone. The authors ability to connect to my life was astounding. I found myself repeatedly looking over my shoulder as I read the book because there were so many times where I felt like the author was writing about my own life and to my very situation. This book is so much about hope for the author and for those that read it. Countless times in my life I have felt like no one has felt the way I have and then I read this book and realized that I am so far from alone. The author’s openness and venerability is what makes this book so amazing and like nothing else on the market. Yes, its categorized under “Self Help” but this book leaves you with a feeling of something so far from being on your own in this world. I know that I will dive back into those pages for years and years to come. This will not be one of those book you read one time, it’s a book that you will come back to again and again and I am certain you will find new depth and new truth each and every time. – Ivy Stracener

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“I recommend this book highly for anyone that has a dream that they themselves are holding in a mental prison.” – teddy3indc

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The Better Man Project is not your typical book. Do not let the title fool you either. This book is not just for men-it is for anyone. You don’t even have to be looking to become a better person to read this book, but I will tell you that it will inevitably happen.
This book is filled with real life events, both good and bad, that have a way of speaking to any audience. I found myself rereading many pages of this book, realizing how much I could relate to what Evan has written about. This book has not only helped me jumpstart a new, more positive way of thinking, but has also allowed me to reflect on certain aspects of my own life that I would not have before reading this.

This book does not have the answer to all of my life questions, nor does it solve all of my problems, but it like I already mentioned, has opened my mind to a more positive, optimistic way of living and thinking. This book is worth WAY more than the price it can be bought for, so, like I did, skip your 5 dollar latte today and spend that money on this book! It’s worth it! – Julie Grosso

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Lastly, if you could share this page to your Facebook and social media that would be incredible!

Twitter @BetterManProj: http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9
Facebook Event Page: http://on.fb.me/18vMcDh
Facebook Fan Page: http://on.fb.me/RC57QW
YouTube Video: http://bit.ly/102d2Lf

Thank you for supporting me! I promise you that it is going to be one awesome wild ride.

- Evan Sanders

I want to introduce you to phase 2 of The Better Man Project. So lets see…it all started February 9, 2011…and today is June 6 2013…800+ days later. I wrote a post earlier today talking about how I have just felt lost lately – and by lately, I mean over the past 3 years since baseball ended for me. While I did find out a lot about myself during phase 1…I have come to a point in my life and in this project where it is time to seriously apply everything towards a large goal. What is that goal? Well actually…let me also introduce you to the book I am working on.

A 365 day project…where I commit myself to a new challenge each and every day. These challenges could be anything, but first, get ready to see my bucket list items completely scratched out. The point of this though is to go after the dreams and goals I have always had on a day by day basis and also attack larger goals throughout the year. I truly believe that writing about an experience while you are in it delivers an awesome look at what actually goes on when people are confronted with victories and defeats and how they respond. For me, there are a few key things that I am going to do every single day that will help me reach a fantastic end result after 365 days of repetition (fitness and life related tasks). In fact, I am trying to simplify my life and remove as many distractions as possible. I often get sidetracked by new shiny toys or the next “big thing” and lose focus. So call this a bit of buckling down.

Another piece of this puzzle is collaboration with others. I love writing and will continue – that is a promise I have made that I will take to my grave – but I also want to be involved with sharing / co-blogging with other people who are passionate. So if that is you, or if you have music, photos, quotes, anything that can motivate and inspire other people, email me at thebettermanprojects@gmail.com or tweet me @BetterManProj. I look forward to hearing from you.

I am also making a huge commitment to YouTube over the next 365 days. In fact, I will be recording a short 5 minute video every single day about something that is on my mind. I will also give you a glimpse into what the challenge was for that day in case you want to join me on this journey.

Love. Passion. Never Quit. These three words have defined the first part of my journey – now its about pouring gas on the fire and taking everything to another level. Lets go.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW

This is what I have found: to let ourselves be seen, deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee — and that’s really hard, … that’s excruciatingly difficult — to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we’re wondering, ‘Can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? Can I be this fierce about this?’ just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, ‘I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive.’” – Brene Brown

And isn’t that the truth? There are no guarantees. It makes it really scary sometimes. Actually, if I am being honest with myself here, it makes it scary a lot of the time – most of the time – hell…almost all of the time. You can put your heart out on the line and nothing may come back. That truly is a frightening realization. In fact, I would venture to say that this realization can be paralyzing for many. It has been paralyzing for me. Because while we read quotes and hear speeches about people who say that all of the strength we ever need is within ourselves, the people around us do play an incredibly important role in our happiness. As the great Into The Wild quote said, “Happiness is shared.”

It makes me very uncomfortable at times to think about how fragile it all actually is. Over the past year I have been shown a whole different world – and the world I have seen did not impress me. I understand what people are saying when they say “The Real World” trust me, I get it. Being in school my whole life brought a completely different set of challenges – who knows if they are worse or they are better – but what I see now is something completely and totally unique.

The world tries its best to drag you down into the river of mediocrity.

As a salmon swimming upstream, you end up losing the rest of the gang and on a part of the journey, you are confronted with things that were once fleeting. Things get very quiet. Weaknesses get exposed. Fears surface. Doubts cause inaction. Authenticity diminishes. Your sparkle dulls. Life begins to life you. And then it comes down to asking yourself, “What the hell am I going to do about this?”

I’m going to be very honest here, the fight in me turned into a charcoal briquette after baseball ended. That was almost three years ago. Life just took a bucket of water and poured it right on my fire. And when I tell you there was a fire inside me for that game, there really was. Nothing has matched up to the feeling of being on the mound competing my ass off. What was even better was I knew “why” I was competing – I was competing because my dream was right around the corner. A dream that I had since I was 5 years old. But then there was no more why and life just because a whole lot of who, what, when, where, how.

Speaking of vulnerability…

It’s really easy to get lost…and I am glad that I just got all of that out there. It’s also really easy to pretend that everything is okay when it’s really not. But I think I will always remember what my history teacher in college taught me over and over again…”accept your condition – that is the only way you can create a new one.” So off I go to create something new.

- Evan Sanders

If you haven’t had the chance, read my book! http://amzn.to/18lRIci

Join me on Twitter http://bit.ly/Z0zCq9 and FB http://on.fb.me/RC57QW