The world needs better men. This blog is simply my journey to becoming a better man every day and the lessons I learn along the way.

Day (443) – Besting your Best

Posted on May 10, 2013

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The time has come. What time is it? The moment when you finally realize that your best – what has been carrying you the whole way thus far – is now not your best. It has become the norm. It becomes boring, monotonous, and stale. It is time to best your best.

I have been pondering, planning, writing and preparing…and now, as all systems have been checked (to avoid fatal structural damage of course) there is only one thing left to do. Permission to launch.

Elevate yourself. Take whatever you had before and make it better. Improve upon it. Critique it. Make it stronger, faster, better. Make this life, the one you have right now, the best moments you have ever had. But you have the have the courage to accept where you are right at this moment and be ready to take the next step.

“Tough times don’t last – tough people do.” No matter what, you can get through it. Iron mind, heart, and soul – all wrapped in silk. Find a balance. Balance will help you create a world where happiness flourishes.

- Evan Sanders

Day (442) – The Loser Wins

Posted on May 7, 2013

The day you realize that you are really the only one who can determine and create your personal value is a very important day. Too often I have allowed myself to crumble because of the lack of character of others. This is a monumental realization for me for a few reasons. The first is that I have come to realize that “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” William Shakespeare was a pretty smart man I would venture to say. I believe fully that instead of living a life where you have incredibly high expectations for those around you (sometimes unachievable ones) and living a life where you are constantly disappointed – you should go a different route.

What does that route look like? Demand a lot from yourself, and simply ask for honesty and respect from others. I know that even those two expectations for some may be hard to meet, but that is where I draw my personal boundary line. Then, I go on with my days happily surprised by people instead of disappointed.

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The standards you set for yourself as a human being are some of the most important choices out there. I truly believe that whatever you project out into the world will eventually come back to you. Positive karma & the law of attraction. It’s a never-ending journey though…the question of “Can I give more?” And I agree – the answer is almost always yes.

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The choices, words, and beliefs of others are out of your control. All you can ask from yourself is to act with grace and like a lady/gentleman. It is tough sometimes when you don’t get treated well by other people. I can tell you from personal experience that I have often made it about me instead of just letting the seemingly personal attack be about what is going on in their world – not mine. It’s a lesson that I am learning over and over again. And every time I learn it, it brings me back to Don Ruiz and his book The 4 Agreements. Don’t Take Anything Personally.

You deserve the best. But you have to go out and create that. The world as you envision it can be made, but yes – you have to first see it. You have to see how you fit into that world – what you do, say, look like, act like – the works. It is when you create this image in your mind that you can truly take it to the next level. Put it on paper and practice every single day. Be that person. Sooner or later, you will become everything you’ve ever wished for.

- Evan Sanders

Day (441) – In the Depths

Posted on May 4, 2013
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How do we turn what is deep within us into something that is visible to the world? Like an iceberg, can we elevate ourselves beyond the current horizon and bring forth the honest and substantial principles that lay deep within us? How do we turn the invisible into something substantial?

We must devote ourselves to an ideal.

A man becomes more than the physical form he is attached to when he makes a decision to become something greater than which he currently is. But what do you devote your life to? What makes you itch? What is it that would make you push through all the pain of growth? What would fulfill you?

I have come across this question many times throughout my life so far – and yet the real answer has eluded me for quite some time. What ends up happening is that the answer you originally had often of times is only on the surface. It came from what you could see in front of you. But as we can see above, it is in the depths of our hearts that we find our  drive.

To inspire people to live their lives with relentless drive, bold risk taking, courageous vulnerability and inspiring action.

The vision is key. Without it – you represent an uncontrolled lightning storm.

- Evan Sanders

Day (440) – The Sea of Life

Posted on May 2, 2013
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At times you can feel lost. But those time fade and then you are found. You find the answers you have been seeking. You hear the voice inside start speaking up again. And you look yourself in the mirror with a sense of clueless pride – not because you are clueless in your entirety, but because you are excited with where you have arrived – and happily baffled by where you will go next.

Vision helps you start the journey, but a great deal of the time we do not end up where we thought we were going to. That’s the point. There is always something great to be found on our journey towards achieving our dreams. A great deal of the time we get lost. I mean really lost – to the point where you almost lose your vision. But it’s okay to get stuck in the woods for a while. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

When you get lost, you have to go back to the basics. What got me here? What can I do that has made me successful in the past? What attitude  did I have when I accomplished that goal? Most of the time you have the answers, it just takes some patience to find them. Root around for a while – they will come.

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I look back on the years that have come and gone and see great victory through fantastic defeat. There was a time that this was all I knew. Great struggle. But what has thrown me off  lately is that all of the work that I have invested into myself has prevented many of those great defeats from happening. Because they are not there and that is mostly what I always knew, life seemed pretty dull at times. But I think for me, the ability to slow down completely and appreciate the silence is huge. To be perfectly happy in the calm. Sounds a bit funny at times, but it is entirely true. The peaceful waters are a gift to the sailor who has been toiling on the high seas of life.

The rough waters will come again – that’s just life. But for the meantime, I will let my boat drift along and enjoy the quiet.

- Evan Sanders

Join My Dream

Day (439) – If It Was Your Dream

Posted on May 1, 2013

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I always knew she loved the beach, but as I walked up the long staircase to the main floor of her apartment, I was taken aback…we were 45 minutes away from the ocean, but somehow she had found a way to bring it to her. I was now walking in an aquarium. Pictures, posters, trinkets, stuffed animals – if she could house a group of penguins she would – but she had to settle for the octopus salt and pepper shakers. Turn on “Sounds of Nature” and close your eyes…you could be in the wild smack in the middle of Los Angeles.

And when you sit down and talk to the creator of this Sea World-esque masterpiece, you quickly realize that she’s a little bit different from many of us – she has salt water running through her veins. Every once in a while, you will be going throughout your day and she will tell you a random animal fact – and you start laughing – not because it came out of the blue, but because you wonder where all this information is stored in her head. And if you inquire for more …it’s as endless as the depths of the ocean.

This post isn’t about our blooming friendship or how great Chanel is (she’s great) – it’s about someone who has the opportunity to achieve a dream. She belongs near the ocean or deep in the forest surrounded by nature. It doesn’t make sense to have her in the concrete jungles that many of us live in every day. The expert who is on National Geographic explaining the beauty of nature and her project to save a species or to help build back an entire ecosystem – that’s Chanel. That has to be Chanel. She may not be there yet, but she will. No one else could do it with as much passion or heart as she could.

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Out of 600,000 applicants, she has made it to the Top 25 for a Wildlife Caretaker job in Australia. There are 6 jobs available. While there are thousands of people already engaged in helping her find ways to contact celebrities, wildlife experts, the media, online communities etc –  more help is still needed.  There is no one else in this world who has otters, turtles, kangaroos and koalas wrapped in the helix of their DNA. I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of this job – so do me a favor Better Man Project community. Take 2 minutes out of your day to help someone achieve a lifelong dream. Follow the directions below – you aren’t just helping a young woman get her dream job, you will be helping this world we live in.

1. Like / Share / Comment on her FACEBOOK PAGE

2. If you have any connections with Media, Celebrities, people who work in the Wildlife Profession – please email her at CAHason@gmail.com

3. ReTweet her or Tweet @Australia and @TourismAus to pick her for Wildlife Caretaker – @PSChanel and hashtag #BestJobs and #ChanelWC

Day (438) – Like This and Like That

Posted on April 28, 2013
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Last night while I was laying in bed getting ready to go to sleep, I felt this almost physical pressure that I don’t think I will ever forget. I looked up a the ceiling and felt it in my arms and then in my face. Everything felt like it was a thousand pounds. For a few minutes, it felt like everything was pushing me down into my bed…like a big machine press. And then, the feeling that I will never forget. It was as if something was pulling me up out of it, like dragging a piece of paper out of the stack with your fingertips. Seconds later…it was gone.

I’m not exactly sure what is going on with me right now, but I guess that is half the surprise. I couldn’t explain it to you…it couldn’t really describe it…it just is. Maybe it will pass, maybe it will stay for a while.

But I will never forget that feeling.

- Evan Sanders

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