I am having a great time with my life and I want to share it with you today.
I have been listening to audio books, reading, looking through magazines, working on my side project that is inspiring the hell out of me every day (enough to stay up 1-2 hours past when I usually go to bed) school is amazing, and I am extremely dedicated to working out and eating healthy right now.
I am having the most fun I have ever had at work, and am just soaking it all in. What am I doing that created this?
Well, I have been living by a few things that have really had a significant impact on my mind. My teacher gave me this the other day after an awesome conversation we had.
He said, “Evan, if you want to be as successful as you say you want to be, do these things.” He gave me a sheet with the most important knowledge he had gained over the past 40 years. Here is what the sheet says.
Attitude: positive, enthusiastic, self confident, professional
Aptitude: intelligence, insight, ability to grasp and apply pertinent concepts
Creativity: newer, better, and different ways of achieving objectives
Initiative: self initiated action based on planning and anticipation
Discipline: plan one’s work and one’s plan. Performance of all functions necessary for success
Commitment to Results: optimize all opportunities
This pumps me up every single day I look at my wall when I wake up. It is right there to remind me of what I need to do every day to be successful. But there is one more thing that I have found through all of the stuff I have been reading and listening to. It comes down to this one statement that Will Smith made in an interview. “This is what I believe in, and I’m willing to die for it.” This statement inspired me to make a list of what I believe in, and be willing to have breaking those rules be a non-negotiable thing for me. They are written write there on my wall, and now they will be written here. So here it is.
—This is what I believe in, and I’m willing to die for it—
Integrity
Health
Friendship
Skill
Work Ethic
Love
Inspiration
Patience
I know that the list is going to grow, but right now, these are the things that I haveingrained in my heart. It is what I believe in and I will not compromise these beliefs. I feel that is what makes people great. The ability to stick to these foundations no matter what. You can find creative ways to do things and answer problems if you really want to. You do not have to trash your morals and values. Never. You would never cut your arm off to solve a problem would you? No of course not, so make your principles an appendage, and you will stay strong.
Everyone has talent. Talent is what you are born with and it only carries you so far. But skill is the taking of knowledge and applying it to life. Skills are what you develop through sickening work ethic…at least the most developed skills are that way. So make a stand for what you believe in. Decide what you want in life and be that. There is no complicated formula. It is about one thing, freedom of choice. Make the choice to be and to do whatever it is you want. I have made my choice.
Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project