Have you ever seen a greyhound race? It is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. These dogs are so long, slim, and unfreakingamazingly fast that it will blow your mind. I have had the amazing opportunity to actually be up close to one of these amazing dogs and I was incredibly impressed by its physique. What impressed me even more is the greyhound I watched racing looked excited and happy to run its heart out and give it everything it had. Needless to say, I was inspired. And I think that is one of the things I like about myself the most, just looking objectively at my character, that I am able to be inspired by even the littlest things. I think it comes down to appreciation for the littlest acts of courage. Ants man…those creatures kick some serious tail.
This morning in the gym I felt like a greyhound. It was probably the hardest lifting session I have had in years. Right now, everything hurts, but I am in a state of bliss. I feel fantastic, and know that the unbelievable amount of work I did this morning will pay off. With the proper nutrition, I will grow all day and night. How hard can you push yourself every day? For the past couple of weeks, I have been doing double days. It has been more fulfilling than anything I have ever done. To wake yourself up at 6:15 am after the previous night you just destroyed yourself on the stair machine takes something deep inside. My trick? I move my phone/alarm as far away from my bed as possible so when it goes off…I have to crawl out of bed (often my legs are so sore) and try to turn it off. There have been times where I decided to lay on the cold hardwood…but the damage is done. I am out of bed. I am on my way.
Go the extra mile…in everything. I think that throughout the past year, this is one of the best pieces of advice I have ever been given. Napoleon Hill, one of the most successful developers of successful men in the world, says that the quality of going the extra mile will bring you everything you want in life. Here are his rules.
- Render a service that is attractive to others
- Do it with a pleasing mental attitude
- Follow this “going the extra mile” trend for 7 days in a row
- Do not make it known to anyone you are doing this
In the end, you will be so much happier and fulfilled with what you are doing that you will not want to stop doing this. Mentally, I have been going the extra mile for the past couple of weeks in the gym and outside of the gym. I think it is important to celebrate the good times, but it is also equally as important to acknowledge the times where you really screw up. I screwed up bad in front of a group of people the other day, and felt so embarrassed for myself and most importantly for the girl that I embarrassed, that I made sure I did everything I could to correct a good intention gone wrong. Isn’t that what life is about? Don’t give someone the average apology. They have heard it a million times. You make sure that you are offering them your best and greatest shot, and chances are if you are sincere and do it with a big heart, you will be forgiven. This is one of the biggest lessons I learned throughout the past week, and I am so glad it happened.
The mind of a greyhound…well Evan…keep on keeping on.
Thank you everyone for all the support, my continuous transformation would not be the same without your comments and your thoughts. Please shoot me an email whenever you like @ scuironbroncos@gmail.com or comment here if you have any questions or are looking to talk about something that is coming up for you in your life. I love hearing where people are at and what they truly believe in. Seriously, open door.
Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project
This is one of my fav blog posts at the moment.
I love the greyhound analogy. Recently I actually went to a friend`s house and she got 2 greyhounds from RSPCA after their owner dumped them as they were past their prime- a male and female. The female was absolutely terrified of people but the male was quite at ease. They were both BIG dogs (in terms of length really)..they reminded me of a living ARROW..they`re so lean and agile!!
So, anyways, your blog has a very interesting outlook on life and is certainly very helpful to spur one on in life! Well Done!
I am working to become a greyhound. Easy? Not really. Possible? Yes. I take a baby step at a time. So what if I fall. I will get up and do it again. Thanks for the inspiration, Evan.
Neat post – very poetic:) Keep up the good work, Evan!
Good for you Evan,
Maintain the rage, never give in
be good to yourself
David
You have been nominated for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award by Shannon Hadley at Mae East by Shannon Hadley
Visit http://shannonhadley.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/very-inspiring-blogger-award/ for details…
Hi Evan, inspired to write after taking a look at your blog. I’m a recently retired recently widowed grandma from a small village in England. I’m trying to reinvent my life after some bitter blows, and become the person I always thought I could be. I find so much inspiring stuff here – thanks a lot – your journey is one I will follow with great interest, willing you on, and at the same time try to map out and complete my own journey. You are never too old…….but maybe you just need a slightly different bucket list 🙂
As the owner of retired greyhounds, I know the joy they have when they run–it just shows in their faces. I was supposed to be leash walking one of my greys to let her recover–I feel so horrible denying her the joy of running. I will now have a different appreciation for them as I go to my training sessions. Especially now that I have been cleared to run. Even though I have been weight training all this time, I’m amazed at what muscles you stop using when not allowed to run or squat and at how little stamina I have now. Beginning next week I have to start going the “extra mile” to undo what medicines and poor eating habits undid while I wasn’t allowed to run. Keep up the good work.
As always, a great read. Greyhounds eh? Sometimes, well actually a lot of the time, animals surprise and humble us. Thanks Evan 🙂