There’s a reason why it is the first part of my motto. Love – Passion – Never Quit. Recently I have added one of the most important words there s out there: Integrity. But that is for another post. Today I want to talk about love. It’s amazing what adding some love in your life can do. I used to think that love was just for the people you were in a relationship with…and my family. But what has truly made my life blossom was coming to the realization that you can love everyone. Not in a fruity unrealistic way mind you, but down to your core. Down to the fundamental characteristics that morph and shape you throughout time.

Life is incredibly complicated and very simple all at the same time. It is full of black and white situations, and it also exists full of vibrant color. Life is a perfect mix of beautiful  contradictions and balance. The minute that you think you have it figured you are wrong. It’s full of ups and downs and when you are on top you are bound to get grounded. That’s the coolest part. If you can get out of your own way you can open yourself up to the learning that is about to be imparted upon you. I found out that holding hate, pain, hurt, and regret in your heart makes you very very cold. You begin to see the worst in people and things that you focus on begin to happen over and over again. You begin to shut yourself off from the very thing that is going to save you because you think that vulnerability is going to destroy you instead of lift you up. The only hands you trust are your own and putting yourself in the hands of another is a doubtful proposition at best. Dark attracts dark. And boy do things become very dark.

You can live like this.

You can live like this, but your life is going to lack some pretty important things. I am never going to be the person that tells you there aren’t consequences to living a positive, trusting, respectful, heartfelt life. You are going to get hated on, have your trust broken to pieces, be disrespected in the finest of ways and have some darkness try to sneak back in time and time again to dim things down. Some awesome insults are going to be thrown your way…ones that are so good you will probably never forget them.

But hey…if you are going to stand in the kitchen you better be willing to take the heat.

Because it’s all worth it. It’s worth all of the crap you are going to be put through because in the end you will be happy as a  clam. You will be shamelessly dancing in the shower, singing at the top of your lungs even though your voice could kill a flock of birds, developing crows feet on your face because your smile is so wide and continuing to show up every single day to play in the game of life. You will be on the field trying to make things happen, failing your ass off, and diving right back in for more.

It’s easy to protect yourself. It’s easy to not get into something because of the possibility that it won’t work out. It’s easy to cage that heart up because of getting burned in the past. And like I said before, you can live like that. I’m not here to tell you that the way you are doing things is wrong. There are a million ways to live. I am here to tell you what has worked for me. To show another way. To show that there are different perspectives out there – and this one is just one of many. This one has brought me a massive amount of happiness and I am sure that my perspective will change over time – like it has many many times.

Baby, love never felt so good.

Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project