Becoming A Force Of Nature Podcast

You’re probably aware by now that life is not going to make it easy. Whatever you want to do is going to take tremendous effort, perseverance and constant discernment. Nothing is going to be handed to you on a silver platter. And if it was, it probably wouldn’t be worthwhile anyway. Humans are a resourceful species. Over time we’ve adapted and created some incredible things; all of us together in cooperation and competition. Western society is probably the best example. At last, after millennia of tyranny, there is representative government, freedom, prosperity and opportunity for all. But with all this newfound opportunity, you’ve now got to compete against everyone else who wants the same thing. Competition for resources and success is open to everyone. In a sense it’s you against the world. That’s a lot of competition to say the least, so the barriers to entry have naturally evolved to make things that are worthwhile more difficult to attain. This is just the way it is. It’s simply the natural order. As soon as you realize this, however, you are immediately at an advantage. You are now consciously aware that life is a competition and that to excel, you’re going to have to vastly exceed the norm. You’re going to have to be willing to do what most other people won’t do. You are going to have to find a way to Break Through. Start with Gratitude. If the toughest thing you must do in your life is chase your dreams, you’ve got it pretty damn good. From this point of view, you’re one of the luckiest humans ever to walk the planet; consider everything else from here to be gravy. Being grateful as such will give you some healthy perspective. Generally speaking, you don’t need to worry about survival, and you get the opportunity to pursue any opportunity you desire. The whole world is at your feet. You get to pick what you’d like to do. And then chase after it. Historically, this is an embarrassment of riches. So, you’re grateful and you’re going to work your ass off. Good. Make sure to enjoy yourself while you’re doing it. Most things out there that are worthwhile are going to take some time to achieve; perhaps even years. It will do your quality of life and endurance a lot of good to enjoy yourself along the way. As I always say, life is 95% Journey and 5% Destination. You’re guaranteed the 95%, so you might as well CHOOSE to enjoy it. Living in the moment and taking satisfaction in the process will also work miracles for your long-term endurance and resilience. Your state of mind is the key to everything you do, so give yourself every advantage. Enjoy yourself along the way And while you’re in the thick of it, consider it all an exercise in character. Conduct yourself with excellence and produce quality output. Doing this will add tremendous intrinsic value to what you are doing, and this as well will sustain you over the long term. Plus, developing your character is the purest investment in yourself that you can make. It will pay dividends along the way and set you up for a high value and high quality of life in the long term. Knowing who you are, living Authentically and having the ultimate confidence in your character will also provide you with a measure of Outcome Independence. You’ll know that even if things completely fall apart, you’ll be fine because your character will always allow you to rebound. You’re not tied to any one outcome; you’re tied to you. And that’s what’s most important. But back to cold reality. The chances are good you’re going to hit the wall. Circumstances, other people or your goal itself is going to conspire to STOP you. YOU might even conspire to stop you. After the excitement fades and the dog days of a long hard slog roll in, it might become very easy to start looking for a convenient excuse to find a way out. This is when it becomes gut check time. When perseverance and sheer willpower need to come into play.

There’s a natural law out there operating in the universe… Either you discipline yourself or sooner or later something or someone else will. Better for you to take charge of your own discipline, than to leave it up to outside forces. Either you assign your own discomfort right now and continue to do so, or you will have to deal with the unknown consequences later; it’s better to deliberately choose your own path and your own consequences. Think of it this way—hard now, easier later vs. easy now, harder later. Plus, there’s no denying another law out there ruling over the natural order… Nothing truly worthwhile is ever going to be easy. If you want to accomplish anything at all in this life and make anything at all out of yourself, it’s going to take some discipline. There is just no way around it. Let us discuss the three pillars necessary to live a life of discipline. Self-Denial The first step—learn to deny yourself. It’s one thing to know what to do. But it’s certainly another, NOT to do something; especially when that something revolves around pleasure or bad habits. Want to lose some weight? Simple. Stop eating all the time. Deny yourself. Want to save some money? Simple. Stop spending it all. Deny yourself. Want to quit acting like as ass? Simple. Stop drinking. Deny yourself. These are 3 perfect examples of behavior that will slow you down. Behavior that will sabotage all your good intentions and positive actions. One step forward and one or two steps backward is no strategy for success. If you’re stuck in neutral or find yourself headed in the wrong direction you had better consider the concept of self-denial in these areas and more. Consider it a new way of life. Introduce the idea to your mind that from now on you’re going to deny yourself. And begin to take pride in this new reality. Be willing to do what most won’t and consider it an indicator that you’re on the way to distinguishing yourself. Most people today are soft, and they will not deny themselves. But you will learn to do so. Because you are not most people anymore. Or are you? Think about it. What kind of person always must have what they want? This is childish and weak behavior. And you should realize this. Get angry at yourself for succumbing to it. Get angry for being weak. This is righteous anger. It is justified anger. Use it. The only way you’re going to harden your character and toughen up is to start by denying yourself. Quit partaking in those things which are making you weaker and taking you off track. So, here is the Panzer QuickStart method to self-denial… Just because you worked hard all week doesn’t mean you should be nursing a beer and stuffing your face all weekend while watching Netflix or athletes compete for glory. If anything, your leisure time should be put to use forging and tempering your principles, interests and character. So perhaps this is a good place to start—the weekends, when you’re most likely to let down, yet are away from the daily pressures of work. Deny yourself in food, money, alcohol and television. Then find something better to do. And then as you develop some momentum on your weekends it just won’t feel right to backslide during the week. Next thing you know, suddenly you’re as hard as cold steel when it comes to self-denial. So, clear a path for glory then. And deny yourself. Turn your dreams into reality Right Action You’ve leveled up and you’ve cleared a path. Good. Now is the time to start moving forward. It’s time to start taking action. Most of the time, it’s not that complicated to know what needs to be done. The primary issue is consistency... To get in shape you need to train relentlessly, even after a tiring day at work. To become a better writer, you need to be writing all the time; not just when you feel inspired. To get to that next belt level in your martial art,

So you’re hurting. Hurting badly. And it’s tearing you to pieces. It could be your own fault. It could be someone else’s fault. Or just some fucked up circumstances. But the pain is searing. It is burning your Soul. Poisoning your Essence. Stealing your life. It’s incredibly difficult to function. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for anything anymore. No hope, no happiness, no joy. Just sorrow and pain. I’ve been there. In that dark, grainy and heavy place. Sinking into the ground. And in some respects I’m still there. But what you have to realize is, there’s a choice. If you still feel something, there’s a choice. And that choice is within you. It’s been there your whole life. For this very moment. Placed there on purpose. In Divine foresight. You can allow the pain, the sorrow, the regret, or the betrayal to consume you. Or you can take all of those and turn them. Turn the Pain. Turn it back, on itself. This is the choice. You will use it as fuel. Use it to focus. Use it to drive you. Turn the Pain in to anger. But then surpass the anger. To become better than the anger. Better than the pain. This is your answer. This is your payback. This is your revenge. This is your reason for being. You will rise up from the all consuming fire. Like a Phoenix. And soar. To a Higher Realm. Mightily. With power, certainty and your own fire. You will use it, this pain. Without guilt. Without remorse. Use it to become More. To become Different. To Evolve. It’s the only answer. So you will push back. And there will be a price to pay. By, and from you. For what has happened. You will use your Soul. Razor sharp, as a shining, glistening edge. To cut through the life in front of you. With Determination. With Precision. With Joy. On anything or anyone that lies in your path. Because you will not quit. You will never stop. Total immersion. Every Intention. Every breath. Is now one. Is you. Putting your life on the line. In total unyielding pursuit. In total retribution. To create something good. From something bad. When that’s all you can do. It becomes the only answer. The only thing. To make things right. As right as they can be. In Defiance. In Righteous Defiance. Turn the Pain.   All the Best, Max Panzer

Failure, disappointment, betrayal and defeat; they can all sting like a son of a bitch. Sometimes they can be heart crushing and leave you all but broken. And then just when you think it can’t possibly get any worse, it does. But, because you’re reading this right here and now, we both know you’ve still got a chance. Many, many have suffered much worse, survived and eventually triumphed. And so will you. So this is the first thought you’ve got to get straight in your head—you’re not the first and you won’t be the last. Welcome to the real world, where bad things happen to good people and where difficulty reigns supreme. And if you did it to yourself, the same still applies. Fault is only relevant for reflection, especially if the damage or failure was self-inflicted. Take note and don’t make or allow the same mistake again. Make a vow to become better, smarter and more disciplined. What really counts when things fall apart, is that you take responsibility for putting them back together again. For example, if it’s someone else’s fault that your leg is broken, it’s still your responsibility to heal up and get back to full strength. No one else can do this for you. And it’s the same with the rest of your life. Fault is irrelevant at some point. What matters is the responsibility for making things right; and that responsibility is yours. Take all the help you can get. But never release yourself from full responsibility. It’s your life and it’s up to you to fix it. Period. No matter what happens. Or no matter how often it happens. There’s only one answer. Rise Again. Don’t Expect to be Perfect As the saying goes, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. By all means strive for perfection. Just don’t expect to be perfect. There are some absolute no’s in this world—decisions or actions that must never occur in your life. We need not discuss these here. You know what they are. And you will not use this line of reasoning as an excuse to cross the inviolable red line. But when it comes to performance, execution or discipline, do not expect to be perfect. Even the master, even the world champion will rarely attain perfection. Once in a while, a near perfect performance can be said to be had, but there are many, many more which are replete with failure and disappointment. The difference between the master and the journeyman is simply about level and peak performance. Consider yourself as a journeyman in your own life; a journeyman working his way toward mastery. Seek perfection. Seek excellence. Seek your best. But when you don’t quite make the mark, Rise Again, dust yourself off and get right back at it. And if some of these failures are about bad habits, the same reasoning applies. Shoot for perfection, but don’t expect to be perfect. Improve over time. Tell yourself, this time I will not falter. And if you do falter, tell yourself the same thing again; no matter the interval involved; long or short. Keep at it. Until one day when you finally do get it right. And you’ll thank yourself for forgiving yourself for not being perfect; for not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good; until good did become perfect. Rise Again. Over and over again if need be. Sometimes it’s the only answer. And besides, the only thing worse than a failure, is a quitter. So don’t expect to be perfect, just get right back up and try to be. Hold the line Minimize the Damage If you do mess up and ruin some sort of personal winning streak, do not use the breakdown as an excuse to flush it all down the toilet. Even if it’s the umpteenth time. As discussed above, you and I both know we’re not perfect. And there’s no need to punish yourself, or worse, feel sorry for yourself. And the same goes for any other circumstance that conspires to knock you off track. The worse thing you can do is to give up. Do what you have to do to stop the bleeding.

There’s a place for you in this universe where you will execute from your optimal state. Everything around you could be in total chaos or everything might be just fine. It doesn’t really matter. You will be performing at your peak and handling whatever comes at you with the best of your ability. There’s no claim to perfection here. But there is a claim to your best. It may or may not be good enough, but you’ll know you’ve done all that you can. And you’ll know as well you’ve got the energy to keep on pressing ahead. You will be in balance. You will have found your Center. External events will be handled with Willing Acceptance. There will be no wasted time or wasted energy regarding the reality which exists around you. What is, will be what is; nothing less and nothing more. Internally you will process information and circumstances with Objective Perception. Emotions will remain in check and detachment will rule the day. And you will have clarity like never before. Your consciousness and focus will be immersed in the Present Moment. The lessons from the past will have been catalogued and the future will be dealt with in good time. And discernment will cut clean and true in the Now. All kinds of positive energy will be flowing through you. Events and others will be directly affected. And you will wield and project this energy through Right Action; as you would with a powerful flash light in the dark of night. And finally, a cool, even, burning Ambition will drive you forward. You’ll know exactly what you want from life and each new day will become a fresh new challenge. Yes indeed, not a bad place to be. And it will only get better. Find your Center. Know Your Mission You cannot just be drifting and aimlessly wandering around. You will need a Sacred Purpose; or as I like to call it, a Life Mission to anchor all that you do. Your Mission is your reason for being. It is something that will envelop your whole life. You will immerse yourself completely. Your Mission and you will become one and the same. It will be the stated and internalized Principles that will guide everything you do. Without a Life Mission, without a Sacred Purpose, you will not find your Center. You will not achieve your optimal state. And you will not be in balance. Knowing who you are, who you want to become and what you want to achieve are absolutely necessary for you to find your way in this world. Without these things you’re just an aimless soul who will be bounced around by circumstances and you will never fully reach your potential. By definition then, the stronger and clearer your Mission, the more likely you will be to find the sweet spot; the Center where you’re meant to be. So dig deep into your Core then. Dig deep into your Soul. Find what it is that will create the ultimate Meaning. Make it a set of principles that will make you proud as you lie on your death bed one day. Make it a Mission you would be proud to discuss with your Father, Mother and Children. And once you find this Mission and the weight and seriousness of it becomes palpable, you will have your start. Make it the most important thing in your life. And let it drive and support everything else that is important to you as well. This is the true beginning. Where you will ride the momentum of your life in balance and in control. Where you will have the opportunity to manifest your divinely inspired personal greatness. Find your Mission. Find your Purpose. Find your Center. Remain in parallel Mind, Body and Spirit All three aspects of your Being must be inline with your Mission if you are to find your Center. Work on your state of mind, work on your physical health and work on your Soul. And make sure all three are in consistent parallel to each other and trending in the right direction. There will be no Balance to be found if your complete Being is not in alignment.

Between star athletes, celebrities, business tycoons, the ultra rich and even very successful acquaintances, it might be tempting to feel less than spectacular about who you are. But don’t kid yourself, these are people who put their pants on one leg at a time no different than you. They just happen to be at the peak of a very large pyramid in a particular specialty. Maybe they are really that good or maybe they just got lucky: whatever, it really doesn’t matter. Good for them. And remember, generally all you get to see is the gloss on the outside. Although there’s no doubt many of these people are highly skilled and very gifted, they experience many of the same issues in life the rest of us do; sometimes more acutely because of their position and the related pressures. We’ve seen and heard about all the sordid details many times. Extrinsic success does not necessarily lead to happiness and peace of mind. We are all aware of this at some level, but perhaps need to be explicitly reminded once in a while. There are more important things in life. My advice to you is to enjoy these people if they are entertainers and perhaps learn from them if their skill sets are appropriate, but to otherwise forget about them. And to focus simply on you. You are who matters in your life. And if you want more from that life it’s going to take a laser like focus on the main protagonist—which is of course, you. Forget about everyone else. Develop who you are. Define your principles. Improve your skills. Harden your mindset. Become smarter. Manage your money. Craft your lifestyle. Become the Best Version of You. Develop a Force of Character. Become a special human being. Inspire others. And learn to enjoy yourself along the way. Make this your Life’s Goal and everyone will benefit—you, your loved ones and society as well. Yes, Become the Best Version of You. This is a good idea. Be Authentic The first rule of Authenticity is to stop pretending to be something or someone you’re not. Running around putting on a façade is a waste of time and a waste of the gifts you’ve been given. Your true nature, your true genius is never going to be revealed trying to be something you’re not. Living a lie is no way to live. Pretending is for children. Living to please other people or acting to fulfill someone else’s image of you is a false existence. But we see this every day don’t we? People living fake, superficial lives. People putting on an eminent front. We know it when we see it. And it always seems so pathetic to see someone working so hard at being something they are not; at being insincere, at being fake. Being insincere will never lead to reliable success, fulfillment or admiration. No one appreciates this in another person. And yet so many out there make it their primary manner when they walk out the door in the morning. All because of a lack of courage—and a lack of personal faith. So have a look in the mirror then. Reflect on your own life and your own actions. In no way will you manifest your tremendous Divine Potential without being Authentic. Deep in your heart you know this. You’re cheating your true nature. Stop trying to fool yourself by fooling others. It’s not going to work and you will never truly be happy. Acquire the courage to be yourself. Have the courage to be Authentic. Give yourself some credit for who you truly are. Have some faith in the gifts you’ve been given. Start from scratch if you have to and work your way up. There is nothing as impressive as someone who bleeds Authenticity; as someone who is eminently comfortable in their own skin. Most will admire and respect true Authenticity in another, even if they don’t really like them. And better to be respected and admired than liked. But the hard truth is that if you’re not Authentic the chances are you won’t be much respected or liked. But then this is not really our concern here; to be admired or liked by othe...

So you’re moving along in life. Things are better for you now. You’ve been working hard, you’ve made some decent progress and you’ve had some success. Good. Your trajectory is headed upward and the sky’s the limit. Every month and every year you raise the bar. Your maxim is that you can do more, you can get smarter and you can become more efficient. The future looks great and your life is very exciting. Excellent. But be prepared. For forewarned is forearmed. Life will eventually get in the way. We are on this earth to face challenges and face them you will. And even if you’ve already had your share of difficulties, get ready for some more. Just smile and be ready. What’s going to come is going to come. Don’t ever expect a smooth ride. Ever. Best case scenario is that you’re able to maintain your momentum regardless. But sometimes, urgent and important matters will need to take priority and you’ll get knocked off track. And once in a while difficulties will begin to stack up and you’ll begin to consider them as justification for giving up some of your gains. Or you’ll lose your morale completely and simply quit on your goals. There’s a tendency when all hell breaks loose, to just let everything else go. Perhaps not such a bad thing once in your life. After all, every man has his breaking point. But with life being what it is, this type of reaction or mindset can quickly turn into a bad habit. Let me suggest a Principle to you in advance of such a day. Hold Your Ground. Hold the Line What if you fought like hell to at least maintain your gains? What if you raised the bar and doubled down, just to Hold Your Ground? You’ve busted your ass to get to where you are. And if you’re smart you’ll do the same to hold on for dear life. After all, it’s much easier to tear something down than it is to build something up. Never taking a step back, but only forward when the storms clear will make for a great man’s destiny. In my opinion this is one of the keys to Personal Greatness; refusing to give up gains. Life is easy in fair weather. Good feelings beget more good feelings and momentum continues to grow. This momentum can become a healthy addiction. If feels great to keep making progress. But then what happens when the momentum is ground to a halt and the good feelings disappear? Sometimes success can create softness. A man can forget how to fight for what he wants. He can lose his edge. The difference, I believe, between the men who reach their goals and those who do not is how they react when the fair weather passes and the storms roll in. When the momentum stops and life gets ugly and difficult, most will bail on their Mission; and just try to survive. Some men, however, will dig in and fight like hell to hold on to what they’ve achieved. They’ll get mean. They’ll get mad. They’ll get nasty. Whatever it takes. Because they realize this is what life does. This is the kick in the mouth meant to dissuade you from your path. Perspective is the key. Most difficulties will pass. And certainly some will not. But time heals all wounds. But time can also never be recovered. And the goal in life should be to live your Mission and achieve your worthy endeavors regardless of what life throws at you. This is what men do. When things get difficult. And when things get ugly. They hold the line. You will endure and you will recover Minimize the Damage Sometimes there will be breakdowns in life. Mistakes can be made, circumstances can legitimately overwhelm and every man does have his breaking point. Shit happens as they say, even to the best of intentions and the best of men. Loses will occur. Failure will occur. The unexpected will occur. And there is a natural tendency when things in life crater, to just throw it all away. “It just wasn’t meant to be” is a common refrain. Bullshit. If your Purpose is worthy, it is meant to be.

How’s this for a simple life philosophy: Always do what you know to be right. You do know what’s right. Deep down in your Core, you do know. Simplify your life and brush everything else aside. Cut out all the bullshit. And leave only what is right and good. Be a good person. Embody Virtue. Ninety-nine percent of the time, there’s no question what the proper path or thing to do is. And don’t bother to feign ignorance. This is you reading to yourself here. You can start by being honest. And for those occasions where the right move is not immediately obvious, you can use your intellect and discernment simply to do what you believe is best; take action, evaluate the results and repeat the process until the right answer does become clear. So make the decision to distinguish yourself in this degenerate world and have the courage to take the right path. Just do it for its own sake. There’s no need to seek fanfare or praise for doing so. Do it for yourself, for your family and for the Heavens. These are the right reasons for doing the right things. Of course, there’s no guarantee that doing what’s right will lead to an easy life without concern or difficulty. But then we are not children here. We know this. As men, we’re aware we exist in a broken world where life is as much about suffering as it is about happiness. But let me suggest to you that doing the right thing as a matter of principle will be a powerful way live. It will simplify your life, provide you with the benefits of a clear conscience and add tremendous meaning to all that you do. You will have Force of Purpose. It seems to me like this might be a pretty good way to go. Do the right thing. The Hard Right doesn’t only mean ethical or moral, it can also mean hard; as in hard path or easy path; hard way or easy way. Doing the right thing can also mean doing the hard thing. For whatever reason, the natural order has been shaped so that much of what’s worthwhile in this life is hard to achieve. Too bad I know, but it is what it is. It’s going to take some serious effort to do well; lots of effort. There will be hard work, difficult circumstances, difficult people, disappointments, competitors, mistakes; you name it. Hard is hard for a reason. One of the main reasons people don’t succeed to the level they would like to, to the level of their potential, is they’re simply not willing to ignore the effort it takes to get there. Most of the time it’s no more complicated than that. Hard work kills dreams. Period. Most people know what their abilities are. And they know what they’re capable of, but they come up short in the long run because they won’t gut it out. Things just get too hard and they will look for and find an excuse to quit. Or when it begins to dawn on them it will take 2 to 3 times as long as they expected, they will not simply ignore the time it’s going to take. And once again, a convenient excuse will manifest itself for a way out. The problem in both cases, effort and time, is that the difficulty becomes the focus instead of the goal. Don’t let this happen to you. There’s just no way around it. At some point you’re going to have to get sick of failure or tired of being average. At some point you’re going to have to do the right thing by yourself and ignore the time and ignore the effort it takes to get to where you want to be. Ignore the difficulty. Get angry if you have to. Or just sellout to your God given potential. Whatever it takes. Go hardcore. Take the hard path. And do what you know to be right. Do the hard work. Get angry if you have to The Important Distractions are killers, killers of dreams; especially today. It’s never been easier to spend all of your day immersed in distraction. These electronic devices we all carry around are designed to steal your attention. The most sophisticated of thinking and programming has gone into doing this.

Find your One Thing. Achieve Personal Greatness. Live life in the High Country. All the best, Max Panzer

Time is passing. You can sense this. And you’re still worrying about this and that; every-single-day. “But these are serious concerns. You don’t understand. There’s a lot on the line here.” Of course there is. This is the nature of life. And it seems to get all the more serious as the years pass. Have you noticed this trend? And do you think for one second that it’s unique to you? Or that it’s going to stop? And certainly you know there are many who have had it much, much worse; if only because of their birthplace and time in history. If you’re not careful, you could spend your whole life worried and anxious about problems and possibilities. This is no way to live. After all, there will always be something—real or imagined. Life will never be perfect. We are not denying there are serious immediate matters now and then which will be cause for concern. But should you be spending every day insecure and worried, or afraid? Perhaps it’s just that you’ve developed yourself a bit of a bad habit. Yes, perhaps most of your anxiety and worry could simply be a bad habit. Maybe you’ve simply conditioned yourself to be a worrier or just to be too damned serious all the time. Difficulties and struggles in life can do that to a man. It’s very easy to over adapt under duress. And maybe you’ve had enough of it by this point in your life. Perhaps it’s time to just Let Go and Enjoy. Perhaps it’s time to exhale. Let Go. And Enjoy. You Do Have This Choice You do realize, that you do have this choice; to just Let Go and Enjoy your life. There is no one stopping you. You could just decide one day, “That’s it, I’m going to quit walking around with the weight of the world on my shoulders. And I’m going to enjoy my life from now on.” You do have free will and you can control your Perspective. Even serious difficulties can be handled with composure, confidence and ease if you really decide to do so. You could simply make a hardcore decision one day to employ Willing Acceptance to all things external and then take Right Action to the best of your ability. There’s nothing more that anyone could ask of a man. There’s nothing more that you could ask of yourself. And you could also decide to stop worrying about things that might happen in the future. Certainly it’s good to plan and prepare, but at some point you have to decide that fate is fate. If you prepare and it’s not good enough then too bad. You’ll handle that possibility when it occurs. After all, you’re still alive and you’ve made it this far. Let that spark some confidence. You’ve found a way to overcome before, so you’ll simply do so again if need be. Worse case scenario, you fail miserably and have to start over from scratch. You wouldn’t be the first to do so and you won’t be the last. So be it if that’s the case. So let these ideas enter your mind then; that your constant worry is just a conditioned habit and that you can choose to be happy and at ease. And that you can break this cycle and Let Go and Enjoy. You don't need anyone's permission Give Yourself Permission And as ridiculous as it might sound, you don’t need anyone’s permission to be happy. Give yourself permission. Right here and now, I give you permission to give yourself permission. You don’t need your parents’ permission. You don’t need your wife’s permission. You don’t need your big brother’s permission. And you don’t need your Pastor’s permission. It’s your decision and yours alone. And I would also venture to say that none but the Creator Himself wants you to be happy and to relax and enjoy your life. Even if you’ve made mistakes. Even if you’ve done bad things. And even if you’ve hurt people. As broken as this world is, there is still so much goodness and beauty, it only stands to reason that it’s there to be enjoyed. That makes sense doesn’t it? You wouldn’t be able to see it and long for it if it wasn’t supposed to be.

Credit goes to James Northeimer—@JamesNortheimer, the Beta_Killer, on Twitter—for the title of this essay. Ok, so your life is bad right now. You’ve hit rock bottom. Good. Reality has sunk in. You’ve got a place to remember for comparison. A place you never want to return to. But how in the hell do you get your ass out of there? First step: get yourself a mentor. Reach out and ask for some help. I bet there’s someone out there who’s just been waiting for the opportunity. Someone who’s been working his ass off to put himself in the strongest possible position; simply because there was nothing else he could do; and simply to be ready when and if the call came. Have the courage to reach out. Your future self will thank you. It could be the smartest thing you ever do. Take the help and do your part. Listen, be humble and do the work. Second step: stop doing things that make you weak. You know what these are. No more inebriation and no more Shallow Distractions. Quit television, ignore the poison of politics, let go of people who are a bad influence and no more junk food. Get comfortable being alone and without distraction. Quit hiding from yourself. Have the courage to be alone for a while. Face yourself. Stop running away. Good and bad, face yourself. You’re not the first man to be where you are and you won’t be the last. There’s nothing unique about your difficulties. Accept your situation. Accept who you are right now. And let’s roll from there; but without all of the things that make you weak. Clear a damn path. Start simply and build a foundation for success Third step: Progressive Resistance as a Way of Life. Here is where we will begin to roll forward. We will start simply and build a foundation for success. And then slowly dial it in, slowly add some progressive resistance. Just as with weight lifting to add muscle mass and power you will start with some basics and pay attention to form. There will no heavy lifting to start. But you will begin to take action. Day in and day out you will take simple action. You will handle what needs to be handled and take care of what needs to be taken care of. No more putting off and no more weakness. Ask your mentor for help and ask him to keep you accountable. And when he does, stand up and be accountable. Always remember where you ended up and where it is you don’t ever want to ever be again. And just as with weight training, growth will begin in the kitchen. It’s much harder to be mentally strong if your physiology is not also strong. Quit eating processed foods and switch over to real food instead. Eat as humans have evolved to do. Eat meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, vegetables and some fruit. In other words, move away from a carbohydrate based low fat diet, to a protein based high fat diet. And cook only with butter, olive oil and coconut oil. No more vegetable or seed oils. They are unnatural and no good for you. Moving away from carbohydrates to animal based saturated fat for energy will convert your metabolism from being a sugar burner to a fat burner for energy. This will have obvious benefits if you’ve got some excess weight to lose, but it will also prevent the ups and downs of a carbohydrate based diet. You’ll have steady energy all day long and mental clarity like never before. Energy and mental clarity, this is a good start. Next up, get your sleep cycle in order. Get your ass out of bed early in the morning. Life is for the awake and is meant to be lived during the daylight. Getting your diet in order will provide you with the energy to keep going all day long. Get up and get busy. Get busy and tire yourself out. This is a good kind of tired; the kind of tired that is rewarded with a good night’s sleep. Just as you will get up early at the same time each day, set a consistent time to get to bed and stick to it. If you have trouble falling asleep, then read until you do.

There are some pluses and minuses to living in the best time in history in this civilized modern society of ours. If you’re a man of even modest means, life can become pretty comfortable—yes, pretty comfortable indeed. Of course this is good in many respects. A man can live his life in relative safety, there is ample employment, as well as easy access to both health and educational resources. And there are countless entertainment and pleasure based distractions readily available for rest and relaxation. Never before has so much rich food, diversion and vice been simply a few dollars or the click of a button away. But all of this wealth, material ease, distraction and comfort can lead to a certain emptiness. As with all extrinsic based stimulation, tolerance eventually comes into play. In other words, eventually nothing external to you is able to create the same level of pleasure as it used to do. This tolerance, or The Hedonic Treadmill as I call it, can twist a man into what he should not become if he is not careful. The pursuit of pleasure and materialism as an end tends to corrupt the Soul and can take a man completely down. Even if you’re disciplined and wise enough to avoid this trap, excessive ease and comfort can still steal the fire that used to reign within. Comfort can be an ambition killer. Once your life is on cruise control and you reach a certain level of satisfaction, that satisfaction can backfire and you can lose your way. And the same goes for the daily routines of work and family. The worse part is, that in working to provide for your family, you can lose the all important focus on your own well being—and your woman and children will see it. Raising a family and working for a living, along with all the responsibilities of doing so, can dull a man’s edge after a few years. You can become soft in physique, soft in ambition and soft in spirit; a shadow of your once formidable self. If you’re sick of this shadow and tired of being sick and tired, then perhaps it’s time to break away in some fashion. The good news is, if you’re dissatisfied with your current state it means there is still yet, some life within. A small ember or pilot light remains. This dissatisfaction is good then. It’s a signal to your Core, to your Soul, to your innate God given potential that something is amiss; relish it, because it means you haven’t given up. Yes, relish this unease and then turn it around and light it on fire. Take a step back and reassess your life. Put aside all distractions for a day and get serious with yourself. It won’t take very long, if you bear down and dig deep. Perhaps it’s time to break away from the comfort and ease, by choice and by deliberation. Perhaps it’s time to challenge yourself again with a brand new course of action; time for some Personal Evolution and some gut busting effort; time to make life your playing field again; time to Live to Thrill. Create your Vision So it is done then and the decision is made. You will start at the beginning. Find your Purpose and then use it to create a Life Vision. Dig deep into your Core and find what it is that will give your life the most possible Meaning—this is your Purpose or Life Mission, as I call it. And then craft a Life Vision from that Meaning—who you want to become and the goals you want to achieve. Design your Ideal Self; you at your very best utilizing all your innate potential. And then create a list of accomplishments that would propel you to that Ideal. Your Vision can contain something you’ve always wanted to pursue or maybe just take you in a whole new direction. The key is that it will light your hair on fire. It will stretch you and require personal evolution. You will need to become much better than you are, more than you are. So you will specifically delineate a new Life Vision then. And you will write it down and post it where you will see it each day, first thing in the morning. Sick of it or not,

No matter what your age and what your situation It’s a Wide Open Road Ahead. You’re never too old and you’ve never made too many mistakes. You possess Free Will and you live in the greatest time in history. Take advantage of this good fortune. Don’t live your life and let this slip by. Without a doubt, it is possible at this very moment to change your life. From unlearning bad habits to radical life change, this power does reside within you. Stop right now and think. Really think. Free will. You do possess it. Do you deny it? Of course not. Then accept it as Truth. Accept it as your new Law for Life. Today is a new day. Right now is a new moment. Choose and set yourself free. And then keep choosing, day by day and moment by moment. As soon as you intuitively grasp this reality it will light the Fire of Joy within. You will see nothing but possibilities and potential. And hope, excitement and a new Energy will begin to drive you forward. And what better Energy is there for success in this life than Joy? It is positive, powerful and will arm you to handle just about anything. With Joy as your fuel for change, the sky’s the limit. So open up your mind and open up your heart. Think about what it is that will light you up like nothing else. What is it that will be as exciting and rewarding in the pursuit as it will be when attained? And even it never fully realized, what is it that will always be worth the effort? A new career? A new shredded physique? Financial independence? A new love life? A renewed Faith? Or perhaps just you at your very best from now on until your last day; troubles be damned. Ask yourself these questions while considering the fact that you are a man with Free Will. And that you have access to resources, information and technology that even royalty could not even imagine just a couple of generations ago. Not that it will be easy. Nothing in this world that is worthwhile will ever be easy. But you know this. After all, nothing is easy right now. But mix in a new Mission with an abundance of Joy and it becomes a whole new ball game as they say. You’ve got to believe in your Core that you do indeed possess the ability to change who you are. You do posses the ability to change how you live your life.  And you do have the ability to change how you think about things. You can determine your own Destiny You can determine your own fate. And you can control your own Destiny. You can be happy if you decide to be. It’s that simple. You possess both a Soul and a Mind. And each is unique unlike anything else in the universe. Both your Soul and Mind are self directed. Through the use of Free Will each one can make itself better. And each one can also complement the other. A healthy Soul will lead to a healthy Mind. And a healthy Mind will lead to a healthy Soul. Belief in this simple concept is the key because it will give you the power to change. You can change. And you can change right now. Both Soul and Mind can make it so. Will you have difficulties and failures along the way? Sure. Will you have doubts and issues with confidence? Yes. Will everyone you care about cooperate and support you? No. But once again, how is that any different than right now? It’s time to move past all of that. The difference today is you’ve brought to the fore of your Mind and Soul that your life is yours to do with as you wish. You’re fed up with your past. And you’re fed up being fed up. So it’s time to take the gloves off and let yourself loose on the world. Deep down you know what it is you want. You know who it is you want to become. Intuitively you know who you can be at your very best. So you will become that person right now and then get out there and get after it. But let’s be smart here. Give yourself every advantage. Write down who it is you wish to become and what it is you wish to achieve. Be as specific as possible. Make it concrete. Crystallize your ambitions into words so that you cannot f...

Of course when the shit hits the fan and your life is in the toilet it’s not so easy to Make Your Day a Work of Art. To hell with that Max Panzer and his stinking, idealistic “Work of Art” posts. Sometimes I say the same thing to myself. What the hell was I thinking? That’s just an ideal. It doesn’t apply for when life gets really nasty and serious. But it does indeed Gentlemen. Let’s define “Work of Art.” When things get nasty, when they get extremely difficult or even ugly, there is still a best way to conduct yourself. Even if you’re not exactly sure what to do or what the best response is, you can still endeavor to do what you believe to be right. If you Center yourself and drop down to your Core Values, search your Soul and then proceed from that point, there’s not much more the Creator could ask. And that gentlemen is a Work of Art. To struggle for the right answer or best way to proceed in the midst of extreme difficulty is Noble and Virtuous. Irrespective of your bad feelings at the time, conducting yourself with courage and good character is a beautiful thing. We are on this earth to face challenges and face them we will. This is simply part of the Creator’s natural order. As I always say, we live in a broken world and it has a lot of moving parts, competing interests and extremely fallible human beings. To say nothing about some of the pure evil that’s out there. So in the midst of all this chaos, sometimes all you can do is all you can do; even if it seems worthless and without meaning at the time. This is simply what men do. Principle An advantage you can give yourself in preparation for difficult times is to set your core principles for life ahead of time. And if you’re unprepared, confused and currently getting hammered, take a step back and do the same. It’s never too late. Of course, being prepared beforehand might help you to alleviate the situation with less complication and gnashing of teeth. So take the time to set your standards. It will pay dividends many times over. Part of the battle is simply defining what behaviors you will not engage in. And what characteristics you do not wish to incorporate into your character. Most of these are probably what I would label as Shallow Distractions. But some of them, to state the obvious, would be purely immoral behavior. Avoiding what you know to be wrong and not doing things that will make you weak, will put you on good footing if things should get difficult. The other half of the battle is living your defined principles each and every day. Make it a habit. Make it instinct. Doing so will give you the courage of your convictions and place you on a solid foundation as an automatic response. There’s something to be said for a clear conscience. There will be no self-defeating holes in your armor. And you will indeed have the legitimate courage of your beliefs and principles when confusion and torment begin to rain down. A man with a clear conscience can stand tall and stand defiant. If you were to make the pursuit of Virtue your number one principle for life, you couldn’t do much better in my opinion. Virtue will pretty much cover all the good stuff and eliminate all the bad stuff. For me there’s Soft Virtue and Hard Virtue. Examples of Soft Virtue: compassion, empathy, courtesy, consideration, faith, faithfulness, order & cleanliness. Examples of Hard Virtue: honor, loyalty, discipline, honesty, courage, fitness, preparation, competency, dynamism, self-denial & sobriety. Work to become all of these Virtues. It is my belief they are all pre-programmed into your DNA with divine intention. Manifest this intensional design and you will never regret it. Make your core principle the pursuit of Virtue and you will indeed paint yourself an artful life. Righteous Defiance Sometimes there is no best answer or any answer at all. There are some things for which there is a point of no return.

Consider each new day a blank canvas. And then paint yourself the best day possible. Make it a point not to be deterred, regardless of the circumstances and people you encounter. The nastier it gets, the better you will paint. After all, you’ve tried it the other way. And where has that gotten you? Has it elevated your spirit? Has it infused you with positive energy? Perhaps it’s time to cut yourself a new path. Perhaps it’s time to flip the usual script and become indomitable instead. In no way, shape or form will you become a pushover. If someone crosses the line or circumstances go sour, you will handle it as man should, but with composure and control. And you will manage your emotions and then get right back on track. If you have to paint with some black paint for a while, then this is what you’ll do. But you will make the most of it, wrap it up and then move on back to the full palette. And the same goes for those days where it’s nothing but the same old same old. There’s no need for inspiration. You’re a man. You live your life based on principle; and one of those principles is that no matter what … You Will Make Your Day a Work of Art. Kindness Conduct yourself with Courtesy, Consideration and Kindness. Take the offensive here. Stand tall and strong, carry yourself with energy and power and kill them all with Class. Be confident and untouchable. Disarm people with your controlled demeanor, even those who you really do not appreciate. Acquire the attitude that no one can touch you. You know who you are and you know where you’re headed. And you might as well distinguish yourself along the way. The reaction and opinion of others does not really matter; so the high road it will be. Be authentic and be genuine. Look for the good in everyone and be compassionate towards those who are not so good. The probability is great they are suffering in some way and they are simply lashing out as a matter of consequence. You’ve been there before and would appreciate the same consideration. Just move on and let them be. Elevate your conduct as such and it will change your life. Not only will it pay dividends in return from others, but it will also set you on a higher plane. Becoming a class act in your interactions will help you to cleanse your Soul. Treating people with respect and honor is the proper way to live. It will put you in congruence with the Creator’s natural order. And doing what’s right will begin to multiply in its returns. And while you’re at it treat yourself in the same way; with Courtesy, Consideration and Kindness. Hold your feet to the fire, but save some of that compassion for yourself as well. Make Your Day a Work of Art. Gratitude Be grateful that you can even consider working at crafting each day. If you’re reading or listening to this essay, you’re one of the most fortunate men ever to walk the planet. To have the freedom and have access to the technology to read or listen to my thoughts from half way around the world is nothing short of a miracle. You have the ability to communicate and learn from another, literally at the touch of a finger. The world is your oyster. If you’re in need of information, understanding or motivation it’s all out there for the taking. Ideas, attitudes and strategies for self-development are freely shared. And interaction and direct questioning is once again, just a few keystrokes away. All of this freedom, modern technology and information combine to provide more leverage for a man than ever before in history. Make use of this leverage. It’s the most powerful tool you will ever have to become the very best you can be. Combine all of this with Right Action and the sky is the limit. Mix it all together with an indomitable attitude and you can’t fail. Learn and apply. And then learn and apply some more. Make it a point to become a little bit better, a little bit smarter and a little bit healthier every day.

Listen to the 4 step process - The Panzer Method © - on how the reveal the Terminator Like Shredded Physique that DOES  lie within. All the best, Max Panzer

Without a doubt we live in a broken world. Why the Creator lets it be so to such a degree, is beyond my understanding. All I do know is that we cannot win the argument, so we are left to another solution. My best guess as a layman, is that the Deity has set up the natural order to His liking and then gave us all free will. This was His will. And as a matter of definition, He lets it all ride purely on Divine Principle. Not letting things play out would create a contradiction and defeat the purpose of His original intent. Thus it seems, when God sets his principles, He sticks to them. Apparently, such is the nature of Divine Perfection. Unfortunately for we fallible mortals, it means life can be very difficult and replete with suffering. Sometimes though, I am surprised that society works as well as it does and that we do have plenty of success as civilized and caring human beings. And when you really think of it, some of the actions, creations and achievements of people are indeed overwhelmingly fantastic and inspiring, considering our inherent weaknesses. As much as the world is in disarray, there are nonetheless innumerable acts of kindness, love, courage, invention, compassion and perseverance that are enough to stir the Soul. So perhaps this is the solution; these innumerable acts of kindness, inspiration and beauty that occur in spite of all the conflict and disarray. All of this goodness and all of these right actions originate with the individual. Making the world a better place, therefore, can start at no other point; which brings us to you. Do it for your loved ones, do it for yourself and do it in reverence to the Creator—Make Your Day a Work of Art. Turn it All Around So the challenge then is to turn it all around; all of the difficulty, all of the conflict, all of the ignorance and all of the pain. We’ve all tried fighting it and we’ve all let it get us down. Been there, done that. Instead, why not work to make each day for the rest of your life a work of art? As nasty and as ugly or boring as things can get, why not work to make things right as much as possible. Take it all on as a challenge and become indomitable. This is a man’s challenge is it not; to work relentlessly to make the best of everything? Do everything right for its own sake. Take it all on with Righteous Defiance. Even in failure, defeat and the mundane, a man can still carry himself with dignity, energy and verve. He can continue to pick himself up and continue to pare away, long past when others would have given up. If the perfection of your character and the pursuit of Virtue are your goals, then the extrinsic really doesn’t matter. You will focus instead on the intrinsic and the unseen. My belief though, is that if you do persevere in these intrinsic values, eventually you will succeed. Eventually you will begin to bend reality in your favor. This is simply the natural order when a man commits to do what’s right like his life depended on it—when he commits to Making Each Day a Work of Art. Virtue Set your foundation properly. Make it a foundation of Virtue. Do what you know is right. And stop doing what you know is wrong. Employ the Replacement Principle and replace the latter with the former; replace the wrong with the right. Drop all of your shallow distractions and pursue A Man’s Hardened Virtue: Morality, Principle, Discipline, Courage, Toughness and Improvement. It’s this type of Hardened Virtue that will give you the backbone and good character to turn it all around. From all the little annoyances, to the stress of work and family and the major problems that will inevitably occur; having this kind of weight of character will allow you to handle it all with composure, confidence and ease. Imagine being a moral, principled, disciplined, courageous, tough and dynamic man each day; and how this would allow you to deftly handle the daily onslaught.

Let Principle RULE over Preference in your life. An ass kicking for someone who needs to hear it. All the best, Max Panzer

If you’ve got the guts to make some serious life changes, pursue them relentlessly and continue to evolve along the way, something special is eventually going to happen. One day a door will open up and you’ll get a view into Unforeseen Possibilities. It will become a reality that you could achieve or become something you never before considered. This will be a result or destination way beyond the plans surrounding your original changes. And it will represent There’s a Whole Other Level out there for you, just waiting to be had. In other words, not only could you become twice or three times the man you were, but a different and unexpected one as well. You could begin to tap into the divine nature of your genetic potential and manifest the genius of your creation. It is my belief the Creator put you together and put you on this planet for a reason. You are not simply an accident of nature. For each of us there is a path to something special, a true Life’s Destiny that we may or may not be aware of. If you can imagine all the best that you would want for your son or daughter, imagine what the Creator Himself would want for you; and the potential He would instill at your origin. But with the natural order in this world being what it is, for most of us the burden for Personal Greatness lies deep within. And it will take a concerted long term effort to make it real. There’s no question there are some for whom greatness seems to come easy. World class athletes or brilliant scholars or successful business people come to mind. But rest assured, these people will have their own challenges. No one is immune. In any case, good for them; but for the vast majority of the rest of us, the path to great heights will simply require more. It will take a life changing decision, long term gut busting effort and the willingness to adapt. Accept this struggle and Make the Journey Its Own Reward. Earn your way to Excellence and the payback will make you truly as successful as any other. You will live a life of Purpose and Meaning beyond the mere satisfaction of extrinsic achievement. You will achieve Your Life’s Destiny. And in the end, that’s all that really matters. Radical Change One day you’re likely to get fed up with your situation. Despite serious prolonged gut busting effort, you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels; going round and round and getting nowhere. But you’ll keep at it way beyond getting sick of it, hoping for a break through; hoping for a change somehow. You’re no quitter and you’re willing to tough it out. At some point though, you’ve got to take a step back and reassess. Perhaps some wholesale changes are in order. Or perhaps it’s time to shake things up and head in a different direction. All of your goals and principles can still remain consistent, but it might be necessary to carve a new path to your destination. After all, your current strategy has played itself out and is seemingly leading nowhere. The problem with this course of action is that people don’t like change. The radical moves you need to make will likely upset the apple cart. Your woman, children and family will resist and it will put them under duress. And this is the last thing you want to do. But then, they are not you. They may be comfortable and set in their lives, but your tremendous innate potential is waning. It’s waning and it’s not right, even if they can’t see it. You’ve got a glorious Vision for your life and what you want to provide for your family. You can see it clear as day, but your just not getting it done. Sometimes life and commitments can worm their way into a man’s path subtlety over time until he is cornered or way off track... … and the only way out is to break something. If your Vision is worth it and your motives are pure, then make the damn call. Make a man’s decision. Communicate with your loved ones and consider their input, but unless they can provide a viable path that you...

Virtue, Willing Acceptance and the Present Moment - 3 Principles for a Superior Life. All the best, Max Panzer

So you’re working hard and you’re doing your own thing. You know in your core you work harder than the vast majority of men. You’ve got plans in the works and you apply yourself with dedication and discipline. And you love your woman and you love your children like crazy. They’re lucky to have you. But take a step back and be honest with yourself. Are you the very best version of you? The. Very. Best. Are you consistently educating yourself? Are you physically lean and mean? Mentally and emotionally, are you on point? Have you quit all the shallow distractions you know you should quit? Are your financials where they should be? Do you get the respect and attention you deserve from your woman? Is it entertaining just to be you? Do you Enjoy Your Own Company? In other words, are you walking around right now as your Ideal Self? Or to put it more powerfully, are you walking around as the Force of Nature you were meant to be? If so, then congratulations, you’re on your way to the High Country and justifying every breath you take. Perhaps I will see you there, if I can keep up. But if you cannot honestly say you currently exist as a living, pulsating Force of Nature, then let me put forth a cold hard fact— There’s a Whole Other Level. Even though when you come home from work you’re tired and fed up, there is still a whole other level. Even though you’ve taken a few hits and a bit of a beating over the years, there is still a whole other level. And even though you think there’s no possible way you can do any more, there is still a whole other level. At some point a man has to get fed up with himself, if he still wants to truly live; if there is still a fire that burns within. The fact that you’ve read this far tells me there is indeed a fire that burns deep. It’s in there looking for a way out to greatness. And the way out to greatness is find your Reason. Until you find your Reason, you’ll remain where you are. All the same excuses and diversions will continue to get in the way unless you find your Why. There has to be something you can sink your teeth into; something that will harden your resolve to the point where you just won’t let go—ever. For me, it was a Life Storm that set things on fire. I was blind sided. To be honest, I was surprised I was able to function. But the fact that I was, turned on the Light in my Soul. It dawned on me one day, I was more than I gave myself credit for—much more. This was my Reason. I was leaving way too much on the table and it was a waste of potential. It was simply wrong. I’d been shown the Light and there was no way I could refuse to pursue it. And I suspect it’s the same for all of us— The same for you. I would become the damn storm. I was going to go all out until my last day. I was going to push back in Righteous Defiance. For me this was the only Answer. Find your Reason and then find your Answer. Perhaps this can be your Reason as well: you’re simply not living up to your God given potential. It’s wrong and there’s no time to waste. Period. And besides, what could be more exiting and worthy for a man than to pursue Personal Greatness? And perhaps this—Personal Greatness—can be your Answer. Justify your life Think of the glory, benefit and Virtue that will come about by developing all the innate talents you’ve been given. What better way could there be to justify your life and exemplify sincere gratitude for every breath you take? Find your Reason and then find your Answer. You don’t have to do it all at once. All that matters is that you Burn the Bridge Behind You, pick something and get started. For me it was getting back to my prime weight and hardening my physique. I was 30 pounds overweight and on the way to 60. It dawned on me one day that I do have 100% control over what I put in my mouth. I made it that simple. I was willing to be as hungry as I had to be to get back to my prime.

Here me discuss the 5 Benefits of Becoming A Force Of Nature. All the best, Max

Hear me talk about the Meaning and Purpose behind the Becoming A force Of Nature website. All the best, Max

You know who you are. And you know what your Ideal Self should look like. But life keeps getting in the way and you’re just not cutting it. You keep letting yourself get knocked off track. Sometimes it’s by outside forces. But mostly, if we’re really being honest, it’s your own damn fault. You realize this now; that you’re ultimately the author of your own circumstances. But the day has finally come and you’ve made the final decision. Finally, you’ve exhausted all excuses and you’re sick of committing only half-way. And you’re sick and tired of disappointing yourself. It’s become tiresome and it’s become unbearable. Regardless of what happens from now on, you will take full responsibility for your life—you will go all in. You will commit all the way. And Burn the Bridge Behind You. You’re going to put your life on the line. No matter what happens you’re going to keep pushing forward. It’s finally dawned on you, there is no other answer. This is the only way to begin the glorious path to your Ultimate Self. And you’ve got to get there because you’re wasting your life, your potential and it’s not right. You’ve pretty much seen it all by this point. There’s been family issues, a crash and burn love life, personal weaknesses, shallow distractions, failures, laziness, betrayals and more. Some of this is from others and some of it is from you. But for some reason you just don’t care anymore about any of it; past, present or future. All that matters is that you will pursue Your Life’s Destiny and become the very best you can be. Everything that happens to you will now pass through this prism. Pursuing Excellence and Virtue is the only answer. Everything else is just a meaningless diversion. You will use it all, everything that comes at you, as a means to an end. The starting point is right now, this very instant; there is to be no delay. And because you’ve made an irreversible decision, you will take the Long View. Once the decision is made and you know it’s non-negotiable, there’s a certain comfort and confidence in the Long View. After all, you’ve burned the bridge behind you so there’s no turning back. You might as well settle in. You might as well persevere. You will persevere. What other choice do you have? You know you can become who you need to be. And when you get right down to it, the only thing that’s been missing is the guts and perseverance. As we said at the beginning of this essay—you know who you are. You know what you’re capable of. And you’ve got a sneaking suspicion there is an untapped level or two beyond what you can currently see. It will be an exhilarating ride to test yourself and find out. There's no way you can fail If you just never quit, there’s no way you can fail. It might not happen as quickly as you want. And everything might not work out exactly as you want it to. But there’s no way you can fail to become the man you want to be, if you just never stop. Action is now the answer. You will take action and persevere. If necessary, you will fail your way forward. Even if you do make some mistakes and crash, at least you’ve got the guts to pursue your Destiny. To hell with what anyone else thinks. You’re now your own man. The bottom line is that you will get out there every day and get after it. It’s not complicated. Like most of life, you will work the fundamentals; these same fundamentals that you’ve ignored in the past. You will work them until they become a reflex, until they become instinct. Patience and repetition are the key—practice, practice, practice. You will practice and work until you’re sick of it and beyond; until everything you do transforms into excellence; until what you do becomes part of the natural order. And do you know any else? You’re going to start acting as if. You’re going to carry yourself as if you’re already there. You will walk the walk and make yourself a believer. After all,

One of the pleasures that a man should rightly enjoy in this life and one that is in congruence with the natural order, is the polarity between the sexes. It is no accident, there is as much contrast between men and women as there is. It is the way it is supposed to be and it is good. And as you pursue Your Life’s Destiny with a vengeance each day, this contrast will become more and more evident. Your woman will see with her own eyes that you’ve hardened yourself physically and that you’re now a standout among men. Innately she will enjoy this purely physical aspect of your being. She will find your raw power and explosiveness extremely alluring. And she won’t be able to help herself, it is built into her evolutionary core. She will also see that you’ve hardened your character. You’ve now got direction and focus like never before. And this too will be of significant interest. There is nothing quite as exciting for a woman as experiencing first hand her man’s potential. Especially when she begins to see that potential become manifest. It will thrill her to no end, when she senses the fact that you’ve gone hardcore and you just won’t stop. She will feel secure and it will please her. But what will become the most enticing for her, is your heightened and growing masculine energy. All of your planning, effort and Dynamism will begin to transform you over time; not just physically, but metaphysically. There will be something more to your Being. You will project a new and intangible energy that only few men possess. And it will make you magnetic. As you walk around and interact with both her and others your energy will affect them. Most won’t be consciously aware of why it is they feel so good, just that they do. And that’s all that will matter. She will enjoy how it makes her feel and how it affects others as well. It will give her direct and vicarious pleasure to be in your company. You will see this with your own eyes. You will look over at your woman and there she will be. She will be happy, sultry and never more feminine. She will be standing there bursting with life and glowing like never before, Simmering in Female Delight. Bursting with life and glowing like never before Yes indeed, these are some the things that make life worth living. And this is how you will get there: Suddenly one day, your woman will surprise you when she begins to take a keen interest in your endeavors. At first it’s likely that she will pay scant attention to your efforts. In fact, there might even be some annoyance and shit testing on her part as you begin to change course. No matter though, you’re out there carving a new path based the core principles you’ve committed to and are willing to go it alone if necessary. At some point a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do, regardless of what his woman thinks. Mission first and woman second. You know this now; this is the only answer. But then it will begin to happen. You’ll catch your woman staring at you at some point and she’ll have interesting look in her eye; you’ll remember this look fondly from back in the day. And when you look up to meet her gaze she’ll suddenly realize she was staring and react quickly to inquire you about your new interests and commitments. These questions will continue and as she sees your character, energy and physical nature transform, she will begin to adopt your path. Whether it be your spiritual, diet, training, reading, writing or financial pursuits, slowly but surely your interests will begin to align. Your lives will become in congruence. And this gentlemen, will be sweet; sweet indeed. It is how things are supposed to be between a man and his woman. Enjoy. There will also be some additional changes in your woman’s behavior, energy and initiative. Over time, the weight of your character and the results of your efforts will raise your profile and gain her attention. To put it plainly,

Yes indeed, she’s the lucky one in your relationship and she knows it. You’ve become an embarrassment of riches in your quest to become a Force of Nature. You’re the complete package and she stands aghast some days at her good fortune as she admires you going about your business. And the best part is that she sees no end in sight to your rising Trajectory. It’s only going to get better and more exciting. There is just something innately natural about being included in the life of a man on a Mission—a man who is driven and indomitable. It’s an instinctive high that seems to make just about everything in her life seem right. The energy you walk around with is addictive. You can tell that she feeds off it as you sense her longing gaze every day. More often than not you’ll catch her watching you. She tries to look you off as your eyes meet, but it’s obvious you caught her doing it again. It’s a little embarrassing, but she can’t help herself; there is a certain thrill for her in getting caught in this implicit admiration. Your steely countenance as your eyes meet, also acts like a magnet and keeps her on her toes. She is keenly aware you’re Outcome Independent regarding her affections. You’ve made it very obvious what your expectations are, but on any occasion you can take it or leave it. There are many layers to your life and you’ve always got plenty that interests you. This makes you the one worth pursuing—you’re the prize. You’ve got what she needs and she’s not ashamed to admit it. And you’re only going to get better. Plus, she is acutely conscious of the reality that many other women sense the same things about you that she does. She’s seen it with her own eyes when you’re out together; the smiles, the preening and the attention make it plainly obvious. This is a double edged sword for your woman. There’s always a little worry for her that you have many viable options—too many. But then, the idea that other attractive women find you alluring on a primal level is also very exciting for her. It’s tangible evidence that she chose well. Such is the nature of evolutionary selection over the millennia. She chose well So what is it that you’ve done to create this relationship that exists as the way it was meant to be? And why is it exactly that She’s The Lucky One and you both know it? This is why: There is nothing more attractive to a woman than a man driven with a Force of Purpose. You’ve got your Life Mission, the foundational principles for everything you do. And you’ve got your Life Vision, the accomplishments and the lifestyle you’ve committed to pursue. Every day is treated as a field of dreams. Everything is about challenge and opportunity. You are indomitable and overflowing with ambition and potential. All of this is exciting and addictive for her and she can’t get enough of it. As a hardened man of Virtue your character is second to none. Your principles are as solid as cold steel and there’s no question in her mind about your honor and loyalty. In short you’re dependable and she feels secure under your leadership. You’ve got it all—ambition, excitement, toughness, tremendous potential and dependability. You are both shield and tip of the spear and she is keenly aware that most other men can only pale in comparison. Physically you’re lean, fit and explosive. You condition yourself relentlessly as a matter of principle. She can see that you do indeed embrace the comfort of physical discomfort. This distinguishes you among men and adds another impressive layer to your persona. And once again, most other men don’t even come close. She can see that you have hardened yourself both physically and mentally through your training. And as the natural order would have it this is something she just cannot resist. How you maintain the pace you do is beyond her imagination. She’s got no idea how you do it. All she knows is there’s an irresistible energy that you exude and that flows when y...

There is something to be said for some of the finer pleasures of life during our time here on earth. Virtue, destiny and accomplishment will create purpose and meaning; without them you will lead a shallow existence. And your Mission must always come first. But a man should always make time for enjoyment during his pursuits—it’s the little subtleties purposely crafted into each day that will ease you through your ambitions. God created joy for a reason. And He also created the polarity between the sexes for a reason. Put yourself in congruence with the natural order of things and make it a priority to enjoy this polarity. Enjoy Your Woman. The Physical You will harden yourself in both mind and body as you pursue Your Life’s Destiny to become the very best you can be. And as you do so the contrast between you and your woman will grow. Nature will take its course and the energy and positive tension between the both of you will transform and become a source of delight. As spirited and independent as your woman might be, she is not the same as you. Her Soul and intrinsic value as a human being are as incalculable as yours. But as a woman in this life she is different. Take note of these differences and enjoy them. This is the way it is supposed to be. There is an inherent softness to a woman that is innately attractive; from her lips, to her arms and shoulders, to the subtleties of her womanly figure. Surely, there is not much more on this great earth that is more pleasing to the eye and to a man’s primal nature. Take some time each day to appreciate the physical aspects of your woman. Let her know of her beauty. Tell her explicitly she is beautiful. She needs to know this, it will be inherently satisfying to her. Kiss her without reserve, constantly. Touch and embrace her passionately. Enjoy the softness of her being. The Emotional And the same goes for her mental and emotional states. Especially learn to appreciate these differences. A woman’s evolutionary survival has bread certain characteristics into her nature; characteristics that will leave you frustrated if misunderstood or ignored. But they can also make life very interesting if leveraged and turned in the right way. To put it simply, your woman will need to test you. Some of these tests will be subtle. And some of them not subtle, as you are no doubt aware. She must be confident that you are worthy and will remain worthy; and so she should. This is simply an evolutionary adaptation. For virtually all of human history a woman and her offspring’s literal survival depended on the vitality and viability of her man. Thus, even in today’s world when a woman can live as independently as she wants, there is still the reality of hard coded programming from which there is no escape. Consider her still, even as a modern woman, a little bit wild in a sense. This is good, is it not? If you’re unaware and unprepared in this regard, it can lead to the worst of outcomes. Without a doubt, if you don’t measure up, eventually nature will take its course and she will find a better mate. Or at bare minimum the magic will disappear and it will all go stale. Sound familiar? But since you are now aware of your woman’s evolutionary programming, you will embrace and enjoy her inherent nature. After all, there has to be some challenge. There has to be some excitement. And a little bit of wildness, tension and taming in this respect seems like it will fit the bill. Consider it a challenge from now on to handle these fitness tests as well as her emotional ups and downs, with mastery and ease. Let them remind you about your necessary role in the relationship and use them as a tool to keep you at your best. Just smile and enjoy, it’s all part and parcel of what makes her who she is. Tip of the Spear Become the shield and tip of the spear in your household and it will all come together. Clear a path for your woman.

So you’ve finally found your center. You’ve found your way. The chase is on and it’s something special. Every day is a new opportunity to get better. With each morning there’s an excitement and purity of spirit that has you seeking a higher realm. You’ve had a taste of it, you’ve seen the Light and there’s no turning back. The discipline you’ve lacked in the past now comes easy. The shallow distractions of old are simply of no more interest. You’ve gotten out of your own way and cleared a path. And your Life Vision is now crystal clear. The only question that remains now, is not if, but when. Regardless, you will enjoy the process. You will Make the Journey Its Own Reward. All that really matters is that you are doing what’s right; that Virtue paves the way and that your are pursuing Your Life’s Destiny with a vengeance. All of this new clarity has allowed you to truly see; to see the waste of it all—the needless conflict, the brainwashed masses and the false path that is leading them all to darkness. Instead of anger as in the past, there is now only pity. It’s all such a waste of human potential. Life can and should be so much better. Your answer to all of this is to simply press on, to forge ahead and stay true to your Mission. The plan is to leave all of those mired in darkness and folly behind in your wake; to get so far ahead and set the standard so clearly that eventually they will have no choice but to take note. And then perhaps for those whose hearts are still open to the truth, that your example will help to send them on a better way. For you realize now that it’s about more than just you. The pursuit of Your Life’s Destiny is now the axis upon which you will be able to affect people and turn them in the right direction. This is an unexpected result and has added a whole new level of meaning to all that you do. This is true power, righteous power. It is pure, imbued with the Light and selfless. It has become obvious now the path to a better world comes from the inside out. It starts at the individual level. One must get his own life in order first and foremost. There is nothing more powerful a man can do. And that maintaining this core focus is the fundamental answer to it all because it all bleeds out from there. You can feel this implicitly when you interact with others. There is a new energy that you possess. And it affects people. It lifts them up and in turn does the same for you. You’ve become aware that after each interaction, most will walk away the better for it. Sometimes it confuses them a little, this energy of yours. You can see it in their eyes. They will have a look at you, more than just casually; it will freeze them up for an instant. There is something they like, but they’re not exactly sure what it is. But in a sense you have done your job, you’ve passed on some of your manifest potential and energy; humbly and willingly. You’ve given them a taste of personal greatness and given them a slight view into their own potential. Although you’re motivated and driven like never before, there is also a new calmness underlying all that you do. There is a serenity that emanates from your core. You’re not bulletproof, but most of what used to bother you no longer does. The negative emotions of old have been largely brushed aside. Instead of anxiety and frustration there is a confidence you will simply handle things as they come; without fanfare and without worry. Yes, you will conduct yourself with composure, confidence and ease. You will employ Willing Acceptance to all external events and then take Right Action. And if things should get difficult or spiral out of control, you will push back with all of your might, will and perseverance. And if things should completely fall apart regardless of your very best, you will acquiesce, take another path and keep moving forward. Sometimes that’s all a wise man can do. Part of the reason for this new calmness is that your ...

All the peace and tranquility you could want is waiting for you. There will be no more worry and no more strife. Yes indeed, life will be easy for you on this planet one day … … when you’re six feet under. So if you want to live and you want to live well you had better Toughen Up and then Toughen Up Some More. There is no other choice. The time is going to pass anyway. You might as well get to work hardening yourself and sharpening your edge. You will always need to get tougher; tougher and smarter. No sense leaving anything in the table. And no sense giving up any leverage. Better to be tough and smart than just one or the other. You might as well pile it on give yourself the best chance to get it all done. A tough guy without much in smarts might end up just spinning his wheels and never get very far at all. And a wise man without any toughness might not have the backbone necessary to finish the job. Combine toughness and smarts and you’ll be a force to reckon with. Smarts You don’t know what you don’t know. Keep this maxim at the fore of your thinking always. Adding knowledge, understanding and insight will make all of your efforts that much more effective. And thus, you’ll have more to give and be able to strike at your target that much harder—it will make you a tougher adversary. Add some layers and thickness to your character by making it a priority to always be learning. You live in the best time in all of human history. Literally all of human knowledge is no further away than your fingertips. But then you know this because you are here reading this material at this very moment. Perhaps though, it’s time to take it to the next level. Remove television as a daily habit. Limit your time in front of the screen. Limit your time in social networking and limit your alcohol. Open up your time outside of work to expanding your mind. Read books, read blogs and listen to podcasts. Study technology, acquire knowledge and learn from successful and insightful people. Make this a life long habit and it will provide you with more leverage and power than anything else you could do. Technology and knowledge will sharpen your edge and learning how to think from the best minds in history will toughen you up. Combine both of these together and you’ll become twice the man; a man of leverage, power and toughness. And then take your newfound knowledge and insights and combine them with Right Action. Apply what you learn. Get out there in the world and get some things done. The more you do, the more you will be able to do. Create a positive feedback loop for yourself where you learn and apply and then learn and apply some more. Become a man of action who operates in the real world; a man who turns his thoughts and words into reality. Fail your way forward if you have to. Better to be out there making mistakes and learning than letting life pass you by. Adjust and learn some more and you’ll be just fine. Keep at it as a matter of principle. Tough it out and you will become like heat treated metal. You will get harder and harder and the cuts you make into each day will become cleaner and sharper. Just a little bit dangerous Physical Cutting away the fat, adding some muscle mass and developing some explosiveness will make for a cool parallel and help to reinforce your new steely countenance. It will pay tremendous dividends to sharpen both sides of the blade so you can cut both ways and become just a little bit dangerous. There is nothing wrong with a strong physical presence and a little intimidation. Men will respect you for it and women will be attracted to it. This is simply the natural order. Use your physical development as a man to toughen up. Set your workout schedule and stick to it. Alternate between resistance training and high intensity cardio work every other day. Barbell compound lifts are the best for weight training and consider sprinting or bag work for your HIT work....

Create the ideal prototype for how you would like to carry yourself—design the best possible version of the future you. As with everything else, it all starts in your mind. You’ve got to see it before you can become it. You do have this choice and you do have this ability. Take the time and entertain yourself with just how good you could be. And then get to work creating your masterpiece. Whatever you end up with, make sure it includes a never say die, never stop and never quit attitude. And then work to harden yourself and toughen up. Consider your mental and physical toughness as a high priority from now on. Make it an essential part of your character and a core principle—see yourself as getting tougher and tougher. To succeed over the long term will require guts, backbone and grit; no matter your situation and no matter your smarts. There’s no question that mental and physical toughness are key ingredients for success in this difficult and broken world. So let us endeavor then to toughen you up. Set the Bar High It’s time to make yourself uncomfortable. It’s time for you to embrace the comfort of discomfort. Set the bar high and then get to work. You don’t need to do it all at once; the plan is to get a little bit better every day; even if that means just holding the line until hard becomes easy. You know what it is you need to work on. A man knows where he is weak and where he needs to improve. Pick one area or a few and then raise the bar. Raise the bar and then hold your ground. If you should fall or backslide, get right back up and right back to it. Get right back to the new normal. Don’t expect to be perfect. The goal is to get your overall Trajectory on an upward run. As long as you keep the pressure on and always jump right back in you are headed in the right direction. Be honest with yourself and hold your feet to the fire. Redouble your efforts and harden your will. What you’re working to do here is increase your capacity. You will stretch your limits and then hold the line. Just as with resistance training, you will tear at your outer edges and then naturally acclimate to the new standard. You will find the time and You Can Do More. Put your life on the line for once—not in terms of your personal safety or health, but who it is you want to become. At some point it’s worth taking off the gloves. At some point it’s worth letting it all hang out and going for it. So raise the bar, harden yourself until it becomes easy and then raise the bar again. What you’ll find is that as you slowly ratchet up and refine your character, each improving aspect of who you are will begin to bleed over into the others. And then one day as you wrap things up from another exciting excursion into your pursuits it will suddenly dawn on you; you have become tireless. You’ll be able to go all day everyday. You’ll only become tired when your work is done and it’s time to rest. And when the next morning rolls around, it will be second nature to just turn it on and go full throttle again. Keep at it and Make the Journey Its Own Reward. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the new you. As it all becomes instinct, a synchronicity of sorts will begin to accrue. You will begin to find your way. You will begin to find your center. All the energy and focus you need will be right there and available. What used to be hard will become easy and you’ll begin to see the Light. You will begin to see your Life’s Destiny. Willing Acceptance of all external events Willing Acceptance Work to become world class at the Willing Acceptance of external events. In other words, do not let difficulties, circumstances or people over which you have no control affect your morale and your state of mind. Make this Stoic principle a core part of your character and combined with Right Action, you will indeed become one hell of a Force of Nature. Life will suddenly become much easier because almost nothing will be able to touch y...

So you’re deep into your quest and you’ve stalled out. It’s been a gut busting marathon and you’re no where near where you need to be. You’ve worked to Overwhelm Your Circumstances and made the strategic and radical changes you thought necessary. But you’re just not getting it done. Welcome to the club. No one said it was going to be easy, nothing worthwhile in this world is. You’re not the first man to hit the wall and you won’t be the last. Get used to disappointment. Failure and difficulty are part of life. Everyone has their losses. Everyone. Even those people who are immensely successful get their head handed to them once in a while. But there’s no question some people do seem to have the Midas touch; at least to get them to an enviable level of outwardly success. Good for them. Never doubt for a second, however, that difficulties will touch everyone, regardless of outward appearances. We, however, are not concerned with the success of others. We are concerned only with you. Others will live their lives and you will live yours. You will Be Your Own Man and Enjoy Your Own Company. There is no better alternative. To do otherwise would be folly. So the question then, is what are you going to do about your lack of progress up to this point? Despite tremendous effort and a never say die attitude, you’re still stuck. Or perhaps you keep making the same mistakes; whatever. Your goal, your Vision is still a worthy one, that hasn’t changed. You’ve put everything you have into it and you’ve put your life on the line. But again, you’re just not getting it done and you’re beginning to fold. The driving force behind your ambition is losing its hold over you. You remember it of course, but it’s now only words; there’s no Soul behind it anymore. And you’d better find something quickly because you can feel yourself letting go. The answer in these situations is to brush everything aside and go stone cold hardcore. Man up, harden yourself and Make Not Quitting Reason Enough. Some Things In Life Are Simply Worth It Let’s say you never actually make it to your goal. But your fight, your struggle is and will always remain worthwhile; there are indeed some things in life worth never giving up on. Consider that much good will likely spin off of your pursuit as a natural consequence. Doing what’s right is its own reward, even if you can’t see any benefit in the immediate. Your Soul and character will certainly be the better for it. Even if you don’t make it all the way to your destination there might still be tremendous reward. A worthy quest will most certainly produce many positives along the way; even if only intrinsic in nature. And just as some things are worth believing in whether they are true or not, so are some things worth pursuing whether they are ultimately achieved or not. Fighting the good fight is always worthwhile. So take a look around and ask yourself if anything good has come to fruition, even though you’ve not yet made it to where it is you want to be. My guess is that, if you’ve persevered with principle and honor, you will definitely see you are the better for it. The natural order tends to work that way. If you work like hell at something, expending tremendous amounts of positive energy, in some way or some fashion that positive energy will find its way back to you. Although it may not be in the form you expected, it will likely be that at some point you are the beneficiary of tremendous good fortune. There are many unforeseen and fortuitous possibilities in this world. More than any of us could possibly imagine. And sometimes the Creator knows what’s better for us than we do. You will realize this one day when you see the hand of God reaching out and guiding you along the way to sweet serendipity. And sometimes what you receive in return will many times over what you expend. Consider this the multiplier effect, just like in a free market economy where a dollar inv...

Make the decision you’ve been thinking about for a while now. Commit to yourself and put your life on the line. Decide how it is you want to live each day and where it is you want to end up. And then pull the trigger and tear after it like your life depended on it. No more half measures and no more back doors. Cross over to the other side and then burn the damn bridge behind you. This is the turning point where you will decide you are done with the superficial. All that will now really matter is the intrinsic in nature. When you finally make this core decision to connect as a man should with what is natural and right, then truth, honor and love is all there will really be. Intrinsic Values The rest of your life will now be a vehicle through which you will purify your Soul. It will all be secondary to what really counts. You will develop yourself physically, mentally and financially, but it will all serve a higher purpose. You will be justifying your life and getting in line with the natural order. The extrinsic will become subordinate to, and serve, the intrinsic. Along the way you will indeed enjoy your worldly gains, but the underlying reason for your success will be from something more meaningful. Right Action and the perfection of your character will become your primary motivation. Continue these pursuits long enough and you will find the wind at your back and the sun on your shoulders. It will all be good and you will know it. My advice is to seek to find this place. There is indeed a higher realm in this broken world of ours. Not that you will ever need to be perfect, but to make the pursuit of what’s right the primary focus of every day is without question the best way to live. And by definition this means you will be paring away at Your Life’s Destiny—you will be working to become the very best man you can be. Transformational Effect As you learn to tap into this higher realm, life will begin to change. Your interpretation and reaction to difficulty will be much different. Negative people and circumstances will no longer have the same effect. They will pass through you in a sense and you will transform them. You will know that somehow you will be bending things in a better direction through your efforts. And that with the help of other good men doing the same thing, you will become a partner in the betterment for all. You will now be a part of the solution. Not that you will become bulletproof, but you will acquire the ability to rise above all it in a sense. Rather than just react emotionally, a higher order of function will set in. The difference is that you now have the proper perspective. You are aware there is more than what meets the eye. Behind it all there is always purpose, meaning and destiny; even in extreme difficulty. So you will work to make the best of even the most difficult situations. You will remain keenly aware that no good will come of letting go or falling apart. And if you do for a time, you will get right back up and pull yourself together—you will take Right Action, for there is always the possibility of turning something bad into something good. Even in the finality of the irreversible, there is always the hand of God and the next life to look forward to. You will know these things to be true and it will give you courage and the will to persevere like never before. It will harden you as a man. There will be no more rolling over. New Energy Living as such will also imbue you with energy. You’ll develop the ability to put yourself in an active state and go full throttle all day long. And by the end of the day when it’s time to take rest, your head will hit the pillow with satisfaction and anticipation. There will be the satisfaction of a day well lived and the anticipation of another one to come. This gentlemen is living in the High Country. It is where all men were born to live if only they would seek to achieve what is beyond the physical world that so di...

Wake up each morning with a Force of Purpose. Know what it is that you want out of life. Make sure there’s a fire inside that will light you up each day. Find your reason. Find something that will send chills down your spine. To really live your life you’ve got to have a primary purpose that drives you forward. Without a primary purpose or Mission your life will be dull and uninspired. Life will push you around. And there’s no way you’ll come even close to fulfilling your immense potential. This is no way for a man to live. Find something that will imbue you with vigor, energy and direction. Find a One Thing that will get you going. It doesn’t need to be forever; just enough to fire you up and set your Trajectory on an upward run. You can figure it out as you go from there. Action will lead to more action and then action will lead to inspiration. Live your life as a man should and endeavor to make an impact. Better to thrash about and make a mess than to sit back and remain passive. Take control and quietly go about your business. And Never Let Them See You Coming. Action not Words Now that you know where you are going and what you want, it’s time to get busy. It’s time to take action. You will frame your destination with words and Turn Your Words Into Reality. But you will keep those words and thoughts to yourself and use them as the fuel to drive you forward. You will tell your mind what it needs to hear. As far as others are concerned, all they will see is a man standing tall and getting things done—a man who carries himself with energy and focus. Being driven and having a strong, confident posture as such will have a positive affect on both you and those you interact with. Making it a point to carry yourself with vigor will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just as forcing a smile will lighten your mood, having a strong, upright and masculine posture will lift your energy level, mindset and ambition. And it will also increase your testosterone; the more the better. In parallel, embodying a never say die attitude and a strong physical presence will raise your social standing. Even those ahead of you in the pecking order will take note as they see you on the move each day without fail. Let them learn to depend on and trust in your character and you will accrue tremendous advantage. Be proactive and take action always. Make this your essence. Even if you make a few mistakes along the way, just brush them aside as a learning experience. Give yourself credit for having the guts and character to keep moving no matter what. My advice though, is to keep your ambition to yourself. It is unnecessary for anyone to know the depth of your hardcore commitment. Let it simmer below the surface. There is no need to grandstand and draw attention. Better to be modest, quiet and on the move, than always talking to impress. The latter approach smacks of a lack of character and weakness. People will sense this. Endeavor instead to take the high road and Never Let Them See You Coming. Talk is cheap And the Same Goes for Your Woman Remember talk is cheap, especially with your woman. She’s seen you at your worst and is very aware of your faults and weaknesses. Endeavor to change this reality as part of your overall purpose. Keep quiet and let her see your deeds from now on. Even if you’ve disappointed her in the past, all can be forgotten with enough principled action. Through sheer will and perseverance you will flip the script. And as an added bonus, keeping quiet and going about your business will stir your woman’s imagination. It will begin to dawn on her at some point there’s now more to you than meets the eye. After a while, you’ll begin to notice her watching you in “that way” and you’ll also notice a new interest and energy in the air. Women have an evolutionary attraction to men of action, especially men with a little mystery about them. It’s hard coded into their DNA.

You know who you are out there. You’ve got the brain power, you’ve got the looks, you’ve got the physique and you’ve got the charisma. I only wish I had the same raw potential; there’s an embarrassment of riches lurking right below the surface. The world is at your feet and you don’t even know it. All you need to do is get out of your own damn way and Greatness is Right There for the Taking. Take an afternoon and design the ideal you. Start the process that will change it all. Pull from deep in your core and put down into words who you would like to become in 2 years. Imagine what the Creator Himself would want. Keep it simple and make it a bullet point list if necessary. Ask yourself who you could be in 730 days if you went all out; if you made it your number one priority to become the very best you could be; if you cast all other concerns aside and worked to become a better man at the end of each day, than you were when you rolled out of bed that morning. No More Zero Days. Two years is long enough to make some serious gains and yet short enough to take on as a challenge. And from there you can take stock and then do it again. Except this time you’ll have a hardened core and even more Force of Purpose. Never mind the past and never mind anyone else. Let go of the emotional attachment to your past mistakes. Learn from them, but let the negative energy go; it is of no value. You do have this choice. Make this decision and it will set you free. And never mind about anyone else. Focus on yourself. Have the courage to Be Your Own Man. In the end it will set you apart. Bear down one day at a time and thrill yourself with sheer will and determination. You know it’s in there. Harness that energy and make everyday life your playing field. You Can Do More and you will develop the capacity. Just focus on the present moment with an eye on the ideal you and the calendar will do the rest. It’s no more complicated than that. Pursue excellence in what a man can control—excellence in mind, health and money. Drill down on all three and Overwhelm Your Circumstances one day at a time. Read and write to develop your mind. Besides your Soul there is nothing more powerful that you possess. Take advantage of the best time ever to be alive and learn from the smartest in the world. Make it a habit to read every day; even if only for ten minutes. And then once in a while write down a few words about what it is you are thinking. As simple as it sounds it will help you to formulate and clarify your thoughts even further. Putting your thoughts to paper or screen will sharpen your mind and give you an advantage over those too lazy to do so; Be Willing to Do What Most Men Won’t. Lift and sprint. Work with the physical gifts that God gave you and use them a tool to harden your character and manifest a powerful physical presence. No need to go overboard here, alternate between lifting and cardio every other day. Developing your physique will add tremendous benefits to your life, both personally and socially. Personally, it’s hard to let much affect you when you walk around as a superior physical specimen. And socially, people are naturally attracted to a hardened man of obvious physical discipline. They can sense and are naturally drawn to his exceptional, raw energy. Next in the queue is to Cash Flow Every Month, regardless of what it is you do or how much you make. Take control of your money and spend less than you earn. It’s no more complicated than that. Even $100 a month can add up to a seven figures over a man’s work life. Have this be your ace in the hole no matter what happens. Always put some money away and cash flow every month. Pursue excellence in all three of these areas—mind, health, money—and do the same at work. Let excellence pervade all that you do until it becomes instinct. Use your work as an exercise to sharpen your edge. Bleed excellence into every hour of every day.

If you’re stuck in a rut, in a bad situation or just sick and tired of being sick and tired, then it’s time to pull out all the stops—it’s time to take it to the limit and Overwhelm Your Circumstances. At some point you’ve got to draw the line and get cold blooded serious. Enough with mediocrity, enough with half measures and enough with backdoors. Cross over to the other side and burn the bridge behind you. Take a deep dive into your Soul. Drill deep into your core. Figure out what it is you really want from this life and how you want to live it. And then get angry or find whatever reason you need to find. Clench your fists, grit your teeth and make an irreversible compact; not with the Creator, your woman or anyone else. But commit to yourself and then hold on for evermore. There comes a day in a man’s life when enough is enough. A day when nothing else really matters but the path you have chosen. This is the day when you find your Purpose and you find your way. Things may be bad, they may be ugly or just plain old. But there is now one compelling difference when your feet hit the ground each morning—the fire now burns within. It’s white hot, focused and burning bright like never before. It feels great to be of single minded Purpose and to not give a damn about anything else. You’re going to pursue your Mission and put your life on the line. There is now no other way. Become Blind to the Effort So you’ve experienced mediocrity, disappointment and failure. Good. You’ve now got a foil and the fuel to drive you forward. You tried it the other way and look where it got you. So it’s time to take off the gloves and go all out. Imagine where you could be in 5 years if you took your pursuits to the limit; if you set aside every distraction and focused on one main goal. If your quest is spine tingling or life changing in nature, then no effort will be too much. You will never regret it, no matter how hard you have to work to get there. Come out of the gate hard and clear a path in front of you. Quit wasting your time with television and alcohol. And then take that new free time and apply it directly to your quest. Next, create even more space for more effort by getting your ass out of bed. Life is for the awake. Get up at 4am during the week and sleep in to a lazy 6am on the weekends. Take pride in getting a head start while most other men are still hugging their pillow or burning off the previous night’s alcohol. No more TV, no more liquor and no more sleeping in until the last minute. Get up and bust a gut every day. Begin to identify with the struggle at hand. Embrace it and make it part of your character. Make it part of who you are. Expect there to be obstacles, difficulties and disappointment. And then do whatever it takes to climb over, go around or get back up—never say die. Harden yourself and commit to tremendous overwhelming effort. Acquire a champion’s spirit and send chills down your spine every day as you thrill yourself with gut busting pursuit. Remember, you’ve had your fill of the easy path. You are now going to push yourself and embrace the comfort of discomfort. It’s your new way of life. So the strategy here is simple, but not easy. You will work like you’ve never worked before and remain blind to the effort. And you won’t stop until you break through to the other side. Make not quitting reason enough Become Blind to the Time Sometimes the answer is to simply not quit. You might not even need to be that good. All it might take is to just Outlast Them All; or perhaps, to just outlast yourself and your own weaknesses. There is something to be said for sheer will and perseverance. They can turn an ordinary man into something special if only he would hold on and let the passage of time work its magic. Make the decision about where it is you want to end up or what you want to achieve and then commit to the Long Game.

Expect it all to come at you every day. Expect there to be chaos and difficulty; not in a pessimistic sense, but in a realistic one. There is just so much going on at once in this world, so much complexity and so many competing interests there is just no way to avoid it. Shit happens as they say. And sometimes, chaos and difficulty will go off the rails and manifest into tragedy. This is indeed life as we know it. Stoic philosophy would tell you that none of this should surprise you. As a man you are aware that people and things can and will go wrong. It should be obvious by now that disorder and malevolence pervade human existence. It follows then, that if you are affected by difficulties and you let them get you down, then the blame for your degraded state of mind rests with you. With the exception of unexpected personal tragedy, it should all be expected as par for the course. Why should any of this surprise you? You are keenly aware of the realities of life at this point. You are no longer a child, but a hardened man. And legitimate men of character handle things. They stand tall, they shoulder the load and they get things done, regardless of the circumstances. So this is what you will do. You will rise above it all and Make the Journey Its Own Reward. Yes, even when disorder and the storms of life roll in. At its core, life is about facing challenges and making things right as best as you can. And in the end, this is what will develop your character and purify your Soul. It is not success that makes the man. Success will simply reveal who he is. It is difficulty and struggle that will ultimately cultivate the greatness within. So you will embrace the challenges of life and expect them to continue as a matter of course. In fact, the more you get done and the higher you go, the more there will be. This is simply the natural order. But no matter what comes, you will still pursue Your Life’s Destiny—you will become the very best you can be and fulfill the promise of your innate God given potential. This is how you will justify your life and add meaning and purpose to every day. You will create order and symmetry out of chaos. You will embrace the struggle. And when tragedy strikes you will push back in Righteous Defiance. Live your life as such and then glory in the truest sense will be yours. Intrinsic Order and Symmetry Add a measure of elegance to all that you do by creating order and symmetry out of the disorder that comes your way. For both the extrinsic and intrinsic make sure everything within your control is in its proper place and within its proper balance. Disorder and chaos will add stress and confusion to your life. They will endeavor to push you off track and slow you down. Circumstances and people, by their very nature will act like a crosswind impeding your forward progress. They will add confusion and complexity. And they will become a drain on your reserves if unattended to. This is all to be expected. For those things over which you have no control, you will simply let be. There is no need to spend any time or mental energy in areas outside of your sphere of influence. Relieve yourself of a tremendous burden by letting go of that which you cannot control. Commit to this frame of mind as the foundation to getting your life in order. Make it the first step in removing unnecessary clutter. Let things be and focus only on what you can control. This will clear a path and allow for maximum focus. It will allow you to drill down on what you can directly affect and add clarity to each day. Another intrinsic step in your quest for a clean, razor sharp edge is to plan for the future, but learn to live your life in the present moment. Free your mind of the past, set the future aside and focus on the Now. Once again, this will create clarity. And it will also create order and balance. Within each day and beyond, you will focus on one thing at a time and set everyth...

So you’ve come out of the gate hard and you’re on your way. You realize that your life was—and is still—divinely inspired and there is no time to waste. When your feet hit the ground each morning there’s a fire that rages inside and propels you forward like no other time. It’s good to be alive, really alive. It feels great to walk around with steely determination and to know deep in your core you will simply not let go. There is no way you will be denied anymore. No matter the difficulties and no matter the naysayers, you will not stop and you will never quit. Even if some of those closest to you disappoint or even try to discourage or disparage your efforts, you have the courage of your convictions like no other time. To paraphrase The Blues Bothers, you’re on a Mission from God, you’ve got a full tank of gas and you’re going to hit it. You are now pursuing Your Life’s Destiny and it’s too bad if family and friends just can’t see it. You were once there yourself. You understand what it is to live on a different plane and to slumber through each day in the dark. Perhaps in the long run, your example will provide those you care about with a path upward. In any case, it doesn’t matter who it is, you will not be held back anymore. You will put yourself first and develop all of your innate potential—you will put yourself in the strongest possible position. Sometimes that’s all a man can do for those he cares about; for those who are not ready for the truth. And for those who are never ready, you will simply have to leave them behind. Holding yourself back will not do anyone any good. In the end we all have free will and must bear the consequences of our choices. It’s just the way it is. You’ve got audacious goals to tear after in your “Mission from God” so you will indeed hit the throttle and keep moving. Who knows though, what unknown possibilities will manifest themselves through your efforts? Life is now very exciting. But because there is now something more to your life than just earthly, superficial concerns, you have committed to take the long view. True conviction gives a man patience. Belief does indeed foster peace of mind. You’ve also become smarter and discovered the secret to maintaining this higher level of execution. It’s a philosophy that will provide you with the endurance and resilience to go on forever; to go on until the Creator finally calls you back home. You will Make the Journey Its Own Reward. Purpose & Meaning Let’s face it, in life there is much more journey than destination. There are only so many climactic moments. Most of life is spent in the pursuit of one’s goals and achievements. And even after their glorious attainment, it’s usually a day or two of celebration and then on to the next. A wise man also realizes that chasing after hedonistic pleasure and accumulation for its own sake will lead to an empty existence. Rewards that are largely driven from the outside, such as pleasure and material wants, eventually lose their luster; a tolerance will inevitably build up. This is the Hedonic Treadmill. An extrinsic and pleasure based existence leads to nowhere and will eventually take a man down. Thus you have the lives of many of the rich and famous we frequently see in the media. They have apparently achieved the pinnacle of success, but their lives are in tatters. Fame, wealth and victory provide tremendous bursts of pleasure, but without the proper foundation can lead to the miserable broken lives we hear and read about. In contrast, long term happiness and true success are largely driven by the intrinsic in nature. Having an overriding Purpose for your life is the ultimate intrinsic motivation. This is what will lead to true meaning and happiness. What better success could there be in life than developing yourself and being happy all the while? So find your Purpose. Create a Life Mission and Life Vision for how you want to live your life.

It all starts in your mind. Take some time on a regular basis to deliberately decide how you want to carry yourself each day and where it is you want to end up—Craft Your Life with purpose and precision. Tell your mind what it needs to hear. You do have the ability to teach your own mind how to think and how to work. Precision, repetition and deliberate action are the key. The modern term for this is neuroplasticity—your brain has the ability to reorganize and reprogram itself. Make it a regular habit to pull yourself away from family, friends and co-workers and spend some time alone. It can be five minutes, fifteen minutes or an afternoon. Make it solitary and make it quiet. Personally I like to reflect on and set my intentions on a daily basis before I start the day. Start by writing down your Life Mission, Life Vision and One Thing. Your Life Mission is the overriding code for how you will live your life. It’s the foundation for all that you do. Put your Mission before everything else and let it guide you in all your endeavors. And when things get difficult, dig in and hold on with Righteous Defiance; sometimes that’s all a man can do. Your Life Vision is the specific list of goals you wish to achieve and where and how you want to live your life. Create this Vision in your mind; see your surroundings, your achievements, your loved ones and yourself. Visualize your life as you would like to live it—feel it. Your One Thing is the ultimate achievement that will put you up in the High Country; it’s the one goal that will fuel your motivation like no other and light your life on fire. If you don’t have a One Thing then get one. Dig deep and decide what it is that would bring on the light like nothing else. Do so and it will change your life. Consider what you believe the Creator would want for you in all His benevolence. Treat yourself as you would your new born son and design your life with the same pride and joy. The Spark of Greatness is still within you, regardless of your past. Remember, the past is an illusion, it no longer exists. All that matters is the present moment and your plans for the future. Put your past behind you and commit to the glory ahead. With pen or keypad in hand get it done. Find the words and stake your claim to Purpose. With the above trifecta—Mission, Vision, One Thing— you will predict and then execute how you want to live your life with the precision of the written word. By deliberately articulating your ambitions you will define your life with razor sharp accuracy. Having specific and concrete words delineate your present and future self will be a huge advantage. It will set you apart. It will lift you up and provide you with tremendous focus. You will be able to pursue your life with clarity and a force of purpose; like few other men. Speak your Mission, Vision and One Thing to yourself out loud. Let your mind hear your voice over and over again. Driving alone in the car or any other solitary moment will do. You will create a positive feedback loop that will transform your life. First you will think and then you will write. From there you will speak and then you will take action. And each step will reinforce the other. Fire things up with Vision Fantastic, so let’s get to work and Achieve Personal Greatness. Begin by carrying yourself as if you are already years into your plans. You’ve made a serious and thoughtful decision about how you want to live your life and where it is you want to end up. You’ve specifically designed the very best version of you—so why wait? You’ve been there before. You’ve had a taste of it. We’ve all had those days where we’ve lived and executed on a higher plane. Become your ideal self today and leave the old you behind. You’re not a fool. You’re obviously aware of the work that still needs to be done. But if you conduct yourself as you see the future you, then you will be imbued with the energy and state of ...

Accept and embrace the idea that You Can Do More. Change your thinking about what you need to do, from obligation to opportunity. Consider each day that your feet hit the floor as a chance to get better. See yourself as the raw potential of divine origin. And then endeavor to reveal the personal greatness that lies within. There is no question in my view that if you are of sound mind, then you were born with exceptional potential. But it’s your responsibility and yours alone to pare away until your innate greatness is revealed. It will take some serious and concerted effort to realize this potential, but there is nothing more worthwhile that a man can do; you will never regret the effort—never. The same cannot be said, however, if you choose instead to take the easy path. Man up and choose the hard path. Thank the Creator that you live in a part of the world and in a time when this is possible; when a man can actually consider pursuing excellence, rather than just survival. If you are reading these words now, then you are one of these men. Never has so much opportunity, knowledge and upward mobility been available. Sadly, few will realize this. But no one said it was going to be easy. Nothing worthwhile is on this planet. This is simply the natural order. Start by taking Right Action in all that you do and Carry Yourself with Energy and Verve. This is how man should conduct himself. And this is how a man will begin to pull away from his old habits and then begin to change his destiny. Of course, everyday life involves much that is simply routine and sometimes unpleasant or difficult. Accept this as reality. It’s just the way it is. It’s the same for everyone. But then commit to rise above it all and execute at a higher level. This is what will create the separation you are looking for. There is no question at all you can control your perception and attitude towards events, circumstances and actions. This is extremely important. Control your perception and control your feelings, toughen up and smarten up. Consider everything you have to do each day as the most important thing you can be doing right at that moment; be it pleasant or unpleasant. And then do it well. Make it a core principle to do everything as best as you can. Do it all with vigor and style, no matter what it is. Enjoy yourself. This is a choice you can make. The only one stopping you is you. So get out of your own way. Live in the present moment and do everything at the highest level. This will be innately rewarding and be part of the fuel that propels you forward and upward. We’ve all seen other people who genuinely enjoy themselves as they go about their day. And they will consistently do so. They always seem to have all kinds of energy and a great attitude. This is a choice they have made. And it’s time to make the same damn choice yourself. If you’re tired of being tired, then flip the script. Train your mind by telling it each day what it needs to hear. You can rise above it all, you can perform at a very high level, you can enjoy yourself and you can become better; and then better still. After all, what’s the alternative? To slumber through your responsibilities and then drag yourself home and complain to your woman? This is no way to live. This is no way to spend each day. This is not what your woman and children want to see. This is not how you want to live. This is not your Life’s Destiny. No, your Life’s Destiny is to become the very best you can be—after all, this is why you are reading these words here today. Committing to your Life’s Destiny each day by pursuing a Mission of Virtue, Excellence and Quality, for example, will add meaning and purpose to each waking moment. Combining this with a specific and written Life Vision for what you wish to accomplish will light a fire under you like nothing else can. Double down and decide to get deadly serious while you’re at it.

Develop your character, get smarter, sculpt your physique, enjoy your woman and achieve financial independence. Pursue Virtue, Excellence and Quality. Carry yourself with energy and verve. Become the very best you can be. Live each day with POWER. In other words, become a Force of Nature. This is the core philosophy here at BFN. Focus on yourself and put yourself first; not to be selfish, but to the contrary. Make it a justification for every heart beat and every breath you take. Make it an expression of pure gratitude for all that is good and for all of those you love. Your Life’s Destiny, your reason for being, is to develop your innate potential despite all of the chaos you will encounter. You have been placed on this earth to face challenges and face them you will. So you will face them as man should by always putting forth your best and always striving to become better. By pursuing Virtue, Excellence and Quality each day, the magic of compounding will eventually begin to manifest itself. You will excel in your endeavors and all of those closest to you will benefit. And by extension, so will the rest of the world. Imagine if every man did so. Certainly mistakes would still occur and we’d be far from perfection. But there’s no question the world would be a much better place. So you will do your part and focus on what you can control. You will focus on you and lead by example. And you will set that example by outworking, outlasting and outthinking them all. Life is also a competition in many respects and if your goal is to pull away from the norm then you had better Be Willing To Do What Most Men Won’t. We are not playing games here and this isn’t a contest, so Be Your Own Man. But you had better commit to put the work in; and put the work in at a higher level than other men, both in terms of effort, consistency and smarts. If you wish to break away from the norm you are going to have to do more than the norm; much more. Discipline, Perseverance and Dynamism are the keys to your success. You don’t need to be a genius or blessed with any other special talent. Instead you need to Play the Long Game with a sense of urgency and be more disciplined, more consistent and more dynamic than the rest. Starting tomorrow, step boldly into your future and create a gap between you and the other 95% of the population out there running around every day. And then work your ass off to maintain that gap over time and allow it to compound. Make it a way of life. Make it a matter of pride. Make it your code. Most of what you need to do is not that complicated. You know what is required in order to excel. With a little imagination, some guts and some hardcore effort you can become twice the man you are today in no time. It’s this slight gap held on to over time which will make the difference. It’s all the little things done at a higher level each and every day, combined with some dynamic adjustments when necessary that will create the separation you’re looking for. This is what will allow you to pull away from the rest. Challenge yourself Here are some of the changes I’ve made to my life in the past few years to prime the pump: Create a Life Mission which is to Pursue Virtue, Excellence and Quality Create a Life Vision and One Thing Up at 4am weekdays Up at 6am weekends No more cable television Quit alcohol and grains, eat Paleo Fast 22 hours Monday-Friday, 16 hours Saturday and Sunday Work out every other day alternating weight training and sprints Back to my 19 year old prime weight of 185-190lbs Go minimalist—sell home, downsize car, new Spartan condo with zero maintenance Work 7 Days a week with appropriate leisure time Keep breaking new ground in my operating business Cash flow every month Read or write every day Start a blog and publish worldwide on multiple platforms Become the tip of the spear and take complete leadership at home

It’s not where you start that counts. It’s where you finish. Take this ideal to heart and apply it to every aspect of your life—happiness, health, physique, relationships, prosperity, career and achievements; anything that’s of significant value. Always remain determined that you will indeed have your way in the end. Let there be no doubt. Open your mind to the idea and promote it to yourself as who you want to become. Make it part of your essence, your character. Let it be the driving force behind all your worthy endeavors. Let it become a superpower. You will finish strong. You will achieve personal greatness. You will not be stopped. Repeat it over and over again. Re-wire your mindset. No one ever needs to know the extent of your ridiculous, never ending, and hardcore commitment. This is no one else’s concern because it’s about being your own man; about achieving your Life’s Destiny by becoming the very best you can be, which is a personal matter between you and the Creator. It’s a sacred pursuit. And it’s the reason your heart continues to beat each day. Keep it to yourself and the world will never see you coming—until it’s too late and you have ascended to the peak of where it is you want to be. Perhaps your primary aim is not a quantifiable outcome, but simply a state of being. And perhaps as well there is no end point to your particular goal. Good, because you will then have an unlimited source of white hot motivation. You will have fuel for the ages. Every man should be so lucky. Your life will be imbued with purpose and overflowing with meaning for the whole ride. But to get there you will need to eliminate all excuses. It doesn’t matter how hard you’ve fallen or even if you were never that good in the first place. Neither does it really matter how long it takes you to get to where you want to be, as long as you can eventually claim your summit. Once you’re there, you’re there. That’s all that counts in the end; not the effort and not the time. You will thank yourself for never giving up. What’s of primary importance is that you will be in constant determined pursuit, that you will never stop and that you are indeed committed to succeed; so that at some point the chase itself will become its own reward. And if you conduct yourself with Virtue, you’ll be living on a higher plane all along the way. So craft your Life Mission and then specify the details of your Life Vision—exactly what it is you desire to achieve during the very short time you have on this planet. And then pick your One Thing and wrap all the facets of your life around it. Let there be no doubt Light your life on fire and keep the heat on for an even steady burn. Take pride in the fact that every day is another fresh opportunity to exercise and develop your indomitable core—Every obstacle will be turned on its side to add depth to your character; every setback will be relished as an opportunity to learn; and every disappointment will be used to toughen you up and harden your will. You see, you have an advantage over other men. You have committed your life to the Long Game. It doesn’t matter what the cost, what the effort or how long it takes. You will not stop and you will never quit. When others will work to find a way out, you will fight to find a way back in. You are committed to a war of attrition; against circumstances, difficulties, other people and your own weaknesses. But besides the brute force approach you will also be smart. You will self-manage so that you can last. You will take it to the wall when you have to, but also make sure to get proper rest and recover when necessary. And you will constantly sharpen your axe as well. You will educate yourself and leverage any expertise you can, to learn and get better. You will get tougher, smarter and highly skilled at what you do until one day when it begins to compound into more than just the sum of its parts; until it becomes intu...

Change the tone and quality of your life. Carry Yourself With Energy And Verve each and every day. Live your life in the High Country and carry yourself as a man should; as you would expect your own son or father in all your best hopes and love for them to do. Make this a deliberate, non-negotiable hardcore choice; a promise to yourself, the Creator and all those you care about. Get your rest when you need it, but vow to never again slumber and drag yourself through another day. You will banish the old you; the old you that would allow disappointment and difficulty to affect your spirit, to break you; the old you that would simply go through the motions as a tired man and without direction. From now on, from this day forth, it doesn’t matter what life throws at you and how difficult things get. You will now push back in Righteous Defiance and do everything right for its own sake. You have a new Purpose in life, to live each day with a burning fire and a razor sharp edge. It will be as a matter of principle and become its own reward. Expect that you will be challenged, expect that people will disappoint you and expect that you will make mistakes. This is life, is it not? Why would you assume any different at this point? You’ve seen enough to know this. It’s the same for everyone. In this respect you are no different than any other man. You understand this by now. From this moment forth you will allow all the negative circumstances that come, to pass through you as the wind through your hands as they are held open at your side. You will feel this wind, certainly, but you will accept it openly as just the way it is and continue to stride forth with an indomitable spirit. You’ve already lived your life in the old way. And you’ve decided, no more. No more because you will now have a new essence; a new essence that you will stake your life on. You will stand tall in the face of it all, bravely and as a man should. And if you should fall, you will stand right back up again. You will always get back up. But by all that is right and just, it will now take a lot more to knock you over. Keep this up each day and it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It will become easier and easier to put yourself in an active state. Action will lead to more action and then action will lead to inspiration. And this in turn will allow you to climb the dominance hierarchy and it will propel you to a better life. You will acquire the respect of men and women will begin to stand a little closer and smile a little more than they should. Carrying yourself with energy and verve also means you will now believe in things worth believing in; whether they are true or not or whether they come to fruition or not, does not matter. Because some things are worth believing in—believing in and pursuing for their own sake. For example: Doing what’s right does matter, it does make a difference; whether you can immediately see the benefits or not. Facing each day with an indomitable spirit and working to become the very best you can be is noble and a worthy Purpose for the life you’ve been given. Pursuing Virtue, Excellence and Quality will change your reality and can affect the world; one man can make a difference. Honor, loyalty, discipline, self-denial, faith and love will conquer evil in the end; if not in this life, then in the next. And that a man can indeed bend reality and tip the natural order in his favor through Right Action and through his sheer, unrelenting, iron will So this is why you will rise up and tap into the divine origin of your creation—the Spark of Greatness that gave you life. You will put your Soul in charge and endeavor to handle it all. You will tap into all that is good from within and from without. Manifest a superior essence There is an unlimited amount of positive energy out there in the universe; this universe of incomprehensible dimensions,

So you woke up one morning and decided your life has spiraled into the excess. You’ve gotten soft physically and mentally. You’ve got way too much stuff, your financials are in the toilet and you’ve lost the luster you used to have with your woman. Losing the cool, razor sharp edge you used to have in your relationship was the last straw. You can see it in her eyes the magic and the excitement of old is now gone. But you can’t blame her can you? As you look at your waistline and the complete mess around you, it’s obvious that it’s your edge that’s been dulled. The responsibility is yours and yours alone to remain the tip of the spear. You know that. At least you’re willing to step up and take the blame, so give yourself some credit. After all, no man is perfect. Many will lose their way for a time. What separates a man of character from the rest is accountability. There is no blame to be laid elsewhere. You will shoulder it all. Fine. It is what it is. But it’s now time to Cut Away the Excess and Go Spartan. You will go it alone if you must, but things are going to change. You’ve gotten sucked into a lifestyle that is made to please the masses. But you are not the masses. You know this because you’ve become like them and it now sickens you. Your current state of affairs will provide a nice foil for long term motivation and the future you. There will be no more going along to get along. No more easy path. From now on it’s going to be lean and mean all the way. You will push yourself and get back to your physical prime. And you will also get off the Hedonic Treadmill of materialism and consumption. Your new physique, diet and material existence will lay a solid foundation. They will be an affirmation to you and send a signal to everyone else that you are on the move and on an upward Trajectory. And as you continue to harden your frame and rid yourself of material excess, your focus will shift to do the same with your mindset, financial matters and woman. Mindset It all starts in your mind. You will Craft Your Life by crafting your mindset. As I always say, your mind is second only to your Soul as a gift from the Creator. Just as you can exercise and change your diet to harden and sculpt your physique, so you can do the same with your mind. Put your Soul in charge and tell your mind what it needs to hear. Conveniently, your mind can be self directed to change the manner in which it functions through deliberate instruction and consistent repetition. You will give it that instruction and benefit from the tremendous leverage to be had—you will change your mind and change your life. A comment from Stanley in my post Enjoy Your Own Company – Live Deliberately says it best: “A man is brought down when he cannot decide whether to be positive or negative, when he oscillates between the two like a ping-pong; for one can be pitiful or powerful, but one cannot be both. For, if a man would live a long, peaceful and noble life, he cannot entertain weak, harmful, negative thoughts ten hours a day and expect to bring about a beautiful life.” So the first step then is to recognize when your mind is engaging in poor patterns of thought. Begin to pay attention to what you are thinking about. Become an observer of your mind. Take a step back and observe your thoughts each day. Make this a habit. And then learn to intercede and put a stop to negative and shallow thinking. Intercede and then replace. Replace negative and unproductive with their polar opposite: the positive and productive. For every unhelpful thought there is the inverse which is helpful and positive. Even if you’re not sure if the helpful version is true, you should deliberately apply it anyway. Think of it this way, some things in life are worth believing in regardless of whether or not they’re true. You’re not a fool. You’re not going to believe in fantasy. But for most of your negative thinking there is a polar opposite worth believing in...

Our culture here in the West has crossed over the line into one of the excess. The common belief, the common message is that more is better. Accumulate and consume—more, more, more. Is this really a man’s destiny; to prove his worth and value through his possessions and through self-indulgence? Should a man base his life on desire and pleasure? Should he take the path of least resistance and avoid discomfort at all costs? Have a look at yourself in a full length mirror in the morning before getting in the shower. Does your physique reflect the above paragraph? Are you slowly creeping your way into a physical manifestation of the above cultural values? And what about your diet, your home, your financials, your mindset and the relationship with your woman; are they spiraling into the realm excess, lack of direction and weakness? It is very easy in this hedonistic, media driven and coarse culture of ours for a man to lose his way. It is very easy to become soft and veer away from your ideal. After all, just about everyone else is headed in the same direction. The norm, by definition, becomes the accepted. It’s easy just to go along with the rest. But then one day you will run into a man who will strike a realization deep in your core. This man will stride into your presence with power and verve. He will stand tall and project an energy that will affect your consciousness. And he will shock you out of your slumber. It will be immediately obvious he is his own man and enjoys his own company. You will be able to see the effect he has on others and feel the effect he has on you. You will be physically and mentally intimidated. And because of this probably become somewhat resentful, but yet immediately admire and respect the man. Holy shit you will think to yourself, this is what I used to be like in my prime; full of energy and charisma, lean and powerful. You will be filled with regret over your lost potential, mourn the wasted time and it will continue to sting. And then in a quiet moment one day, you will clench your fists in anger. Enough is enough, you will think to yourself. I’ve had it with the normal and the accepted. I’ve had it with the easy path. And I’ve had it with being soft. It’s time to go hardcore. It’s time to Cut Away the Excess and Go Spartan. Physique You don’t need to be a bodybuilder, a power lifter or a competitive athlete. But you should develop and maintain some physical power and explosiveness. You’re a man after all. Read my posts Go Hardcore and Cut Weight Like a Man and How to Remain Exceptionally Fit for Life. Both of these articles will take you to where you need to go if you find yourself soft and out of condition. We live in the physical world and there is no doubt being lean, fit and powerful will be a tremendous benefit. It will help drive you forward and strongly affect the perception of others in your day to day dealings with people. When it looks like you were carved out of steel, people will step out of your way and automatically accord you a higher level of respect. Men will implicitly understand that you “own your shit” as they say. Women will get into the habit of standing a little too close to you and their smiles and eye contact will last a little longer than they should. This is simply the natural order and it is good. The benefits will be well worth it. Once you get there you will never look back and you will never let go. Getting control over your physique and reverting back to your prime will lay the foundation for the rest of your life. It takes discipline, denial, mental toughness and patience to become and remain lean, fit and powerful. This is a man’s pursuit and worthy of your commitment. And as you get to where you need to be and thrive, over time you will come to understand the same principles can be applied to the rest of your life. You will have concrete and manifest evidence in your physical being that you’ve got what it ta...

Cash Flow is the answer to all your financial goals and difficulties. You don’t need to be a genius, a big earner or special in any other way. All you need is a concrete plan and the will and discipline to make it happen. As a quick example, five of the $100 bills in the image above, invested monthly earning 10% in a total market index fund will compound to 3.16 million dollars over a 40 year work life. This is not an unrealistic scenario if you are gainfully employed. Structure your life so that you cash flow every month. Spend less than you earn and make sure there will always be cash left over after your bills are paid—to save, invest or pay down debt. Add tremendous meaning to each work day knowing you’ve got your financials buttoned down, no matter how modest your income may be. End each day wealthier than you started, it’s that simple. The goal should be to consistently improve your net worth. It’s amazing how much less the usual annoyances at work will bother you when you’re a man of financial control and prosperity. There will be much less stress and you will enjoy a higher quality of life because of it. And as you succeed over time, it will free your spirit to know you could walk away if you needed—to know you have the means to survive if you lost your employment. Add another layer to your impressive character by cash flowing each month. Live modestly and with restraint, so that you can work to thrive rather than just work to survive. A man who is thriving carries himself differently than other men. He exudes tremendous energy and impressive charisma. People are naturally attracted to him and he enjoys his own company. If you’re going to spend all that time at work, then you might as well be smart about it. Be smart and make sure to cash flow. Change Your Mindset If you find yourself earning a full time living and surrounded by nice things—but not cash flowing—it’s time to change your mindset and it’s time to start living below your means. As the saying goes, be willing to do the things others are unwilling to do now, so that you can do the things others are unable to do later. Ask yourself if material wealth is more important than financial security and peace of mind. Is it really worth being a slave to debt and a slave to your employer, just so you can surround yourself with luxuries that you can’t really afford? If you lost your job tomorrow and would be out of cash in 60-90 Days, then you have indeed surrounded yourself with unnecessary luxuries. And something had better change because it is likely that at some point you will lose your job. Do you have 6 months or a year’s living expenses cash in the bank? Or even $5000? No matter how talented you are cutbacks, consolidations and offshoring simply do not care. No man is safe, no man is invulnerable. And what about the possibility of not having to work someday? Or retiring? Or working at something you really enjoy? Is your current lifestyle or standard of living preventing these from being possible? Are you currently able to save and invest for the future? On another level, is the stress from work and debt affecting your health? Debt is a killer and can manifest itself in many unhealthy ways over time. Is it worth trading your health for material wealth? If you have been backed into a corner, take a step back and adjust your priorities. Make quality of life, peace of mind, health and financial independence the primary goals for you and your woman. After all, when it’s all said and done, these are the things along with love and Virtue that really matter; not the rat race of materialism and consumption. So change your mindset from one that values the extrinsic to one that values the intrinsic. Learn to live below your means. Make cash flow and a growing net worth your quiet indicators of success. And then one day, your focus on intrinsic will be able to effortlessly provide the extrinsic.

If you are not living your life as you should, you wouldn’t be the first man to veer off course. It’s easy to get sidetracked with the demands of family, work and the many difficulties that will come your way. Sometimes it’s easier to just go with the flow and take the easy path. You might even find yourself one day with an existence immersed in shallow distractions as a means of hiding from yourself. Yes, hiding from yourself. We’ve all been guilty of it at some point. There is no bigger disappointment than letting yourself down to the point where you’ve become less than you had hoped for. So you end up hiding from yourself, as pathetic and weak as that sounds. You end up using shallow distractions or worse as a means of escape, an escape from the truth; a truth that hurts. Activities or actions from the benign to the destructive are used to cover up for betraying who you should really be; for finding yourself leading your life in the wrong direction. And for wasting all the potential and high hopes you had for your future. Deep down you know your true nature and your true ideal. And if you are not living up to that ideal there will be a price to pay. You will not be happy and you will not like who you have become. But at some point enough becomes enough. At some point you’ve got to put a stop to it. One morning you will wake up and be sick of yourself. You will not enjoy your own company and you will not be proud of who you have become. And you will know you have tarnished your Soul to an extent. It’s at this point you will become angry. Good. Get angry at yourself and use that anger to fuel the courage you will need to get back on track with your true nature, your true ideal. Cross over to what you know is right and burn the bridge behind you. Set it on fire and never look back. Pursue the glory that is yours to be had by becoming the very best you can be. Be true to your nature and get in line with what is right. Deep down you know what that is. Commit to change course and to never stop and never quit. This is something you will never regret. And then one day as you walk around like hardened steel, cutting through your life with a razor sharp edge, it will be entertaining just to be you—you will enjoy your own company. Stop Doing Things That Are Wrong At some point in your life you’ve been untouchable. You were your own man and the world was your playing field. It was great to be you and you were unstoppable. Let’s get back to that ideal. Just as your body wants heal itself from injury, so your soul and core character wants to heal itself as well. And if you are not pursuing your very best, then you need to heal yourself and get better—get better, feel better, live better. The first step is to stop doing things that are wrong. And the second step is to stop doing things that make you weak. Be honest with yourself here. Virtue is the answer for the former and Discipline the answer for the latter. Run towards Virtue and embrace Discipline. Do these two things like your life depended on it. And as a consequence you will stop doing things are wrong and stop doing things that make you weak. Better to run towards something positive than away from something negative as a means of focus. De-emphasize the negative and accentuate the positive. It just works better. It’s hard to forget something you’re always trying to avoid. Avoidance keeps the negative fresh in your mind. Instead, displace wrong and weak with Virtue and Discipline. Flip the script with the best there is. Acquire the courage to pursue Virtue and develop the heart of a lion through Discipline. Grow up and become a man in the truest sense. If this was all you did each day for the rest of your life, embody Virtue and Discipline in all that you do, untold opportunity and possibility will eventually manifest themselves as if guided by hand. Doing wrong and being weak will hold you back.

As you walk around each day you should enjoy your own company. It should be entertaining just to be you. Your conscience should be clear. You should be proud of your achievements. Your plans for the future should excite you. And you should enjoy peace of mind. The weight of your character should lead all that you do. You should literally be able to feel your character as a positive form of energy that powers you through each day. It will help drive you at full throttle from morning until night; until it is time to relax, recuperate and rest. And you should also feel the positive effect you have on others. Each person you have meaningful interaction with should walk away the better for it. Not only will this benefit them, but it will also benefit you. Your social interactions will become a positive feedback loop. You will lift them up and they too will reciprocate with more positive energy—positive energy that you helped to manifest from within them. Confidence in who you are, what you believe and what you stand for should pervade your mindset. There should be no confusion about the core of who you are and what you believe. There is always something impressive about a man who knows who he is and is comfortable in his own skin. You will excite people and set an example for them to model after. Knowing this will be good and it will be very rewarding in its own regard. So the plan then is to work to become the very best you can be; to develop yourself nonstop as a way of life, to become a Force of Nature as I call it. And to enjoy your own company. The Best Way To Live A man, who has developed himself to the point where he enjoys his own company, leads a happy and productive life. If you’re comfortable with whom you are and enjoy your own character it is simply the best way to live. Nothing can make a man bulletproof, but being happy with who you are is pretty tough to beat—it doesn’t get much better. In contrast, you could be wealthy, famous and the object of desire for many beautiful women, but if you’re a weasel and you know it, life will not be good for you. You will not enjoy your own company. And much of your energy will be spent on activities and shallow distractions as an escape from who you really are. We’ve all seen this in others and perhaps experienced it in our own lives for a time. Just consider many of the personalities profiled in the media who have achieved tremendous things, yet leave a path of broken relationships and bad decisions behind them. And when you have a look at them a few years later, the lack of good character becomes obvious in their painful and unhealthy countenance. It is easy to see. Compare this with a regular Joe who quietly pursues Right Action, Virtue and continuously works to develop himself. Here you will have a man with a clear conscience and rock solid character—a man who will enjoy his own company and is genuinely happy. Such a man will take delight in each day of his life. He will take pleasure in the simple things and require very little to be at peace. And he will make those around him better people for knowing him. So do yourself a favor. Be your own man. Be true to your nature. And pursue Virtue, Excellence and Quality in all that you do. Do these things and you will enjoy your own company. And in doing so, you will also make the world a better place. Forgive yourself and achieve personal greatness Forgive Yourself Some of you out there might be writing yourselves off because you’re in a bad place right now or perhaps because of some bad decisions or mistakes you’ve made. If that’s the case, learn to put your past behind you. You’re not the first man to screw up and you won’t be the last. The Creator is well aware of your fallibility and yet still yearns to see you achieve personal greatness. After all, this is your Life’s Destiny. It is the reason why you exist. It is never too late. So forgive yourself if you have to.

Craft your life as a work of art. Regardless of the current mess you might be in or whatever else might be causing you distress, set the bar high and then tear after it. Don’t let anything hold you back. Life is always going to be messy. Just accept it. All manner of difficulty and many people are going to get in the way. And some of those people might even be you. Accept the reality that obstacles will never cease and vow to always press ahead regardless. By pursuing what you know is right, circumstances will eventually have a way of correcting themselves. Think about it, what better way could there be to live each day than working towards your ideal self? And way back in the recesses of your mind there is an ideal, isn’t there? No matter how much at this point you may have been diverted, deep down you know how you should be living your life. You do have a Life’s Destiny. And this undeniable destiny is to become the very best man you can be, in whatever form that might take specific to your God given nature. Deep in your core, deep in your Soul you know how you should be living your life. Have the courage to let it all hang out for once. Or as my father used to say, play the damn game with total abandon. Go for it. Get angry with yourself if you have to. Or get angry at life. Whatever works for you is all that matters. Doing the right things, even for the wrong reasons is still a good thing. Doing the right things will eventually have a curative effect and put you on the right plane of being. So put a great plan together and get started. Cut away the shallow distractions Conduct Even if the ultimate goal is unclear, how you should be conducting yourself each day is undeniable. Be honest. There is indeed a higher level of behavior to be had—right now. You can do more. You can manifest the energy. And you can conduct yourself at a higher level. Start simply by removing the shallow distractions from your life. If not all at once, then pare away over time. You must start somewhere. Start with what you can. Shed some unnecessary habits. Lighten the load. Remove some resistance and develop some momentum. As you get going, it will become easier and easier to dial in and lean yourself out from the negatives that are holding you back and making you weak. Make it your goal to eventually stop doing everything you know is unhelpful in your life, even the little things. Clear a path so that you can develop all the positive energy you need. Remove anything that will dull your edge as you begin to cut through each day with a vengeance. And then in parallel and with total abandon, start taking Right Action. Pull the trigger and begin doing what you know you should be doing. Sharpen your edge. Action will lead to more action and then action will lead to inspiration. Momentum will become your ally and then the fog of life will begin to lift. Conducting yourself as you know you should, will lead to clarity and it is then that you will begin to craft the specifics. Affirm your ideal self Specifics Design your life explicitly. And design it with all the God given potential that lies within. Step outside of yourself and consider what the Creator in all His benevolence would want for you. And then write it all down. Imagine what you could become and what you could achieve if you tapped into your true inherent potential. You know it’s in there. Don’t hide from yourself. Every man of sound mind has personal greatness within. Accept the responsibility and create your new reality. The process to do so is thoughts, words and then actions. Start carving away and get specific. Open up your mind and create your ideal day and the ideal you. Besides your tangible achievements, it should also include your state of mind. There should be happiness, peace, energy and verve. Imagine where you would like to live, your finances and the state of your home.