The Blog for Stronger Men

Why I created The Blog for Stronger Men

2012-01-31T07:20:00.000-05:00

"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. This I did"
-T.E. Lawrence

Its been 1 year since this blog was created.

I entire year of helping you reach your goals and helping me reach mine. I remember the night I created the blog and pride I had writing posts in my notebook while I was in class, or typing something up while at lunch, and even hitting you up on Facebook.

Its been fuckin awesome talking to you guys every single day since then and it aint close to stopping anytime soon. The blog will change, it will grow, and new things will be happening all of the time, but the message will always be the same.

Become The STRONGEST Version of Yourself.

Check out why I created the blog below and let me know in the comments section how the blog has helped you the most.

TBSM Recommends:

Use your Weakness to help others

Live a Life of Integrity

Hard Work is Not Easy

Don't Ignore Your Values

Don't Ignore Your Values

2012-01-23T18:20:00.000-05:00

"I made a lot of people uncomfortable by telling a kid he should quit his job so that he could follow his values. What a crazy idea"

-Elliott Hulse

As you know, I was working like crazy over the holidays starting since Black Friday and talked about hard work, but I also committed a HUGE mistake.

Since I chose to work so much, I sacrificed a few of my values just so I can get a ton of cash; which is something I hate living for.

One of those values was Strength training and as I continued to work instead of train, I got REALLY weak and lost a ton of weight. Going from 180 to 150 sucks and I noticed how my lack of training was affecting me as I would get back pack at work.......and I'm only 20 years old.....

Things have changed since then and after not training for almost 2 months, I am now part of the Man-O-Morphosis contest that I and a bunch of other dudes have got into so we can not only look Badass but also live our lives better.

I went up to Krank systems up in Nutley to be trained by Coach Pete Isip for the day and that shit was sick!!! Literally.

A TON of weaknesses were exposed but I loved every second of training again and will be documenting my progress over the next 12 weeks as I head to a bunch of gyms to not only look Stronger, but become Stronger.

Next up is John Gaglione's Gaglione Strength Gym in Strong Island, NY and if you've listened to the interview I had with John, you'll know that he's gonna help me get even Stronger than before and closer to my goals.

Check out the video and learn from my mistakes; don't put frivolous crap ahead of your values.
-Andres

QoD: Are you sacrificing your values to get something?

TBSM Recommends:

Hard Work is Not Easy

Big Muscles Bigger Heart

Live a Life of Integrity

Do You Hate Your Job?

Use your Weakness to help others

2012-01-11T08:33:00.001-05:00

“Many small people, in many small places, do many small things, that can alter the face of the world.”

-Anonymous

Like Sean Stephenson was told by his mother, are you going to let whats happening to you be a gift or a burden?

I am still working on becoming a Stronger person and through all the years that I've been weak and the lack of guidance I received, I'm using that to help others; to teach what I've learned about being Stronger to help others become Stronger.

What are you dealing with?

Your passion in life doesn't even have to deal with the obstacles you've had, but if it is, what are you determined to do about it? Sean decided that through everything he's learned, his life plan is to have others become more than comfortable in their own skin and live their life according to what they want it to be.

Zach Even-Esh is all about helping athletes, specifically wrestlers, become national champions, to become the best, and avoid the frustrations of injuries and losing like he did in his past.

Martin Luther King Jr used the struggle, inequality, and racism he endured throughout his life as tools and lessons to help change the world for the betterment of mankind.

What are YOU going to do?

What are you facing that you don't want others to deal with?

Again, what you do for others has nothing to do with the losses or frustrations you've dealt with in life, but if those frustrations are pushing you to prevent others from dealing with the same thing, why not make that into your mission/career?
-Andres

QoD: Are you going to let whatever 'negative' things that are happening to you become a gift or a burden?

TBSM Recommends:

Interview with Sean Stephenson

Do You Hate Your Job?

Want Pity?

How to Deal With Pain

Do you Have a New Year Resolution?

2012-01-04T08:44:00.000-05:00

Promise little and do much.

~Hebrew Proverb

If New Years Resolutions' work for you, keep doing them.

If you accomplish the promises and goals you set for yourself that midnight, then this is probably your type of planning for kicking ass; but if you tend to just forget about what you've promised then chances are that a New Years Resolution isn't going to make your life more Kickass.

In that instance, its just an empty promise.

If you urging for a change then why wait till the first of the year to start doing something about it? Don't hesitate, take action!! If you want something right now then start doing something today to get you what you want.

Its not hard, and in most cases you'll even get what you want unbelievably sooner than you would expect. The problem is is that too many have been brainwashed into believing that it takes a crazy amount of devoted time, effort, and a miracle in order to be incredibly happy in life; those are all lies.

If you need to set goals, don't just lay them out in some New Years promise. Write down what you want, break it down to its simplist form, and write down all the tangible goals that will all get you to that ultimate goal.

Be Strong in what you want fellas. No ones going to hand you anything and have that expectation of yourself of earning things instead of just getting them cause you want them.

New Years is just another day so if your waiting for just another day to make a promise to yourself, do it today.
-Andres

QoD: Are you making promises to yourself that your going to actually fulfill or are you just talking a big game?

TBSM Recommends:

Taking Risks

Take it 1 Step at a Time

Do WORK

Mindset of a Quitter

Hard Work is Not Easy

2011-12-29T03:59:00.000-05:00

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
-Vince Lombardi

You can talk a big talk about how hard you work, how you don't quit easily, etc. The only thing that matters is the proof you set when your actually in the trenches.

This past week I've finished two shifts, one 12 hours and just 15 minutes ago, an 11 hour shift. Working that long when you want to be home is NOT easy. The thing is two other people I worked with today volunteered to come in and help us out.

It was like this EVERYwhere

One of the volunteers, Ashley, had not only done an 8 hour shift a few hours prior to coming into the store, but she was the only one who didn't complain once.

I asked her why she was still in the store, since she could have left at any time, and she simply just asked me "why are you asking that?"

Hard work ain't easy and if there's something you want badly, then be prepared to see it often cause it comes with the territory. Late nights, early mornings, slow gains, crazy goals, these are all things you will deal with if you choose to live the badass lifestyle you want to live; and if it scares you, good. Its called thinning out the herd for a reason.

Many will tell you to quit, to stop trying so hard, and to "think about yourself". If your honest about what you want to do, then ignore them and work hard for what you want.
-Andres

QoD: How much work are you willing to do to get what you want?

TBSM Recommends:

Are You Ready for the Pain?

Want Pity?

Instant Gratification

Do You Hate Your Job?

Interviews with the Baddest Men in the World

2011-12-23T13:20:00.001-05:00

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself. ~Alfred Sheinwold

If you haven't been part of the Facebook or Twitter community, come join us cause that is where I post every single day.

As part of those communities I've been giving a weekly interview post with some of the Strongest dudes I know and for Christmas I want to give them to you all in this one post.

Elliott Hulse Interview from Yo Elliott, HulseStrength.com, and Lean Hybrid Muscle

Sean Stephenson Interview author of Get off your 'But'

Matt Wichlinski Interview owner of The Strength Shop

Isaac Wilkins Interview owner and author of The Strength Lifestyle

G.R. Hoff Interview owner and coach of Dungeon Strength and Conditioning

John Gaglione Interview owner and coach of Gaglione Strength

Happy Holidays and enjoy the knowledge bomb I was lucky to obtain.
-Andres

Live a Life of Integrity

2011-12-22T04:26:00.000-05:00

"The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain."

-Confucius

Don't compromise your values, standards, or principles.

No matter what may be at stake, be wary of what you do and don't do. Living the life you want means knowing what you DON'T and WON'T want to do.

It don't matter if you think that chick is hot, if she's in a relationship with someone else, then don't pursue anything more than a friendship. Even if the money is just right in front of your face, don't fall into a shady deal just to make a ton of cash. And while it is really easy to do and no one may even noticce, don't take stuff that isn't yours.

These are some of my values. In regards to each one of these, I have been with someone who was already in a relationship, I have stolen, and I have compromised things to get ahead.

All of those actions are things that had horrible consequences and/or feelings of remorse because I knew they were all choices that were hurting me; but I have made these actions into 3 things that I won't ever do again.

It doesn't matter what you've done, as long as you have bounced back, dealt with the consequences, and learned, you'll have taken several steps towards becoming the kind of Man your GOING to be.

At times, compromising yourself will seem like the most enjoyable choice, but don't forget about what kind of character you want to represent in the present; the future; to yourself; and for others to follow.
-Andres

QoD: Do you always uphold your values, principles, and standards?

TBSM Recommends:

Having Standards

Do You Hate Your Job?

Do What You Love

FIGHT for Your Independence

Do You Hate Your Job?

2011-12-13T23:49:00.000-05:00

"I'm afraid of what I won"t become. Your afraid of what I will become"

-Micheal Jordon

Wasting away your time and energy for a paycheck is totally bogus.

I loathe thinking about going to a job I hate, knowing that I'm able to do bigger and better things; knowing that there are other things I want to do.

If you hate the job you have, relationships your in, or even lifestyle you have, take ACTIVE steps towards getting to where you want to be. Do the things that are going to help you live the life you WANT to live. If you desperately need the paycheck but you hate the job, then do something on the side to find a job you'll enjoy.

Don't play the BS role about how you don't have time or your too tired to do the things that are going to help you. If you apply to 1 job, then you've already given yourself the incredible possibility of earning money at a place you like.

If you give 1 person that is giving your life a ton of negativity less attention than usual, then you have actively decreased the amount of negativity you receive each day.

A TON of people will be upset about the advancements your making to your life, but who cares. They aren't dealing with the anger and boredom you face everyday. They don't deal with the consequences of being in a place that you hate. YOU DO. Time is limited; it aint worth wasting doing stupid shit that hurts you.

Do the things that you love. NO excuses. Time is too short for all the bullshit.
-Andres

QoD: Are you actively taking steps towards living your ideal lifestyle?

TBSM Recommends:

Can You Handle It?

Do WORK

Wheres Your Support

Getting Away From the Crowd

Getting Over Peer Pressure

2011-12-08T01:22:00.000-05:00

"You are exactly where you want to be"

-Zach Even-Esh

If your falling into peer pressure, then its probably because you haven't set your values straight.

Whats important to you? What do you want to to do? What do you not want to do? Its all about having Standards and knowing your limits.

If your not sure then your clearly open to be bended and persuaded into trying to do something your not really sure about or haven't thought too much about. Take the time to not only know, but too also understand you Values, Standards, and Boundaries.

The other thing is confidence.

If your not confident in anything that you do or anything that you represent then you gotta start working on that aspect of your life.

Understand, begin to truly know that you can make decisions for yourself. YOU are responsible for YOUR actions. No matter what anyone tells you or makes your feel, no matter how insecure you are or afraid of the responsibility, YOU are the one in control.

If you give in to peer pressure often, then thats because you have chosen to give other people's opinions of you more importance. YOU are the one who's allowing yourself to be peer pressured.

Own yourself. Do work towards acquiring the mindset of being responsible for your own actions.

It doesn't matter if its tough, if you think its impossible, or whatever excuse you have for not making your life better. The truth is, it IS possible. You can grow and you will grow as long as you continue to surround yourself and learn how to become Stronger.

Once you have adopted the traits which make you Stronger, then guess what, you won't fall into peer pressure anymore and your life will be much more incredible.
-Andres

QoD: What are you going to be doing to prevent succombing towards peer pressure?

TBSM Recommends:

Are You Ready for the Pain?

Do You Doubt Yourself?

Can You Handle It?

Wheres Your Support

Are You Ready for the Pain?

2011-12-01T00:48:00.000-05:00

"Now if you know what your worth then go out and get what your worth but you gotta be willing to take the hits!"

-Rocky Balboa to his son

Getting to where you want to be is simple....

If you want something then you have to do a certain thing. Simple right?

Why is it that too many people get overwhelmed, give into fear, and even quit at the thought that the attainment of there goal is going to be hard. Its cause too many people are simply WEAK.

I don't know what it was like before my time, but growing up, the idea that everyone's a winner, the applaud for trying, and the idea of walking away from controversy brainwashed me into being a weak ass dude. Everyone isn't a winner. There are losers, and when you lose that is when you realize that you have to work harder to become a winner.

Why walk away? Are you going to walk away from every type of confrontation that approaches you? You gonna play it safe all of the time and do your best not to step on anybody's toes? Why?!?!

There is nothing to fear about failure. There is nothing to fear about being a loser. Those are small instances of life called learning experiences.

If you fail at something then you failed. Get tougher and do it again. Hardship promotes Strength and it isn't about avoiding hardship; tough, shitty situations are sometimes unavoidable. You will experience pain BUT it isn't about avoiding pain.

Its about being tough enough to deal with it and eventually get passed it. Too many people have been brainwashed into believing that being weak is the optimal choice, that being Strong is too fucking hard. Being weak SUCKS.

I was often times depressed, bitchy, and wondering why bad things were always happening to me, and the reason all of this happened was becuase I didnt prepare myself to be Strong.

Prepare YOUrself to be Tough.
-Andres

QoD: Are you tough enough to deal with pain or would you rather be weak?

TBSM Recommends:

Can You Handle It?

Want Pity?

Why become Stronger?

Consequence of Actions

Do You Doubt Yourself?

2011-11-29T23:16:00.000-05:00

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent"

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Doubting yourself will change your character.

It will change your reactions, the way you think, and several other aspects of your life.

The mind starts to become dependent on what others think of you. You start to look to others for constant advice and approval instead of relying on yourself, and people will treat you like a child.

Do you want someone to let you know if its alright to go out on a Wednesday? Are you fearful about someone finding out that you chose to not go to work today? Its your damn life, your not 8 years old and unaware of the consequences.


Did Troy doubt himself here?

You know what to do, how to handle yourself, and even if you don't, that is more of a reason to STOP looking at others for help and start learning how to hold your own.

Experience is a great teacher and if you mess up a couple of times then it doesn't matter because that is what it takes for you to learn to be dependent on yourself; you have to fuck up sometimes in order to become aware of what your capable of and what you need to start improving.

Just because someone doesn't like what you do or say and is constantly hurting your feelings doesn't mean you should change your whole lifestyle just to change that person's reaction towards you.

Deal with it.

Do what YOU want to do, do what YOU feel you need to do, and live according to what YOU believe is the way to live your life.

There will always be somebody who tries to annoy you, nag at you, and even get pissed off just cause you don't do what they want you to do.

Live according to what YOU want.
-Andres

QoD: There's a time and a place for everything, but are you always doubting yourself?

TBSM Recommends:

Steps to Becoming Stronger

Can You Handle It?

Want Pity?

Wheres Your Support

Steps to Becoming Stronger

2011-11-17T00:33:00.000-05:00

"Do Work SON"

-Krank Systems

Steps to becoming the Strongest version of yourself, based off of Abraham Maslow's steps towards Self Actualization.

1. Be willing to change

2. Take responsibilty for everything that you do

3. Be self reflective and aware of why your doing things

4. Be willing to experience whatever is thrown at you; whether it be good or bad

5. Make use of positive experiences; take advantage of great opportunities

6. Prepare to be different

7. Be prepared to do work, change isn't going to happen by itself

8. Assess your progress periodically

Everyone is capable of becoming Stronger. All it takes is a little patience and a ton of work.
-Andres

QoD: What are you doing to become Stronger?

TBSM Recommends:

Do WORK

Why become Stronger?

You Have to OWN Yourself

Having a STRONG Mindset

Can You Handle It?

2011-11-16T01:52:00.001-05:00

“Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”

-Bruce Lee

Can you handle pain?

How bout failure, disappointment, and loss? Everyone can handle what is presented to them and no matter what your condition is, you are not helpless.

Defeat is a state of mind and doesn't ever have to become your reality. Susan Jeffers says in her book that one is able to handle more than they think they can and if it doesn't kill you then you can handle it. If your not sure about what you can do then go ahead and do the things that will create more trust in your abilities.

If you don't think you can get Stronger physically, see how much Stronger you are compared to an earlier version of yourself a few years back.

If you think you can't succeed at anything, then remind yourself of all the accomplishments you have that were hard at one point; like passing a certain test or overcoming a certain obstacle.

YOU can handle anything. If you fail then you fail, but you can handle failure. If you make a mistake, realize that you can handle a mistake.

If it doesn't kill you then you can handle it.
-Andres

AoD: Realize that you can handle whatever knocks on your door.

TBSM Recommends:

Mindset of a Quitter

Want Pity?

When You Can't SEE Success

Are You Hopeless?

Planting a seed

2011-11-10T01:03:00.000-05:00

"Think different"

-Apple

Elliott planted the seed, the idea that this blog should exist.

All my life I knew I wanted to help people but I didn't know the correct terms or way I wanted to help them. When Elliot stated that he wanted to help others become the Strongest versions of themselves, that is when it became clear about how I wanted to help others.

If he didn't talk about that, if he chose to keep his mouth shut then you would be doing something else right now. There are consequences for ALL of your actions.

Whether or not you think they are big or small, important or not, they can change someones perspective and goals.

I know that if I chose to stop being the person I am, a ton of people would still be confused, forgotten, and even worse off. Same thing goes for you. If you stop doing the things your best at, if you stop being the person you are, if you stop doing things that make you happy, then a ton of people wil suffer for it.

Not only will others be hurt but most of all, so will you. By being a Strong person you become the example others want to follow; and you don't even have to do anything.

Don't continue trying to please everybody.

Don't conform to start acting the right way.

Don't give up simply because most people talk trash and your afraid to succeed on your own.

Be Strong and you'll not only live a badass life but you'll plant the seed in others that they too can have one.
-Andres

QoD: Are you living the life YOU want or the life someone else wants for you?

TBSM Recommends:

Consequence of Actions

Having a STRONG Mindset

You Have to OWN Yourself

Wheres Your Support

Do WORK

2011-11-08T00:47:00.000-05:00

"Do what you can, when you can, as often as you can"

-Eric Thomas

Are you putting in that 100% every single day?

No matter what it is, are you doing the best you have to offer?

Sure, everyday isn't the same but is your drive just as sporadic? Is your work ethic, your standards for doing work just as unsteady? Talking a big talk about what you want to do is nice and all but you gotta actually DO what you say you wanna do in order to reap the benefits.

If an opportunity arises for you, take it. Capitalize on EVERY chance you have.

Giving into fear is NOT an option. Thinking that things are moving too fast is completely lame and if thats your excuse then your most likely not Strong enough to accomplish your goal in the first place.

As Krank Systems would say. DO WORK SON.

Do what you have to do to get things done.
-Andres

QoD: Are you doing everything you can to succeed?

TBSM Recommends:

Making excuses

Want Pity?

Hustle or be Left Behind

Persistence

Want Pity?

2011-11-03T00:25:00.000-04:00

I don't pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being.
-Theodore Roosevelt

Throwing yourself a pity party isnt gonna help you in ANY way.

Things are tough. You may not be seeing the results you expect. You may feel like crap over what you've failed to do and not do. BUT, feeling sorry for yourself isn't changing anything.

When things have been rough for days its easy to start talking trash about whats going on and how things aren't fair, but that kind of talk is messing with you. Its promoting YOU to continue to act and talk like a victim; to be weak.

Continue to blow off some steam though.

For me, I don't expect or want anyone to feel sorry for me. I just wanna get rid of this lingering frustration, which I've done by talking to my best friend. DO the things that get rid of your frustration. If hitting things helps clear your head, get a punching bag (avoid hitting people). If writings your thing, go ahead.

Bitching to people is only gonna get them to continue running away from you and do you really wanna be that guy who's always complaining and playing the victim role?

Pity is for bitches and Strong dudes aren't bitchy.
-Andres

QoD: What do you do to get rid of your frustrations?

TBSM Recommends:

Wheres Your Support

In a Rut?

Be Strong

Thinking Too Much

Wheres Your Support

2011-11-02T00:30:00.001-04:00

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on"

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Wheres your support system?

For a long time I've done things by myself. Not needing the approval of anybody or anything to push me to do something or have anybody around to nag me about why.

For a long time I also didn't have anyone to bounce ideas off of either. Not until recently have I seen how a good set of people can help support any idea, relay new ideas, or even be straight up with you about what your doing.

Having a support system and people who genuinely don't want to put you down is a VERY important thing to have. Being in a lone wolf pack sounds cool to some but it isn't helpful or as helpful when you have other people bringing in new ideas to the table.

The people who support you can ease a lot of frustration simply by listening to what you gotta say. Support systems can be anyone from a family member to a bunch of friends, to a group of like minded individuals into the same type of things that your into.

Go find people in a certain group or hit up one of your closest friends and talk to them about whats on your mind and what you want to do to Move Forward. It can make all the difference.
-Andres

QoD: Do ou have a support system? Do you have anyone to bounce ideas off of and talk to when things get tough?

TBSM Recommends:

In a Rut?

Learning from Various Sources

Getting to the Top

Learning From Experience

In a Rut?

2011-10-26T23:56:00.000-04:00

"There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction"
-John F. Kennedy

Living through the motions is one of the worst experiences I've ever had.

Doing the same thing over and over again is NOT the way to live your life. For me, it was waking up, going to school, coming home, watching tv, sleeping, and then doing it all over again with the occasional 'spontaneous' weekend.

As I remember how things used to be, I remind myself to never go back to that state of comfortable again.

When your just going through the motions, you aren't having fun. You aren't growing or doing new things. Your secure lifestyle and thinking that you'll eventually have fun one day is going to kill you. Take the time right now to change your schedule.

If your routine is to come straight home after work, then call one of your boys and see if they can hang out. Hit up your girl and tell her to look presentable cause you guys are gonna hang out at the park for a bit.

Do something different. If you get stuck at finding new things to do then Google it. Get off the daily grind and have some fun. Time wasted is time lost.
-Andres

AoD: Are you bored of your everyday life? Find something to do a few times out of the week to get you out of your rut.

TBSM Recommends:

Take a Chill Pill

How Are YOU Going to Live Today?

Expand Your Horizons

Making excuses

How to Talk to People

2011-10-26T01:23:00.000-04:00

"Handle them carefully, for words, have more power than atom bombs"

- Pearl Strachan

Like the way you talk to yourself, you gotta be aware of how you talk to others.

Its funny how something said in a certain way can totally change a person's perception of it. For example, I can ask you "do you know where my laptop is" or I can say "what did you do with my laptop?"

Two different statements pretty much asking the same question can change a person's response immediately. It may sound hard to do, changing the way you talk, but all you really gotta understand and ask yourself is "how is this message going to be conveyed".

While you do need to watch what you say, realizing HOW your saying it is also important.

Some people, especially young children, can be really annoying to teach. Sometimes you spend hours teaching a child how to use the toilet and they continue to shit their pants. You'll want to yell and beat something because of the impatience, but that wouldn't help the kid.

Showing how upset or angry you are at someone's actions, especially young children, all of the time can lead them to feeling like they can't do anything right, that their always gonna mess something up, or that they can't be successful at anything.

These aren't exaggerations. These are the long term consequences of a person who's treated badly. When you were a child, did you learn better when you were screamed at or when you were told that you did a kickass job?

Give credit where credit is due. That person may have failed but they tried to do something they didn't know how to do, and that is something most people WON'T do.

Encourage, don't discourage, people to Keep Moving Forward, to continue attempting to succeed even when they have failed over and over again. If you want to yell and blow off steam, do it elsewhere, at a different time and place.

As you continue to learn how to talk to yourself, remember to regard the same level of respect to others, cause words can have serious consequences.
-Andres

QoD: Are you pushing others to Move Forward in their lives or are you discouraging them with criticism?

TBSM Recommends:

How do YOU Talk to Yourself?

Consequence of Actions

Be a Part of the Change That YOU Want to See

Leadership in Times of Crisis

How to Deal With Pain

2011-10-24T00:28:00.000-04:00

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can't afford to get weak when things get tough.

Its easy to stray away, and while not many will understand the pain your going through, giving up and falling apart is not gonna help you or anyone else get back up.

Be tough. Express the pain anyway you have to, stall it even, and be tough for those who aren't as Strong as you. You aren't helpless. Your capable. You've learned a ton of new things on how to be Strong and now is the time where most of your Strength needs to be used.

Keep Moving Forward dude.

You NEED to be Strong for yourself and to show others that they too can be Strong. Your actions in the long run will make you better. They will make you tougher and better able to deal with similar situations.

Your wounds will help you ONLY if you do the things that are going to help you.
-Andres

QoD: Are you going to be Strong when things are REALLY hard or are you going to give into the pain?

TBSM Recommends:

Be Strong

Why become Stronger?

How to Get Out of Your Own Way -Tyrese Gibson

Leadership in Times of Crisis

Be Strong

2011-10-20T01:26:00.000-04:00

“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”

- Albert Einstein

Being weak doesn't just hurt you.

Think of all the times you could have helped, moments where people probably needed someone Strong, but you weren't that person.

Too many times did I fail to stand up for my sister, for my friends; my helplessness was pathetic, and as you continue to learn more and more about Strength and what it means to be the person you want to be, you'll realize how often you really are needed.

One Strong Man helping another

Becoming Stronger has helped me gain new perspectives, give better solutions, be a better role model, and become a Stronger support system to the people I care about.

Do you enjoy seeing your brother or sister squirm when they look for the right way to act? How bout when you look at you niece give into being bullied and teased. It isn't cool to see them get hurt, but it especially sucks to see their inability to be Strong.

Thats how your parents, siblings, and friends look at YOU when you act weak.

It sucks but its true, and don't get discouraged cause this if your opportunity to use it as leverage. Use those feelings of embarrassment and disappointment as a reminder to Keep Moving Forward.
-Andres

QoD: Do you want to let yourself and others down? Are you going to continue to become Stronger even when you don't want to?

TBSM Recommends:

You Have to OWN Yourself

Stand Up for....

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

I Can't

2011-10-18T00:03:00.000-04:00

"He who say he can and he who says he can't are both usually right"

-Confucius

There is NO I can't in a Marine's vocabulary.

Those are the words I heard from the Sergeant as I struggled to do my pushups and they have stuck with me ever since.

Most people set limits on their abilities. Too many give up and truly believe that they can't Keep Moving Forward. That is bullshit. I can't is an option NOT the truth.

As you've seen in your trials in becoming a Stronger Man, the limits you may have in your mind aren't necessarily true; sometimes they aren't even close to the truth. There are SEVERAL times where I think I can't Keep Moving Forward, but when I continue to do work and push the limits, it turns out that I had more in me.

It turns out that my limits weren't what I thought they were.

While this doubt is common and harmless, the consequences aren't. If you BELIEVE that you can't Keep Moving Forward then you have already given yourself the fatal blow. Don't do this.

Giving up is the easy thing, and it ain't about the easy. Its about Moving Forward; progress is what its all about and you can't progress if your constantly giving up.

Continue to test yourself and expand your comfort zones. There is no I can't if you want to be Stronger.

"Do or do not"
-Andres

QoD: What other words have you eliminated from your vocabulary?

TBSM Recommends:

How do YOU Talk to Yourself?

Underestimating Yourself

Gaining Reassurance

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

Thinking Too Much

2011-10-13T00:49:00.001-04:00

"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned."

-Peter Marshall

Thinking about whats going to happen isn't the same as taking action?

Assumption rarely creates progress and if your in the business of becoming the Strongest version of yourself, then you gotta go out there and take action.

Do the things that are going to help you Move Forward. Get the experience that's gonna teach you actual lessons. Creating theories of action, ideas about what you should do next is NOT gonna help you most of the time. Alot of things look good on paper but not everything works the way its written down.

Creating theories without taking action is just a waste of time and if your gonna become the Strongest version of yourself, then you gotta do the things that are gonna teach you things quickly and effectively.

Stop reading. Stop listening. Take action.
-Andres

QoD: Are you spending more time thinking about what you should do or actually taking action? Are you a talker or a doer?

TBSM Recommends:

Learning From Experience

Underestimating Yourself

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Making excuses

Stand Up for....

2011-10-10T23:14:00.000-04:00

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"

-Optimus Prime

Stand up for YOU.

Stand up for the person next to you. Stand up for those who depend on you. Stand up for those who need it the most.

Being a bystander is WEAK.

It may be hard to stand up, but it is required. YOU have Standards to live by now. Boundaries that need to be reinforced. People to inspire to be Stronger. Watching others fail when YOU can help is going to make you weak.

Be there for somebody who needs reinforcement. Help them, advise them, and teach them what to do; then leave.

Don't cripple them by always being there; teach them to stand up on their own two feet.

Stand up even when its the hardest thing to do because at that time, it is the most important thing to do.
-Andres

QoD: Are you standing up for yourself and others? Are you ALWAYS standing up for somebody?

TBSM Recommends:

Pay it Forward

Getting Away From the Crowd

You Have One Shot

Taking Risks

Why become Stronger?

2011-10-10T00:27:00.000-04:00

"At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world's greatest lie."

-Melchizedek, the King of Salem

Weakness has crippled TOO MANY people's lives.

Growing up I was insecure, a pushover, and not a dude who could create the life he wanted. It took time, a lot of action, and a ton of 'little' things before I became Stronger, and while I'm still not where I gotta be, I'm still getting Stronger every day.

As I learn how to become Stronger, I continue to see the very same weaknesses that were holding me back prevent people from getting and doing what they want to do.

Weakness doesn't move you forward. Weakness doesn't give you dates. Weakness doesn't get you the new promotion. These are ALL things you can change. Nowhere does it say that you have to be a certain thing or have certain characteristics.

It is up to YOU and only you to get what you want and create the change that you wanna see in the world. Being a coward, not honing up to your faults, and not starting to Move Forward in you life is going to lead to very bad consequences in the long run.

Weakness leads to horrible outcomes.

The next time you doubt why your putting so much effort into growing Stronger, look in the mirror. Look at the people who depend and look up to you. Look at the possibilities you have in front of you and decide NOW whether or not your going to be Stronger.
-Andres

QoD: Why do you want to become Stronger?

TBSM Recommends:

Having a STRONG Mindset

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Failing to be a Strong Man

Getting Away From the Crowd

2011-10-06T02:03:00.000-04:00

"The quicker you separate yourself from the crowd, the quicker you won't be troubled by it"

-Paul Reddick

I learned this from fellow BEAST Paul Reddick and its not as hard to impliment as you'd think.

By now, for those who've been Moving Forward, you've realized that there are people who simply DON'T get it. They don't believe you can Move Forward, understand how, etc,

Don't worry about it.

This is the mindset many people have. Not everyone believes in change and its cool if they don't, just don't let it affect YOUR progress. Your doin work that many are afraid to do and its average for many to not understand why your Moving Forward.

Continue to follow the road less traveled. Compare your actions to the ones YOU want to accomplish, not to the mindset of others. Compare your actions to your goals. To YOUR Standards.

Separate yourself from the average crowd and things will be much clearer for you.
-Andres

AoD: Do what YOU gotta do to be successful, not what most people want you to do.

TBSM Recommends:

How to Get Out of Your Own Way -Tyrese Gibson

You Have to OWN Yourself

How To Be Yourself

Gaining Reassurance

Interview by Kyle Newell

2011-10-04T22:26:00.000-04:00

"The reason you have he life you have right now and if your not happy with it its all because of you"

-Kyle Newell

Check out this interview I did with Kyle Newell of Newell Strength.

I give insight into what will help other become Stronger versions of themselves and if you have any suggestions on that, comment them below.

This dudes a BEAST and I'm humbled that he found interest in our community and cause.

Check it out here

TBSM Recommends:

Newell Strength

How to Get Out of Your Own Way -Tyrese Gibson

2011-10-01T23:55:00.000-04:00

"Take control of your identity. You have more control of the way people think of you than you would like to believe."

-Tyrese Gibson

This book is BADASS.

If your confused about what your next step is on becoming a Stronger Man, if your looking for another person to relate with, and if your interested in learning more, How to Get Out of Your Own Way is for you.

From the beginning Tyrese starts How to Get Out of Your Own Way with the issues he needed to overcome in order to live the life HE wanted to live and succeed in the entertainment business. He consistently talks about developing the mindset and making sure you become Stronger mentally in order to achieve your goals and be happy in life.

As you read How to Get Out of Your Own Way, you'll notice there are topics on dealing with dysfunctional environments, choosing who the top 5 people you surround yourself with are, how to treat yourself, and a bunch of other really cool topics.

My 2 favorite parts that are fighting for the number one spot are: how he overcame his struggles, environment, and limiting beliefs and his insight into what makes a successful mindset.

Everything you do is orchestrated by what you think of yourself and others and Tyrese does a great job in teaching you how to do this in a constructive way.

How to Get Out of Your Own Way is definitely for those who are starting out but its also good for getting a few reminders for those who've been Moving Forward for awhile. I really enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, reading this book. Tyrese does a KickAss job displaying what has worked for him in a very easy, understanding style of writing.

Again, GET this book cause it is SICK.

-Andres

QoD: What is one thing you got out of this book?

TBSM Recommends:

How to Get Out of Your Own Way

How to LIVE

2011-09-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

"Ever feel like you're dead, but nobody told you?"

-Augustus Cole

This is NOT whats its all about.

I don't care if you think theres a destiny, fate, or if you just really suck, your life is NOT supposed to be a struggle. Its not supposed to be anything. Its what YOU make it to be.

If you don't like something, change it. If you want something, go get it. Tons of people will tell you a bunch of bullshit just to keep you on their level, and if you wanna be Strong, if you want to be happy, you gotta ignore that stuff.

Live by YOUR rules and Standards. Do what makes YOU happy. Live with the consequences of YOUR actions, both the positive AND negative ones. Don't you dare give up and think that its too hard or that your not good enough.

That's a bunch of crap and you know it. You only got one shot. One chance to make things happen.

Today is as good a day to die as any other day.

Are you going to regret everything you've done up until now or you gonna be proud?
-Andres

AoD: Live.

TBSM Recommends:

Express Yourself

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Mindset of a Quitter

You Have One Shot

Failing to be a Strong Man

2011-09-26T00:02:00.001-04:00

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm"
-Winston Churchill

There are times when you may feel like you aren't a Strong Man.

Like you haven't grown at all from the last time you checked. This may occur in the form of how you've reacted to someone, how you didn't act on something, and even on some of your new habits that are becoming negative.

The is a new checkpoint for you. A new part of your life that requires revision. You've already grown a ton and altered a bunch your past behaviors, the way you've talked to yourself, and the way you act in certain situations. Like the last time though, problems have arisen and there's a new challenge.

When you are very close to or have already accomplished all your goals, it is time for you to set new ones.

Constant change is not what its all about. Most of us are not at the level yet where we can simply say "There is no more room for change" and while that state may be an unlikely place to get to, the fact is, there is much to change right now.

As you get better at cleaning up the big picture, you slowly need to begin adding on the details.

Don't look at this stage of the journey as the 'hard' part, the time in your life where you 'realize' that all the work you've done by now has been for nothing because you still have more work to do. No, that is not the case.

The fact is that even though you've done a ton of work, it still isn't over. You gotta Keep Moving Forward towards the ideal that you have for yourself because becoming better at a few things ISN'T going to keep you Strong.

Maintain the stride even when you feel like you've done enough. Keep Moving Forward, not because its lazy not to, but because you still have more work to accomplish.

Stay Strong.
-Andres

AoD: Whenever you think its all been worth for nothing, remind yourself of where you were when you first started the journey. What were you like? Are you Stronger now? Hell YEA. Keep Moving Forward.

TBSM Recommends:

When You Screw Up

Take it 1 Step at a Time

Mindset of a Quitter

Gaining Reassurance

Instant Gratification

2011-09-22T02:18:00.000-04:00

"I'm re-learning patience and delaying gratification."

-Nate Green

Remember the feeling you get when you REALLY want something.

When your eager to put your new product on the marketplace before the release date, when you can't wait to break in the new set of barbells you ordered, or even to talk to that fine chick you just had an awesome date with.

Maybe your eager as hell but you end up coming short and unfortunately can't get it simply because of a lack of timing.

Its sucks, but maybe it was for the best.

In my experience whenever anything fails to go as planned and I end up feeling like butt, something better seems to always show up afterwards.

I remember once when I was a kid I was so happy and anxious about a video game that was coming out. I would spend time reading and watching videos about the game, but when it came time to actually getting it, I didn't have the cash. I was very upset, but after some time I ended up getting the game in a bundle at a discount price.

If your anticipating the launch of your new product then you know that you gotta take it easy. If you can't wait to talk to that significant person, then you know you gotta relax before you end up seeming like an awkward dude.

Timing is everything.

Doing things at a certain pace will not only assure success, but it'll also clear your mind.

It sucks when you can't do what really excites you, but sometimes, its just not the right time and waiting for the next opportunity will most likely end up in a more rewarding experience.

Patience has to be learned and used, this is THE way that'll get you through the constant anticipation. It is the tool that will put you in a better state of mind and clarity where you aren't driven by your emotions as much.

Like a well placed shot, there needs to be time for preparation, revision, and finally, execution.
-Andres

AoD: Are you going insane with anticipation over a certain object, person, or event? Have you thought 'What will happen to me if I don't get this?' The world will not end and in most cases, you can always acquire it later. Ask yourself this question when you don't get what you want. Prepare yourself to steadily acquire it later in time.

TBSM Recommends:

Take a Chill Pill

Turn off Your Brain

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

Doing What You Say Your Gonna Do

2011-09-21T01:55:00.000-04:00

"Attend with Diligence and strict Integrity to the Interest of your Correspondents and enter into no Engagements which you have not the almost certain Means of performing"
-George Mason

There is nothing more annoying and disappointing than a person choosing not to fulfill their commitment.

While its understandable if you cant, but choosing not to do your end of the bargain is showing that you don't have any respect.

Its not only a slap in the face to those around you, it shows what kind of person you really are. If your gonna be a Stronger version of yourself then you gotta be willing to do more than what you merely want to do.

You gotta be more than willing to do what you said you were gonna do because you know that your NOT gonna be that person. The kind of person who needs to be haggeled all the time, annoyed to the point where you actually fulfill the commitment simply because you don't wanna be bothered anymore.

If you owe someone something, then pay up.

If you said you were gonna do something, then be ready to do it. No excuses.

If you don't want to do it, tough shit, you shouldn't have made the commitment.

Live according to a set of Standards for yourself and others. Do what you expect others to do for you.
-Andres

QoD: Do you fail to do what you say your gonna do? Do you want to keep being the person no one trusts? Are you gonna take the necessary action to be a more virtuous person?

TBSM Recommends:

Having Standards

Consequence of Your Actions

Having Integrity

You Have One Shot

2011-09-20T00:34:00.000-04:00

"There is no tomorrow. There is NO tomorrow"

-Apollo Creed

You never know what can happen.

Today may be your ONLY chance to get what you want. To enjoy the things that surround you. There is a saying that if you don't take action now you never will and while it isn't completely true, the idea behind it is very Strong.

Doing work now is going to save you a TON of time. Waiting for the stars to align is not going to get you anywhere in most places because when your afraid and your talk yourself out of taking action, you letting yourself think that taking action isn't important.

Your telling yourself that the thing you want to do isn't that important, that you'll get another chance next time, that 'waiting' till things are better is the best choice to make.

There is NO guarantee that your opportunity will happen again.

If you have the chance, if your Standards and Values aren't compromised, then go for it. Don't let fear or the voice in your head tell you it aint worth it. Don't let it tell you 'maybe next time' cause there will most likely NOT be a next time.

There is only now. This time, this one chance to enjoy and experience. Be grateful and take advantage because in an instant, it can be all gone. The chance you had to talk to that girl will go away. The opportunity to spend a ton of time with your kids will be gone.

Listen to the things around you. Do the things that make you unomfortable and do them as best as you can.

You only have one shot. One chance to live.
-Andres

QoD: Are you gonna let the tough uncomfortable things stop you from being a BadAss? Are you gonna let the other 'more important' things stop you from enjoying the short amount of time you have now? Are you willing to enjoy every moment the 'present' is giving you instead of overthinking about the past or future?

TBSM Recommends:

Underestimating Yourself

Consequence of Actions

Taking Risks

Do What You Love

Learning from Various Sources

2011-09-15T02:23:00.000-04:00

"Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won't have time to make them all yourself"

-Alfred Sheinwold

I was reminded of this idea last night by Strong Man Matt Schifferle.

He told me how "the more I come across that idea from different sources the more I will learn it full" and it reminded me of how you should learn from as many people as possible.

When I first started out training to become Stronger, I learned this technique from an experience I had reading one of Elliott Hulse's posts. I remember at the time that I didn't really understand why it was so important to surround myself with Strong/like minded people. I was reading posts from The Art of Manliness and David DeAngelo but I didn't get the picture until Elliott wrote about the subject in a certain way.

Elliott managed to say the same thing everyone else was saying, but in a different way.

Maybe you don't quite understand some of the things I talk about here. Maybe the way I talked about why you should surround yourself with Strong people didn't really settle in your brain the way you wanted it to. If this happens try reading about the same subject somewhere else.

Getting different perspectives, different ways of telling the same story has helped me a TON in understanding things that were difficult at one time.

Who are the best people you should look to to help you understand things better?

People I really listen to the most are those I look up to, admire, and respect, those who've been where I want to be, and people who teach the way I like to be taught. If you don't know what it means to be a courageous person, go grill your mentor with questions and see what they think about the term.

If your having trouble learning a certain set of new skills, like overcoming your shyness, go out and watch some videos on the subject instead of reading about it; perhaps video is a better medium for you to learn from.

No one is the same and while person A can learn how to do things from reading a textbook, person B may need to use experience as a tool.

If you wanna be the Baddest version of yourself, then you gotta immerse yourself in Strength. Learn from as many people as possible.

Each person has something to say but rarely will everyone say it the same way.
-Andres

AoD: If your having a hard time learning something, change the source who's teaching you. Find someone else who can help you better understand it. Maybe its the way its being said, maybe its the way your getting the info, don't be discouraged just get another point of view.

TBSM Recommends:

What Learning Really Means

Expand Your Horizons

The Power to Focus

ReEducation

What Learning Really Means

2011-09-14T01:18:00.000-04:00

LEARN (lûrn)

1. To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery of through experience or study.

2. To fix in the mind or memory; memorize

David DeAngelo states that learning isn't only gaining new knowledge. He says that it is also the taking of action and change in behavior that shows a person has learned.

Simply knowing things isn't going to help you. Implementation is the other half of learning.

If you just keep info in you head, if you don't apply the lessons you've learned, the things you've taken the time to read here on the blog, then they are useless to you. Your just wasting your time reading. If you want to see the change that is going to help you; take action.

If you truly want to become Stronger and change your life for the better then you gotta close this browser, figure out which skill you want to develop, go out and develop it.

What happens when you DON'T apply knowledge?

Ever wonder why you don't remember much Spanish even though you probably took it for years? The reason this happened was because you didn't used that skill in your everyday life. There was no need to apply it and consequently, all of that time you spent was wasted. Do NOT waste your time.

You have already invested it in reading this blog, in reading other things that are meant to help you grow, but none of those things can help you if you don't take action.

Be Strong. Overcome your fears and obstacles and just take action. For example, if you think you will fail at getting a girl to be interested in you when you first approach her but then that scenario actually happens, thats a good thing. You've learned what NOT to do. As Thomas Edison would say, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work".

Continue to grow. Have the balls to become Stronger and LEARN that which will help you get to where you want to be.

-Andres

QoD: Are you constantly reading about how to become successful or are you taking action as well? Would you rather KNOW what will help you grow or will you go out and experience the change? Are you going to let your fear stop you from Moving Forward?

TBSM Recommends:

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Learning From Experience

Expand Your Horizons

When You Can't SEE Success

Leadership in Times of Crisis

2011-09-12T03:35:00.000-04:00

"The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and will to carry on."

-Walter Lippmann

Every time I remember 9/11 I always think about Matthew and Danny.

10 years ago on that day, I was in the 5th grade just a couple of days into the new school year and wondering what my teacher was talking about.

She said that the World Trade Center was getting bombed and not knowing where that place was, I assumed it was some building across the street from my school. After being puzzled for awhile (because nothing was happening across the street) Mrs K turned on the television and my classmate Matthew said "my dad works there".

Danny soon said the same thing.

I have no idea what went through their minds but my teachers sure as hell didn't let them feel like they were alone.

They gave their Kindness, Confidence, and Strength, during a time when they were probably scared as hell, in order to help Danny and Matthew remain levelheaded and hopeful that their fathers were still alive.

Leadership during crisis is a detrimental Strength that not many people have. While its reasonable to believe that everyone is gonna go a little crazy when things go wrong, for us, being Strong is the priority.

Mrs K could have cried, said nothing, sent both Danny and Matthew to the principal's office, and let someone else take care of them; but she didn't. She and her assistant stayed Strong for the boys because that is what THEY needed. It wasn't about her anymore. She chose to put the kids, people she met about 5 days earlier, first, before her own feelings, needs, and concerns.

Being there for people when things get tough is not a necessary skill. You don't have to be a leader to live a happy life. But, if you want to be Strong, if you want to BE the Strongest version you have to offer, then it is a requirement.

When someone(s) need help, YOUR the one who will volunteer. Expect that your the Strongest person there. The most qualified. Provide the clarity and control the people around you are seeking for.

Are you going to hope for help or you gonna BE the help?

Remember its not about you. Its about what YOU can do for those in greater need.
-Andres

QoD: When shit hits the fan what do you do? Do you panic, piss yourself, and hope for help or do you take action, create a plan, and put other people's needs before yours?

TBSM Recommends:

Consequence of Actions

Pay it Forward

Mindset of a Quitter

Exceeding Expectations

Giving Advice to Those Who Dont Use It

2011-09-08T02:40:00.000-04:00

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better"

-Dr. Seuss

Like you, I give advice and help to friends and family who need it.

I give the best tips and guidelines that have helped me in the past so I can get that person out of their rut; but if that person isn't willing to change or do the things that will make them Stronger, then I move on.

I learned this from James.

For years, I was there when he needed someone to talk to and give him advice on how to change his life for the better. This was something I did almost EVERY time I spoke or chilled with him; like when he was in the hospital again after getting into another fight while he was drunk.

When he wanted to become a Personal Trainer, I gave him a list of people he should read and learn from, what he should do next to get his certification, and what to do to afford the process of getting his AFPA.

He always agreed, knowing that he needed to make changes, wanting to make those changes, and then continued to do nothing to help himself.

Helping people who aren't going to follow through, who have different priorities, and don't seem to care about what you have to say is unfortunate, and even though you may REALLY want to help them accomplish their goals, its up to them to actually DO those things.

Let those people go.

Let em know that if they still want to change and if they're mature enough to do the work, then you'll be there for them. Don't belittle them. Be real with them but also encourage them to KNOW that they can, at any time, change.

Remember, wanting things isn't enough.

I too was lazy and weak. In the past, I didn't always want to do the things or listen to the help I was getting. I just wanted the good stuff; but I grew out of those habits.

I learned, changed, and grew Stronger, and if 1 person can do it, so can more.

If you feel like you've lost your faith in that person, don't. Keep believing that one day they WILL change and always support their actions towards becoming Stronger because rarely will anyone else believe in them.
-Andres

QoD: Who in your life are you investing your time trying to help? Is this person doing the work to become Stronger versions of themselves or are they constantly making excuses and hindering they're success? Are you going to keep trying to help this person or are you going to respect your time and energy and save it for when they, or someone else, will use your advice?

TBSM Recommends:

You Have to OWN Yourself

Making excuses

Are You Hopeless?

Its Never Too Late to Restart

How To Be Yourself

2011-09-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

"You were born an original. Don’t become a copy."

-John Mason

Being who you truly are is one of the Strongest things you can do.

In my training to get to where I want to be in life, I have learned that this is one attribute that a Strong person does NOT lack. Rebelling towards a certain person's actions or words, making certain jokes that some people may not like, doing things that you are afraid to do because you dont want to hurt somebody's feelings is unacceptable.

If your gonna be Strong then you have to be unapologetic in your actions and behavior. There will be people who don't want to hear what your gonna tell them, but you have to speak whats on your mind because if you don't, then you will be doing yourself a disservice.

Don't be afraid to keep it real.

Showing that you aren't someone whos gonna be phony, shady, or shy is not always an easy thing to do, but that is a consequence of being Strong.

While you may not believe it, people actually love it when your like this. When you don't give anyone a chance to become a liar, you reveal to EVERYone that your not gonna deal with nonsense. You show that you know what your worth and you will not settle for anything less.

If a person doesn't like your jokes, then they don't like it. If a person doesn't like your point of view, then they don't like it.

You not here to get anyone's approval. Your here to be YOU and nobody else. If they don't like it then don't sweat it, move on to the next one; its not like they're the only possible friend you'll ever have in your life. Be Strong in your character and in your beliefs.

Don't depend on other people to approve of your behavior. Do it yourself.
-Andres

AoD: If you have something to say about a certain subject, then say it. If you feel like your compromising your character by not being yourself, then STOP doing that. Be who YOU wanna be.

TBSM Recommends:

You Have to OWN Yourself

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Express Yourself

Gaining Reassurance

Make Someone Laugh

2011-09-01T01:42:00.000-04:00

"I'm a people's person. To see happy people makes me happy"

-David E Mercer

Most of the time, people are bored out of their minds.

Sometimes you see someone whos upset or angry and you may wonder why and continue on with your day. It could be the cashier who's checking out your groceries, the concession stand worker who gives you your popcorn, the dude you work across from, the mother sitting at the park bench. It can be anyone.

Through some tools and skills I learned from the book How to Win Friends and Influence People, and the consequences I've seen from those actions, I noticed that you can really make a person's day GREAT by simply making them laugh, feel good about themselves, paying attention to them, etc.

Being generous, Paying it Forward, and sharing some of your time with others can make a BIG difference, even if you believe it has an indifferent or miniscule consequence. It may be irrelevant to you tomorrow, but to that person it can mean the world to them to have had you talk to them.

I have never forgotten the people who took the time to listen, talk, and make me laugh simply because they wanted to. Those 'small' actions have helped me Move Forward during times where I thought I couldn't.

While your striving to become Stronger, striving to Move Forward in your life, keep in mind that this Strength your creating is not just for your life. It is also your duty to teach these guidelines, to give advice and motivation to anyone who wants and/or needs to become Stronger.

Whenever you see someone who looks bored, go make a joke to them, make them laugh for a few minutes.

If you see someone whos having a hard time, seems stressed out or upset, get em a soda or a sandwich and let them know that while things may be hard today and things may not be going they're way at this very instance, they can still count on the random act of kindness by a stranger; then proceed to ask if you could listen to whats on their mind.

Pay it Forward.

Make someone's day KickAss and ask them to do the same for someone else.
-Andres

AoD: Go out and make someone laugh and/or feel better. They can be a complete stranger or someone you've known all your life.

TBSM Recommends:

How To Win Friends And Influence People, Revised Edition

Pay it Forward

Consequence of Actions

Being Different

Expand Your Horizons

2011-08-31T02:39:00.001-04:00

"Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf"

-American Indian Proverb

There is a TON out there.

Different thought processes, ways to look at things, perspectives, opinions, beliefs, ideals, cultures, and a bunch of other stuff. If you believe your idea is the best there ever was, then go check out someone else's and see how well you do.

Too may times do we stay in our worlds worrying about our problems, busy doin stuff, focused on just getting by, or waiting to just get home and watch some tv.

There's a whole world out there to learn and experience from.

Luckily with the internet we get to see and hear from tons of people easier than ever, but that isn't enough. Take the time to dig deeper. Go hunting for interesting topics to dive into, new cultures to learn and visit, other people to talk and listen to.

Look at people from other realms of life. Lifestyles that may be completely opposite to the one you experience every day. Your experience is just ONE experience in a VAST world.

Don't shy away from learning from others or from an unlikely source. Knowledge is everywhere and you can only learn if you go out there and find it.

You may be surprised at what you find.
-Andres

AoD: Have a discussion with someone about a skill your trying to develop. Ask someone what they think about in regards to a certain topic. Don't just ask anyone, ask someone you think is the complete opposite of you. Comment your findings below.

TBSM Recommends:

Things I learned from The Alchemist

Pay it Forward

Turn off Your Brain

Are You Becoming Arrogant?

When You Screw Up

2011-08-30T02:04:00.000-04:00

"Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality"

-Bruce Lee

Messing things up is a part of life.

Its a part of growing and reminding yourself why you do and don't do certain things. You may spend all of your time practicing, learning, and implementing new things to help make you Stronger, but one day you may slip up and act like your former, weaker self.

Don't sweat it. Learn from what happened, from what you did, what you failed to do, and start doing things differently.

Old habits are hard to break, but the important thing is that you recognize that one slip up doesn't determine anything. It happens. Learn from it and Keep Moving Forward. You KNOW that you've been working your ass off to change and it sucks that this one mistake occurred; but you can't stray.

You can't afford to beat yourself up about it. Just keep doing the things necessary to become Stronger and test yourself again to see if you'll slip up.

If you decided you weren't gonna be some clingy guy but happened to do just that the other night, then go out again, talk to another chick/dude or hang out with strangers and just one friend, and see if you'll remain clingy knowing that its NOT something you want to do anymore.

If you gave into the laziness of NOT training again, then vow to NOT do that again, BE disciplined, and CONTINUE to Move Forward.

Don't give up simply because your not where you want to be yet.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD
-Andres

QoD: What have you screwed up in? Are you continuing to Moving Forward even though you slipped up? Comment your experience below.

TBSM Recommends:

Take it 1 Step at a Time

Self Pity

Gaining Reassurance

Mindset of a Quitter

Take it 1 Step at a Time

2011-08-29T01:12:00.001-04:00

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

-Lao Tzu

When dealing with multiple things you want to improve, break it apart in sections.

After you've gone to the root of your problem, start doing the things needed to become the best, one step at a time.

For example, if your not good at getting girls/guys, then look at everything your doing wrong, things you need to work on. Perhaps you're a really shy dude and don't like to talk to strangers. Maybe you also have a weak view of yourself and you don't flirt very well.

For me, tackling all of my problem areas at the same time isn't the best way. Focus on 1 thing you need to work on, like your view of yourself, and work to improve the hell out of that.

Once you get good at that, address the next skill you need to develop. This is NOT a concrete method for you to follow. If multitasking helps you get things done quicker, then do it. Recognize the times when you need to multitask and when you should take it slower.

This method has helped me save TONS of time in Moving Forward, and recognizing the times you should multitask or not is pretty simple.

If your multitasking and things are barely improving, try the single step method. If the single step method feels likes it isn't working out the best way, start multitasking.

Don't be impatient, just do the things that create the best results.
-Andres

QoD: What area(s) of your life do you want to improve? How has taking things 1 step at a time worked for you? Comment your experience below.

TBSM Recommends:

The Power to Focus

You Have to OWN Yourself

Its Never Too Late to Restart

What Are YOU Moving Towards

Take a Chill Pill

2011-08-25T03:08:00.000-04:00

I'm not wise, but the beginning of wisdom is there; it's like relaxing into - and an acceptance of - things.
-Tina Turner

At times, hop off the grind of becoming Stronger.

If your occupied with problems, remind yourself that your doing all that you already can to fix them, that they are pretty small compared to other things you've dealt with, things other people, even things the world has had to deal with.

Whenever you get pissed about anything, think about how you want to spend the next couple of minutes.

Don't waste your time and energy being angry and upset? Take a break. Life is definitely not about stressing over things that at most times are pretty trivial; like getting angry at how someone was an ass to you.

Instead, spend that time doing the things you love to do. Play some basketball with your trashcan, text some friends, go to the movies, chill at the park, watch some funny videos. Take time out of your day to just relax, goof off, and enjoy yourself even if its just for a few minutes.

Life is too short to be busy, bored, and negative all the time. Have fun and play.

Enjoy the scenery, wind down, and relax.
-Andres

AoD (Action of the Day): What are you stressing out about? Is it something that you've been working hard at? Are you doing the necessary things to accomplish that goal? Then take a break and relax for a bit. Type in how your gonna chill out today below.

TBSM Recommends:

CHILL OUT

Go to the park, beach, pool, backyard, party

Watch a couple of movies, listen to music, read some books, comics, or blog posts, write

Play some video games, sports, or board games with your family/friends

Things I learned from The Alchemist

2011-08-24T03:35:00.002-04:00

"The boy felt jealous of the freedom of the wind, and saw that he could have the same freedom"

-The Alchemist

One of my favorite books of all time and one that has taught me a TON of lessons is The Alchemist.

There will be spoilers so if you haven't read the book, check it out here or read on at your own risk.

1. Listen to the omens/signs.

"When you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck. Why is that? Becasue there is a force that wants you to realize your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success"

I've never really been a superstitious kind of person but I've always noticed signs around me. Signs that warn me or persuade me into taking a certain action.

Realizing how the omens have helped and motivated me to accomplish several things in my life, I want you to pay attention to the signs too. They're everywhere. They're in the words a person speaks, the way things are said, the prevalence of a certain object, and/or in the form of help from others.

Omens are here for a reason and if they're ignored over a certain amount of time they WILL stop showing up.

Even though they may be telling you to do something really hard, DO it. Listen to your intuition and gut.

2. Have Faith

"When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it"

When it comes to your goals and the things you want to accomplish, walking into the unknown will need to happen. It is one of the scariest shits in the world for me. I remember one of my biggest fears when pursuing something was not knowing what may happen.

This fear prevented me from doing several things. As you continue to learn and experience new things though, you will begin to understand that the action of going towards the unknown often separates the Beasts from everyone else.

After constant practice, you WILL become comfortable being uncomfortable. Have faith in your goals and if there is a way to succeed, even if it is VERY hard, go for it. That small window of opportunity, the fact that there's even a chance proves that it can still be done.

3. When help is needed, it will be given.

"His heart...reminded the boy of the day when he had been ill and vomiting out in the fields, after which he had fallen into a deep sleep. There had bee two thieves farther ahead who were planning to steal the boy's sheep and murder him. But, since the boy hadn't passed by, they had decided to move one, thinking that he had changed his route."

The kind of help I'm talking about usually isn't the help you'd want.

It comes in the form of reassurance, messages from other people, motivation, prevention, and certain things people do that come 'at the right moment'. For example, at times when it seems like things aren't going to go the way I'd want them to, and I feel like giving up, the right things always seems to occur to lift my spirits and remind me to Keep Moving Forward.

If you guys remember, recently on the Fan Page I posted that everyone on it go subscribe to Zach Even-Esh's email list. the reason I said this was because every time, this time in particular, I have wanted to quit or stop Moving Forward, I randomly open up one of his emails that I haven't read yet and each time I do this it seems like the message was written specifically to remind me to Keep Moving Forward.

When you need it, help will come and it is usually in its Strongest form, inspiration.

4. Follow your Personal Legend.

"The closer one gets to realize in his personal legend, the more that personal legend becomes his reason for being"

Before this site existed, starting TBSM was constantly on my mind.

I am very passionate about helping create Stronger individuals because of my experience and the fact that I see TOO many weak dudes walking around thinking its alright to be like that.

But....hesitation and pressure to do only 'normal' things (go to school, get a part time job, party) along with fear were excuses I made about NOT creating this community. It wasn't until my family lost its main source of income that I decided to stop pussyfootin around and start this badboy.

At first it isn't always easy. Dealing with the unknown, fear of failure, and risk of doing more harm than good can really mess you up and push you to not pursue your Personal Legend.

Those things aren't real though. When you take the time to think about those things, especially in a very low risk situation, you are taking a test. A test that will reveal how Strong you are. If your Strong, you'll turn off your brain, use the skills and knowledge you have now, and Start Moving Forward regardless of what your emotions are telling you.

Realizing you Personal Legend, doing the things you love, creating the change you want to see in the world, etc, will make your life INCREDIBLE. Its taken me about 2 hrs just to write this post, but I am not hating one second of it.

I love writing about this topic, and no matter how tired I may be, I am never upset while writing.

Find the same for yourself. Take in the tools The Alchemist has provided for you and implement. Knowing things isn't enough.

Take Action NOW.
-Andres

QoD: How has The Alchemist helped you? What lessons has it taught you that weren't explained here? Comment your thoughts below.

TBSM Recommends:

The Alchemist

Be a Part of the Change That YOU Want to See

When You Can't SEE Success

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Taking Risks

2011-08-23T02:19:00.000-04:00

"The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!"

-General George S. Patton, Jr

You need to be prepared enough to be able to attain a certain goal.

You need to have a certain amount of cash, skills, and precautionary thinking before you go ahead and become successful.

Being prepared IS a necessary tool in order to get ahead of the game; but so is 'stupidity'.

Risk taking is NECESSARY to Move Forward in life. Yes you may not have all the cash in the world to go out and start your own training business, but if your willing to hustle, learn, stick with the goal, and implement, then go out and get that loan.

If you already have a pretty solid client base, set of methods and knowledge, then go for it. Understand that once you do that though you have to go ALL the way.

Several successful people didn't have the tools they needed at the start. many of them were 100's of thousands of dollars in debt before they started to become successful in their trade.

100,000 dollars in debt!! I get nervous being 50 dollars in debt, but they still did it. They kept Moving Forward and doing what needed to be done because there was no turning back. There was no interest in going back to the mediocre job, the unhappy lifestyle, they knew what kind of effect they wanted to have and they did the things that were necessary to go out and DO IT.

It isn't easy, and sometimes it may seem like the most illogical thing to do, but risk taking is a NECESSARY tool to go out and do what you wanna do and be who you wanna be.

Don't cower out cause it aint easy. The things that matter usually aren't but doing them is what separates the BEASTS from the average.

The willingness to be and strive through uncomfortableness will make you successful.
-Andres

QoD: What risks have you taken that have paid off? What risks are you NOT taking that you know will Move you forward? Type in your answer below.

TBSM Recommends:

Gaining Reassurance

Mindset of a Quitter

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Do What You Love

Gaining Reassurance

2011-08-22T01:36:00.001-04:00

"I'm not in this world to live up to you're expectations and you're not in this world to live up to mine"

-Bruce Lee

There will be times where it seems like your NOT Moving Forward.

Times that seem to reinforce the fact that your a weak dude. You may start to believe that you are making the wrong decision about getting this part of your life handeled. Perhaps it is true.

Perhaps the things every single person around you is telling you is true.

"You talk about wanting to help others become Men yet you yourself aren't a Man. Stop trying to help"

"You talk about wanting to have your own gym even though it is VERY expensive. Stop trying and get ta normal job"

"You talk about wanting your own business right now but I'm telling you that right now is not the best time. Focus on school and getting a part time job. Your not old enough for your own business"

I'm here to tell you that it will only be true if YOU believe its true.

For a long time, I didn't get the support I wanted from my friends and family. I asked for advice about how to get Stronger, I talked about what was bothering me and what I usually got was some generic 'feel better' speech or I was simply ignored.

If I gave up because no one helped me change and grow, I would still be bitchin and moanin somewhere. It is up to YOU to reassure yourself, to say all the cheesy lines that noone else will tell you, to set goals, take action, and create change.

I'm not saying that to be Strong you have to be alone or not have someone to confide in. No, its about being self assured, learning and being able to count on yourself when noone else is willing or around to give you a helping hand.

A Strong Man doesn't look for approval elsewhere and all the positive reinforcement he needs is in his own skull.

Count and rely on YOURSELF when noone else will.
-Andres

QoD: Are you relying on yourself? Are you keeping yourself on the path that will Move you Forward or are you slowly pushing yourself backwards? Type in your response below and let me help you.

TBSM Recommends:

You Have to OWN Yourself

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Mindset of a Quitter

2011-08-18T03:13:00.000-04:00

"No man is ever whipped until he quits in his own mind"

-Napoleon Hill

Regret settles in.

You realize you could have kept going and disgust soon resonates.

The average approach to most situations is believing that you'll do your best, that you will give it your all and quit when things get too hard. That is why most people will fail.

Your approach has to change. Quitting ISN'T an option. You WILL NOT quit when it gets hard. You WILL NOT quit when you are in great pain. You WILL NOT quit until you succeed or until you DIE. If quitting is an option then you are preparing yourself to fail.

When I finished dead last in two separate 2 mile races in track, I was determined to NOT quit. I was not going to walk off the track and cave into the pain. Towards the end of each race my legs felt like acid, I got dizzy, lightheaded, and after it was all said and done I threw up a couple of times.

I was the LAST person to finish each coed race. Was I giving it my best? No.

My 'best' was accomplished long before. I was going to pass that damn line because quitting meant I didn't give a crap about myself. Quitting meant that I would have NO business doing ANYthing else in life.

Any goal you pursue has to start with the question: Am I willing to die for this if I don't succeed?

If you don't have that kind of passion in life then settle your standards down to second best cause you have NO business goin for the gold. The only tips I can give you is to turn off your brain, Keep Moving Forward, and hustle.

Understand that pain will occur. Don't pussyfoot around and think it will be easy. Be prepared for the worst and understand that whatever your gonna deal with is just one of the many tolls you'll have to pay along the way to get what you want.

"Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional"
-Andres

QoD: Are you going to quit the things that matter to you, the goals you want to achieve when things get hard? Comment below the goals you want to achieve within the next month?

TBSM Recommends:

What Kind of Man Are YOU Going To Be?

Turn off Your Brain

Hustle or be Left Behind

Being Average

Are You Selling Yourself Short?

2011-08-17T01:03:00.000-04:00

"Don't sell yourself short because without that you can't go far in life"
-Bo Jackson

When it comes to business, proving your talents, or even just trying to get a job, don't hesitate to put your skills on the table.

Show the other person why your services are unique and how YOU can help them out. Especially when it comes to providing a service for others, you gotta make them see why your a Beast. It isn't arrogance. It isn't overconfidence. Its the truth.

You know that the select knowledge you have can help that certain person alot. Don't be intimidated by acknowledging your talents. There's a reason why you took the time to learn so much. To provide a KickAss service. You think Dr. King or Frederick Douglass didn't KNOW they were Beasts?

Frederick Douglass taught himself how to read and write while he was a slave, escaped slavery, was an editor and writer for several newspaper publications throughout his lifetime, was one of the most famous speakers of his time, and was nominated as a candidate for the vice presidency by the people who believed in him. Not even by his own hand but by the people who recognized his skills and character.

When you do work and succeed, there is NO reason why you shouldn't call yourself a BadAss.

Again, this isn't arrogance, its the truth. You know the fine line between both.

You've proven to yourself that you know what your talking about.

When it comes to making that next sale, applying for the job you've wanted, or even getting into that certain school, convince the other person why choosing you is a sweet idea.

You know it, I know it. Don't lie about it to everybody else.
-Andres

QoD: Are you being timid about your talents? Are you preventing yourself from helping others with your skills? Post your skills below and let us know what kind of BadAss you are.

TBSM Recommends:

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

Are You Becoming Arrogant?

Express Yourself

How do YOU Talk to Yourself?

Are You Becoming Arrogant?

2011-08-16T02:21:00.000-04:00

"Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance"
-Sun Tzu

First, Congratulations on becoming Stronger.

You've learned a ton and I hope this site has been a useful tool for you as much as its been for me. As you continue to progress and Keep Moving Forward, don't blind yourself with your progress.

Your becoming a BadAss and you should see yourself as a Stronger dude [because you are] but don't let it get to your head. The race still aint over, not by a longshot, not as long as your goal is still unattained. Keep Moving Forward.

Ask yourself:

"Am I where I want to be right now?

"What I need to do to get to the next level?"

Even though your still Moving Forward, that doesn't mean you can't pause for a bit and celebrate. You've come a long way so far. Longer than most people are willing to.

Your a different person now and if you didn't see it before, now you KNOW that you can change.

People will continue to doubt you, continue to try and hold you back, but as always, it continues to be up to YOU and only you if you want to continue Moving Forward or start moving backwards.

Keep hustlin. Keep grinding and pushing your comfort zone.

If you don't know it yet...You GOT this.
-Andres

QoD: Are you closer or farther from your intended goal? What do you need to do to Keep Moving Forward? Comment your goals below and we'll help you get them.

TBSM Recommends:

Don't be Your Own Worst Enemy

Exceeding Expectations

You Have to OWN Yourself

What Are YOU Moving Towards

Exceeding Expectations

2011-08-15T00:34:00.000-04:00

"There is doing what is expected of you and exceeding people's expectations of you"

-Matthew Ellis

Its easy to settle for average.

To settle for the results of just getting it over with. At times, that is acceptable. There are times where you don't have to be nitty gritty because you have more important things to focus on, but when it comes to THE things that matter, settling for average truly does make you a loser.

If Matt just settled for average and just did things to accomplish a standard baseline instead of doing things as best as possible, then he probably wouldn't be doin what he's doing right now. He wouldn't be a successful coach, BadAss family man, or a cool friend.

Each decision YOU make has a consequence. No matter how big or small you believe it is, it will have a Bigger impact than you can see.

Settling for average is a decision that has consequences.

If you would have exceeded the expectations at work, you probably would have been promoted already. If you acted like the most Courageous Man you wanted to be instead of acting like the average dude you wouldn't be second guessing yourself when the hard things came along.

All of your actions have a consequence and they all lead down different paths. Remind yourself EVERYday. What kind of path am I going to walk? One where I am a BEAST? Or one where I suck.

The choice is yours fellas. Make the right one even if it aint easy.
-Andres

QoD: How can you exceed the expectations of today? What are you going to do that will Move you Forward instead of keeping you at the same level? Comment below about what your going to do.

TBSM Recommends:

Consequence of Actions

Pay it Forward

When You Can't SEE Success

Are You a Dreamer or an Action Taker?

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

2011-08-11T01:54:00.000-04:00

"You have complete control over your surroundings and the things that can influence the quality of your life."

-J.Charest

Like the way you talk to yourself, knowing what you surround yourself with is critical to becoming a Stronger Man.

The things you watch, listen to, chill with, and ways you talk ALL determine how your gonna go about your day, the actions you'll take, not take, and whether or not you'll Move Forward.

Let me take you back to 2009 when I figured this first out. I was a freshman in college, determined to kick my bum habits out the door, become Stronger, and wondering; what skills do I need to develop first? First thing that came to my mind was learning how to get chicks. Pretty unique idea.

I began reading a book, Double your Dating by David DeAngelo, and came across an idea that has stuck with me since, something I've been teaching to several guys.

"You gotta understand that your the shit"

This ideal wasn't controvertial to me at all because it made a ton of sense.

Like the Men that I learned from and the traits that they had, I understood very well that they all believed they were the shit and didn't really care if anyone doubted them or not because they KNEW they were BadAss. It aint arrogance or lies either. YOU. ARE. THE. SHIT.

Believe it. Own it.

As I continued to read, David mentioned that each person, each Strong person, has to LIVE that statement, that characteristic. If you really are the shit, you can't have weak, negative things surrounding you. You gotta respect yourself and eliminate those things from your life.

The bad stuff is whats keeping YOU down.

The negative friends you surround yourself with. The bad things you tell yourself everyday. The whiny music and movies you listen to. ALL of it contributes to the character you are displaying, developing, and creating.

YOU are able to turn it around. To cut the cord and end that nonsense. YOU have the choice of breaking the cycle and creating a new one.

Since learning that I have cut a BUNCH of loose ends because I DO respect myself.

BELIEVE that your not some dingy street corner. A street corner that gets dirty and one that NO ONE cares about it. Not even the bum who lives on it will clean up the mess. No, your a f**kin Mansion and the person who lives there is NOT gonna let, even ALLOW, a speck of turd on the the floor go unnoticed.

Respect yourself more than just enough and clean up the messes in your life.

Figure out which one your gonna be, the street corner or the mansion. Now DO the things that will put you where you wanna be.
-Andres

QoD: Do you surround yourself with negative things? You do know that if your gonna be a Strong Man, you gotta replace those things with positive one's right? What are you gonna do to make that happen? Comment below.

TBSM Recommends:

You Have to OWN Yourself

How do YOU Talk to Yourself?

Having Standards

Getting to the Top

Pay it Forward

2011-08-09T23:17:00.000-04:00

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”

-Mother Teresa

After watching the movie of the same name (don't know whether to love it or hate it) it reminded me of a powerful message.

Generosity is a must.

Its the small things that count, and its those small things that can mean a TON to just 1 person.

I remember an old friend of mine told me how this one piece of advice I gave her years ago inspired her and pushed her to Move Forward. To me, it was insignificant. All I did was tell her the truth. Didn't really put much into it, but it wasn't about me.

Its about the other person and how that one act can change everything. How it can change a perspective, a mindset, a way of life.

There are times that I don't want to write a post. I'm tired, have other things on my mind, or I plainly don't want to write, but I do it anyway. I do it because EVERYtime I write a post I don't feel like writing I always get the best feedback.

Whether it be from 10 people or just 1 person, when I'm told that the post helped them Move Forward, that's what its all about. And if I didn't write it, I don't want to imagine where that person would be.

Like Elliott says, your doing a disservice to EVERYone around the world by not providing the service you were meant to give.

For me, it would be NOT having created TBSM. For you. It would be NOT acting like the Man you want to be. Its is YOUR obligation to yourself and to the world to be the baddest MoFo you can be and DO the things you love.

You have this innate knowledge and experience and if you don't give back, if you don't teach what you have learned in any way, then whats the point??

Giving back is the way others grow. Its the generosity of a stranger or an unlikely person that can change EVERYthing. Don't give up.

Don't quit on helping or spreading your smarts simply cause you don't see any recognition from anyone. Many people are shy and even conditioned to NOT show their gratitude. But its all good. You know what your doin. The size of your email list, the amount of fans you have on facebook, the cool comments you get from people you know and don't know.

THEY are your audience. They are the people who's lives have been altered because of your actions. Pay it Forward.

Help another simply because THEY need it. Not because of you.
-Andres

QoD: How are you going to pay it forward? Who are you going to say thank you? Who are you going to motivate? Who's life do you want to help in a BIG way? Comment below and let us know what your gonna do.

TBSM Recommends:

Do What You Love

Express Yourself

Consequence of Actions

Thank YOU for your support

Self Pity

2011-08-09T01:42:00.000-04:00

"Pity is a drug. Your first hit on the pity pipe makes you feel good, but it's just a temporary fix. All too soon, it leaves you in a darker place, craving more"

-Sean Stephenson

Feeling sorry for yourself will NOT Move you Forward.

Getting others to do the same will only push you back and keep you weak. There is no buts about it. Like any action, if you do it enough it becomes a habit and this one action you do NOT want to have.

I remember bitchin about how I didn't have anyone to really talk to. How there wasn't anyone around me who really cared about my problems. I wondered why no one wanted to help me. NONE of it helped me Move Forward.

Whining and pitying myself only led to people further getting away from me and it caused me to stay weak longer than I wanted it to. It was at this time that I learned the truth.

Pity only leads to failure.

If Dr. King spent all his time getting people to feel sorry for themselves, would he have created such a powerful change in the world? Would he have taught others' the things that would Move them Forward or would he just be condoning more and more weakness in the world?

Wondering why things are going bad, wanting others to do the same is going to keep you weak. If you wanna Move Forward. If you wanna start living the life YOU want, then you gotta stop the cycle now, be aware of what your doin at the moment, and start taking new actions. Establish new behaviors and don't look back.

Its easy to wanna have people show sympathy, to tell you it'll be alright. Its a nice feeling to have but is it really what you want?

Do you really want to be helpless? Do you really want to depend on other people's opinons to make you feel better or do you want to have the Strength to do all of that yourself? It takes a bit of time and practice, but YOU are able to do those very things.

Old habits take time to diminish. New skills take a bit of time to develop but if you really want it then be willing to work on it. Take time everyday to develop your self reliance, to become mentally Stronger, and to develop the skills you NEED to become the person YOU wanna be.

Hustle and start Moving Forward in your life. Don't waste time. Just do IT.
-Andres

QoD: What are you feeling sorry about? Are you looking to others to make you feel better? Do you want to learn to be reliant on yourself? Comment below how your gonna start changing your habits of self pity and become Stronger.

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When You Can't SEE Success

2011-08-08T00:48:00.000-04:00

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see"

-Hebrews 11:1; Onerock.co

When things are getting tough.

When you don't see the progress your looking for. The support. The light at the end of the tunnel, that is when you NEED to Keep Moving Forward the MOST.

More than any other time, it is when you DON'T see things going well that you can't give up. You can't afford to Stop simply because things have gotten hard. Because everyone's tellin you NO, because it seems like its not worth it. If you believe in it. If you want it, then yes it IS worth it.

I signed up for a series of business seminars. $166 a month for a year because I believe in getting better. I believe that if I'm going to be helping you then I have to strive to be the baddest mofo possible. Like many things, that had a deadline and while it may have not been smart, I didn't have a job when I first signed up for it.

I still don't.

Have I given up on finding one or canceling my attendance? No.

I'm gonna keep goin. Keep finding ways, legal ways, to make cash so I can continue to learn. Ya, it is harder to raise up that kind of money not having a job, but thats what I'm willing to do. It may not be the smartest things to do but when it comes to becoming the best, you gotta sometimes be a 'dumbass' in certain things.

My mom wants me to cancel the subscription right now. My sister thinks I'm an idiot. I'm basically the only one who believes in my success right now, but thats just fine. Expect that this is how it will be, how it will ALWAYS be.

Its You vs You, You vs Everything in your path. You can't afford to give up when things are hard. When you don't see the success you wanna see yet. When failure is staring at you in the face.

You HAVE TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. Simple as that.
-Andres

QoD: What are you Moving Forward in life? What are YOU doing that is gaining almost no support from anyone around you. Coment below and let the family know cause WE support YOU.

If you wanna be part of the TBSM family, simply click the like button here, but most importantly TAKE ACTION towards becoming better, Stronger.

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2011-08-04T00:56:00.000-04:00

"I'm expressin' with my full capabilities,
And now I'm livin' in correctional facilities,
Cause some don't agree with how I do this."

-N.W.A.

Hiding your thoughts and convictions is NOT helping anybody.

Its easy to believe that nothing bad will occur if you don't open your mouth. Its easy to want to avoid a problem or situation by chaining your convictions to a wall, but understand that you are doing WAY MORE HARM than you even realize.

When you cower away from saying what you wanna say and doin what you wanna do, you reinforce that behavior. You begin to condone that type of response and before you know it, you have planted a seed to a disgusting habit. When that is done, your character alters and before you know it, you are nowhere NEAR where you wanna be.

It is when your throat clenches up, when you question yourself a couple of times about whether or not you should speak out, it is in THOSE times that you have to decide whether or not you are going to start a chain reaction that is going to move you Forward or backward.

I have failed to do this many times.

I too was afraid of doing something that someone else wasn't going to like. I cowered out too.

What I'm telling you is that this habit of caving in, the action of NOT bein true to yourself HAS TO STOP NOW!!! If your serious about becoming the Strongest version of yourself then your gonna have to grow large cojones, do the deed, and face the consequences.

If people don't like what you have to say, then they don't like it. Move on and don't look back. You are not in the business of making that person happy with everything you said or did. You are in the business of NOT treating yourself like s**t.

Approval seeking is NOT going to make that person respect you more and if your afraid of bein alone when all your friends and family disown you based on what you said or did, then do yourself a favor and at least speak your mind ONCE to see if that ever comes true.

If it does occur, then you have now weeded their weak presence away from your own.

Respect yourself first because if you don't no one will.

"Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better" -Jim Rohn
-Andres

QoD: Comment below about what YOUR going to speak your opinion about. What you have been wanting to do for so long.

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2011-08-02T01:31:00.000-04:00

"The only thing that comes to a dreamer is sleep"

-Tupac Shakur; Eric Thomas

I remember hearing that line and it was like a slap in the face.

For so long I wanted to do something like this, to create a place where I could learn and give back the knowledge I gained on how to become a Stronger Man. For so long I wanted to accompany other Great dudes on their path to becoming STRONG individuals.

I wanted to create this blog for awhile.

For awhile, The Blog for Stronger Men was nothin but a dream.

I stalled because I didn't think anyone would listen. Because of my age, knowledge, and the fact that I am still on the journey to becoming the Strongest version of myself. But all of my fears didn't happen the way I thought they would.

Sure there are people who choose not to read because of those factors, but they don't matter. I'm not here to please everyone, let alone the peeps who think those are important factors. I'm here to help YOU accomplish success in this area of your life just as much as I want to it for myself.

There will always be people who don't care for what you wanna do, but THEY DON'T MATTER.

Its time to focus on what YOU want to do and actually take action. Focus on the people who are helping YOU get to where you wanna be. Don't take your time and choose to not take action now.

Don't say "next time I'll do it". Do IT NOW!!

Everytime YOU don't take action, someone else is. Everytime YOU don't take action, someone you could've been helping is STILL hurting. Everytime YOU don't take action, you are doing a disservice to YOURSELF.

The list of excuses are endless but all you need to do to make the dreams come true is to just DO IT.

No need to think about it, no need to over analyze, or talk your way out of doin it. Just DO IT. Don't miss out on the opportunity to make shit happen. To get the ball rolling and to accomplish what you want to accomplish.

Dare to be powerful beyond measure.
-Andres

QoD: How are YOU stalling to take action on something you have wanted to do? How are YOU going to change this pattern of self-destruction? Let us know by commenting below.

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Turn off Your Brain

2011-08-01T01:54:00.000-04:00

"Absorb what is useful, discard what is not, add what is unequally your own."

-Bruce Lee

Don't give into mindless self indulgence.

No matter what your head is trying to push you to do, don't submit. The small short term pleasures, the easy ways out, that seem good at the moment aren't what they seem to be. This is not a regurgitation of past advice.

This an action that is taken by the Strongest individuals.

Turn off your brain!!

If you want to be Stronger, faster, leaner, and meaner, turn off the sense to purge into a box of donuts. If you give into fear everytime you see that fine girl at the mall, then go on auto pilot and DO what you have wanted to do.

You willing to do what YOU wanna do?!?!

Ignore the voices in your head and Start Moving Forward. Imagine the people who are trying to hold you back are telling YOU to continue to be afraid, to continue to give in, to CONTINUE to be weak.

They are harnessing reigns on you my friend. Getting you ready to run around for them. Preparing YOU to do things that will NOT help you in the longterm.

Are YOU gonna let something like fear stop you from Moving Forward?

YOU gonna let the wrong feelings decide what your gonna do?

You gonna own yourself and take responsibility over yourself, or you gonna let somethin else hold that position for you?

"Absorb what is useful, DISCARD what is not."
-Andres

Comment below and let me know what YOUR gonna do to shut your brain and if you haven't so yet, subscribe to the email list here and get a Free book full of KickAss quotes like the one above.

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2011-07-28T02:04:00.000-04:00

"It's not who you are underneath...It's what you do that defines you"

-Batman

You've been working real hard to become the Man you wanted to be for so long.

You read about Strong Men, you preach several values and principles, you give advice to others about what to do to become Stronger, you don't even condone the weak behavior of those around you. But what behavior are YOU displaying?

Do you practice what you preach or do you just talk? Do you act like this Strong Man with certain people or with everyone? Are you the only one who believes your a Strong Man?

While this has nothing to do with seeking other people's approval, you NEED to know if your actually walking the walk and display the character you say you've developed into. Everything you do is measured by the actions YOU take, not just about the beliefs you have in mind.

I know a couple people who continue to talk about what they want, talk about the values they believe, yet I still see them living the lives they DON'T want.

Wanting things isn't enough.

Saying you have things without actually having them is also complete Bull Shit. There's no need to be talkin about what you want others to do if you don't even do it yourself.

Don't continue to waste time. Start DOING what you tell and want others to do. Also, if you think your an incredible dude, a BadAss extraordinaire, ask others what they REALLY think about your character, about the person they see you as.

"Yo dude, you think I'm an honorable, courageous Man?"

Don't doubt your abilities or actions, just don't get so clouded and ignore the REAL truth. You can't afford to let that happen. You can't afford to live in indenial.

Find out the Truth. Find out if you really are acting like the Man you claim to be. Find out if other peeps actually SEE what your trying to accomplish in this aspect of your life. Assess what they say and fix whatever's broken.

Don't just think about it, DO what a Strong Man does.
-Andres

QoD: Are the important people in your life not seeing the improvements your trying to make? Do they believe your even becoming a Stronger or weaker Man? What do you need to fix in order to Keep Moving Forward? Coment below and let us know what you have to do next.

If you haven't done so yet, sign up for the RSS updates and get a free gift with your subscription.

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Dependence Reinforces Dependence

2011-07-27T03:45:00.000-04:00

"Dependence reinforces dependence; it does not create independence."
-Dan Kennedy

In order to be Strong, the need for gifts needs to be diminished.

Wanting things simply because you feel entitled to them is not a thought for the Strong. It is a belief many children have and YOU, are no longer a child.

Just because most people believe they are entitled to things doesn't mean anything. You are NOT the average person. YOU are fighting to become the best you can be; which consequently means that you have to 'sacrifice' this umbilical cord called dependency.

In order to be successful in any of your pursuits, you have to be able to do it all. by. your. self. Create your success with your own two hands, with the physical and educational tools you own.

Do IT Yourself!!

Don't wait around for a handout. Don't wait around for people to give you permission. Don't expect others to do ANYthing for you.

OWN your actions and your success. They are yours; nobody else's. What kind of person do you expect to become if your always dependent on something or someone? How would you explain your success to people?

"Ya, if it weren't for my parents money, my business wouldn't even exist"

"Ya, if only that chick didn't dump me over the phone. I would DEFINITELY be much happier right now"

Keep Moving Forward. Don't let this self induced disability affect the things you could and should be doing.
-Andres

QoD: Are you going to continue to be weak? Are you going to blame others for what you have and don't have? What dependent habits are YOU going to break. Leave a comment below. I'll be looking forward to your feedback.

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2011-07-26T01:23:00.001-04:00

"Man is born to live, not to prepare to live"
-Boris Pasternak

YOU have to be the one who takes responsibility for the things you do and don't do; in the present, past, and future.

No one in the world is here to babysit you. No one is determined to make YOUR goals come true. That work is up to you and nobody else. It is up to you to find what motivates you, to train, practice, and Strengthen your weaknesses, values, mind, AND body.

Will you let other people's s**t talking bring you down? Will you stop Moving Forward because you may be the only person around you who doesn't want to be average? Will you conform to mediocrity? To fear?

Are you going to Keep Moving Forward even though short term wise, you really don't want to? There have been tons of people in the world who have failed to accomplish what they wanted simply because they were unwilling to take responsibility.

Don't fail to recognize that YOU are the only person in the world who has control over your actions.

Don't be an effect.

Don't wittle down and blame others for all the wrong things that are happening to you. Be the cause. Be the change you want to see in the world. When things go completely wrong, be the person who manages to deal with it and overcome. You will NOT drown in your sorrows or break down simply because s**t went haywire or because you messed up.

Learn from the mistakes, learn what went wrong and fix the actions that led to those problems because when that problem occurs again, and yes it will come back around, you will now be better prepared for whats to come.

Keep Moving Forward. Don't back down. Be relentless in your pursuits. OWN every action and reaction you will take from Now on.
-Andres

QoD: Are you a Cause or an effect in the world? Are you going to blame others for everything thats gone wrong, or are you going to take the heat and Move on? Are you going to do the things that will push you to become Stronger or maintain weak? Drop a comment below

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2011-07-25T02:04:00.000-04:00

"Trust me, life will place plenty of obstacles in your path. You can't afford to be one of them yourself"

-Sean Stephenson

You know how it feels when EVERYone around you is trying to bring you down. In your head, your probably telling yourself "this person is NOT gonna keep me down. NO ONE can or will."

What do you say to yourself when you end up doing this?

When you end up feeling like you should give up, when things get tough, when you don't see the changes you want to see? SHUT YOUR BRAIN.

I learned this from Elliott Hulse and you can use it in ANY aspect of life. When you KNOW that you can do something but you feel the fear or doubt; turn off the thoughts, ducttape the mouth of the little dude in your skull, and just go out and do it.

Don't stall, don't give it time to escape and bombard you with stupid skepticism. Just DO IT.

You have learned all the things you need to do, you have practiced it in your head, you have probably even calculated every move you need to take. You ALREADY have the tools necessary to succeed so don't allow your dooubts and fear to be the little things that stop you.

DON'T BE YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY.

When it comes to fighting yourself, no one can help you. No one can change your mind. Its up to you to fight that battle and its up to you to decide whats gonna happen after its all said and done.

Don't overwhlem yourself with negative s**t either when you do something wrong. Ya you messed up, so what, who cares. Get up, clean yourself up, go back to the drawing board, and sitck with your new plan.

Negative talk and information is NOT healthy OR necessary.

Its usually just garbage being stored in your memory banks and if you want to become a Stronger Man, you HAVE to save that space for better things.

If you still want to talk s**t to yourself, ask yourself this first:

"Would I talk to my family and friends, when they fall short, the way I talk to myself?"
-Andres

QoD: What are you doing that stops YOU from Moving forward? Are you holding yourself back? Are you talking s**t to yourself? What are you gonna do to turn those negative habits around?

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The Power of Focus Part 2

2011-07-21T00:10:00.000-04:00

If you didn't read Part 1 of Chris' post on focusing, click here before you read on.

A goal in this instance can become manifest through intrinsic origin or as a response to cues in our external environment – in either case the successful attainment of the goal itself I argue is the result of our ability to focus.

Once a goal is conceptualized your brain will automatically kick into action and fine focus on the best course of action to take in order to achieve the task set out before it.

Going back to our receiver again, when he catches the ball he is not focused on the entire ball – no, he is trained to focus on the tip of the ball in isolation; [yes, all you Wedding Crasher fans out there – “just the tip” ;)] the belief being that the more finite and absolute one’s focal point is the greater the likelihood of success in catching the target as a whole.

Extending this example to our cognitive ability to fine focus on our goal, the more tangible (finite) the goal the easier it will be to attain – that is to say the more of our senses that we can involve in the process of setting our goals the more concrete that goal now becomes in our mind.

Imagine now, a goal for yourself – think about what you hear when you attain that goal, think about who is around you, think about who is patting you on the back, who is congratulating you on your accomplishment, think about how it feels in your body to attain this benchmark.

All the above are just brief examples of how to cement, absolutely the concept of a goal firmly in one’s mind, and you could think of a host of other examples of how to visualize your goal I am sure. The point is, that the sharper the picture in your mind – the sharper the focus, pun FULLY intended.

However, in the journey toward any goal obstacles, which I will quickly reword as opportunities, will undoubtedly arise. How do you plan for these unforeseen “opportunities” – the first step has already been given to you; change your perspective.

It is in changing your perspective that you shift your belief system, in shifting your belief system you alter the paradigm of your values and, once your values have shifted to align with the attainment of your goal, nothing will deter you – you must believe it to achieve it.

If you review that paragraph there is a whole host of Neural Linguistic Programming jargon that we could delve deeper into but that too is a topic for an altogether different post. Suffice to say, for all intensive purposes of this post, the mental flexibility in seeing opportunities as a means to continue to advance toward a goal is the best way to space focus on the “things” that could potentially derail us along the journey toward our objective.

Ultimately, the best at any endeavor have the ability to shift from fine focus – a sensory intensive conscious state of action to space focus – a subconscious state that is pliable and hence more reflexive in nature as the situation warrants – whether that demand for focal cognitive flexibility is intrinsic or extrinsic; these are the types of men who, when the game is on the line can always make the catch in a clutch!

To be a better man, learn how to train your focus!

-Christopher Reed

QoD: Are you focusing on what is going to Move your Forward or backward? Are you using the best of your abilities to accomplish what it is that you want or are you halfassing it?

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2011-07-20T00:06:00.003-04:00

Click here to join the Brotherhood

Focus, Focus, Focus

I would like to thank Andres for the opportunity to contribute to the content provided here on The Blog For Stronger Men.

It is very probable that if you are reading this page, you, like myself or any other self aware (wo)man, are on a journey of self discovery and searching for a deeper understanding of the world that surrounds us – and in this journey you have found this site to be a welcomed companion and invaluable resource [Thanks Chris].

Previous postings have offered further insight into your own physical, emotional and spiritual self and catalyzed a growth in consciousness and today’s posting is no different - written with the intent to contribute to your psychological self; to reinforce and further develop your mental strength and resolve to attain from life that which you desire most.

A common characteristic among the best leaders, executives and innovators in any given field is their uncanny ability to recognize, seize and conquer opportunity through consistent action. How are these opportunities first seen?

How do these leaders stay to task amidst a myriad of “other” demands that may otherwise serve as “distractions”? Once the initiative is put into play how do they then see that all important next step almost pre-cognitively before it has even materialized? The Answer: FOCUS

In sport, focus is an essential skill to success whether that success is achieved as an individual or overall as a team. The development of focus as a skill crosses over to life and your success in life is contingent upon it.

If we take the example of a wide receiver in football (sorry, but I’m a former football guy) you can see that in the process of catching a ball the receiver demonstrates two particular types of focus – fine focus, the ability to catch the rock and space focus, the ability to see defenders through the periphery of one’s field of vision and avoid getting crushed in the process of the catch.

How is it that in a matter of mere tenth’s of thousands of seconds all of these cognitive processes can go down in the brain with the ultimate summation of said processes being the receiver either making the play or not?

“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” – Taras Brown

Essentially what is inferred by this statement is that with hard work any skill can be acquired, developed, refined and essentially honed to a level that it appears as “natural”; further it is my personal belief that those individuals that have to work harder to attain mastery of any skill will always be slightly ahead of their more “talented” counterparts – but that is a topic for an altogether different posting.

Getting back to our receiver and his ability to fine focus and space focus; the actual mechanism of the brain utilized during “the catch” is something called the reticular activation system (RAS).

The R.A.S. is charged with the responsibility of acting as a filter for external visual stimuli; without the R.A.S. one would go crazy trying to process the sheer volume of visual cues in our environment that are constantly bombarding our brains with information.

It is the R.A.S. that determines what is most important and essential to our success in regards to responding to visual cues in our environment versus what is visual waste and of no use to the overall attainment of our objective.

The development of this physical skill can easily be extended beyond the R.A.S. to cognitive processes required of goal attainment – which I would define as the ability to define, pursue and attain any goal.

-Christopher Reed

P.S: For Part 2 click here and if you want to contact Chris for any reason at all, hit him up at apextraining@rogers.com.

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2011-07-19T00:50:00.000-04:00

"When the four basic needs have been satisfied, the growth need or self-actualization need arises: A new discontent and restlessness will develop unless the individual is doing what he individually is fitted for. A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write--in short, what people can be they must be." -Abraham Maslow

Elliott Hulse really engrained in me the belief that we ALL need to do what we were designed to do.

Whatever it is that moves you, inspires, and excites you is what you NEED to be doing. Whether its a hobby or a career it is your responsibility to do it. His idea about my failure to do my service is that its actually a disservice to all of humanity.

No matter what it is that moves you, DO IT.

Don't let anyone or anything stop you from Moving Forward with it. If people are bothered by it then ignore them. If they choose to NOT acknowledge your talents then they don't matter.

There are too many people out there doing what they feel they should be doing and that's NOT what its all about. If your concerned with what others will think of you then you ARE GOING TO FAIL. Spend time focusing on what matters instead.

Focus on developing your craft and becoming a better source to the world. Don't let anyone or anything stop you. Do what you said you were going to do and don't knock the hustle. Start kickin ass and takin names. The people who are telling you to stop doing what your doing are actually intimidated and afraid of your actions.

Your pursuit actually forces them to realize that they too need to change their negative habits; and for many, change is extremely intimidating.

Don't be afraid to Keep Moving Forward. If anyone is trying to stop you them tackle them like a train and blast right through them.

Don't let they're realistic views stop YOU from bein KickAss.
-Andres

QoD: Are you NOT doing what you love? Have you chosen to please others and NOT continue to do what inspires you? Are you going to continue to NOT do it? Are you going to tackle your opponents criticism head-on?

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Are You Hopeless?

2011-07-18T02:52:00.000-04:00

"To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are."

-Unknown

I remember feelin hopeless in high school.

I was VERY weak and had a low level of respect for myself. "Whatever happened, happened" was the way I dealt with things and it was during this time that I lived through the greatest grief in my life. My sense of 'your no good and you can't do anything about it' was very destructive.

Like a virus, this idea spread itself all over my life. Hopelessness affected the friends I did and didn't have, the girls I went out with and didn't have a chance with, and ultimately my sense of what I wanted for the future.

I remember sitting in my favorite class, Mr. Walker's Drawing and Painting, and thinking about what I would be doing in the future.

What college would I go to? What would I be doing to be making money? Where would I live? With the low sense of self in hand and the outlook of being realistic, I was REALLY stressed about what I was going to do.

With the way things were going at the time, the future just seemed too bleak to look at......

Fast forward to the end of my freshman year of college (by now I was already on the quest to becoming Stronger and already realized that things weren't hopeless for me) I learned that one of my oldest friends was kicked out of his house and sent to Syria.

The reason? He was a kid who got into a lot of trouble, argued with his parents and brothers alot, and basically did whatever he wanted. He was a great dude with a great heart and set of values and I found it hard to believe that he and his family were going through such problems.

Ya he was rebellious and while its none of my business what goes on in their home, I was completely shocked, pissed, and frustrated when his brother told me that he believed Abraham was hopeless, a waste of time trying to help him, and basically a lost cause.

"He's hopeless" -Khaled

After going through what I did I learned that NO ONE is hopeless. Absolutely EVERYone in the world can change their old habits, turn their life around, and fix all of their defects.

All Abraham seemed to need was a talk, to be listened to, and understood by his family. Yes he needs to change his habits and repair his relationship with his family but he does NOT have to do that alone. I do not live in their home and have no right to judge them, but I do know that believing that someone is hopeless is NOT going to change anything.

After what I've gone through, being alone when you need encouragement is one of the worst things that could ever happen to a person.

If you want change though you have to do work and put the time in to surround yourself with a healthy environment; with or without a support group. Drown yourself in books, videos, and recordings that talk about how you can change, that give you tips and guidelines to become the person YOU want to become.

I know it may seem your weakness is incurable and that you may feel alone in the struggle but trust me, you CAN do this. You can change and become the Man YOU want to become.

You may not see the change you want when you feel you need to the most but if you keep at it, if you continue to hustle, you surely will get the reward and skills you want. You WILL become the fearless and Confident Man you want to become. All it takes is several little consistent actions and you will surely change.

Keep hope alive and don't give up. We can't afford to lose you.
-Andres

QoD: Do you feel your hopeless? Do you understand that the reason you may suck at something is simply just a lack of skills? Are you prepared to develop the skills and do the things that promote the change YOU want to see in yourself? What do you need to do that will create the change you want to see?

TBSM Recommends:

How do You Talk to Yourself?

Its Never Too Late to Restart

Underestimating Yourself

Having a Strong Mindset

Overcoming 'Miniscule' Struggles

How do YOU Talk to Yourself?

2011-07-14T00:57:00.000-04:00

"Trust me, life will place plenty of obstacles in your path. You can't afford to be one of them yourself."

-Sean Stephenson

I've spoken a ton about how you shouldn't expect people to help you, and that instead of waiting around for some approval or advice, you should go out get what you want.

I'm still sticking to that statement but I want you to consider the possibility of creating your own self approval. Like being self motivated into taking action, you also need to become "your Greatest support system" as Sean states in his book.

In his book, Sean says that almost everyone, even the positive people, tend to talk to themselves horribly. Meaning, YOU probably talk to yourself worse than you talk to anyone else on the planet =0. This came to me as a BIG shock because I too tend to be really tough on myself too.

Like the negative things in life, I don't like to acknowledge them or even refer to them.

There's a bit of selective ignorance to the actions I take simply because there are tons of things out here in the world that aren't even worth paying attention to (like a certain trial). If you take the time to ignore the unnecessary negative aspects of the world, will you do the same with your thinking?

You need to talk to yourself better. YOU have to be the soul source of encouragement, Strength, and motivation for yourself simply because if you aren't going to be that source, how can anyone else be?

I'm definitely going to change my thinking and the way the voice in my head talks to myself cause there is NO way in hell that I'm gonna let that aspect make me weaker. Do the same. Take the time and surround yourself with the positive aspects of life.

You only have 1 life. Do you want to spend it paying attention to the f**ked up things or the things that matter?
-Andres

P.S: I'm going to post the pictures of the pages where Sean talks about how to better speak to yourself on the Facebook fan page. If you haven't done so yet, like the fan page. I post photos from books, motivational content, interesting topics and links ONLY on there. If you want to become a Stronger Man, click this link.

QoD: Do you talk to yourself badly? Would you be ashamed if anyone else knew you talk to yourself like that? Would you allow yourself to talk to someone the way you talk to yourself? What are you gonna do to change it?

TBSM Recommends:

Get Off Your "But": How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand Up for Yourself

Acknowledging Fear

Underestimating Yourself

No one's Coming to Save You

Coming Face to Face With the Ugly Green Monster

2011-07-13T01:25:00.000-04:00

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going"

-Joseph P. Kennedy & Knute Rockne

It is in times when you have to fight the ugly green monster that you have to whip out all of your guns.

When you come face to face with the object standing in your way, the being that has become your obstacle, it is time that you take what you want and WIN. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There are no excuses or blame to be placed on anyone for not winning or not doing the best you possibly could.

"Whether or not you win this thing, you've got to decide how your gonna walk out of here when its all said and done cause the game is Going to go on" -John Doman

Maybe your saying to yourself that your gonna do whatever frightens you next time or the time after that. Lets say you've been doing that for days.

Days become weeks, weeks become months, and before you know it, you've been ducking and diving for years. One day you decide to reflect, to look back on what you've been doing doing when it came to facing your fears and you realize ONE thing. Each time you pussed out of doing that one thing that could have changed your life, your whole life ended up passing you by.

You have now realized that regret has settled in.

Is that what you want?!?!? Do you want to end up sitting in your chair while in despair because you simply didn't do the few things that frightened you? It not too late to start Moving Forward. It never is.

It is time for you to take life by the nads and go get what YOU want. To go do what YOU want. No matter what obstacles you have in front of you, no matter whats holding you back, GO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

Face the ugly green monster and you will surely realize that the only thing that makes him ugly is what he represents; fear.
-Andres

QoD: Are you ready to face what lies ahead for you? Do you want to live a life of regret? ARE you going to live a life of regret?

TBSM Recommends:

Its Never too Late to Restart

Acknowledging Fear

Following (conformity)

How Long Can YOU Hold on