I have been called an Old Soul by many so far throughout my lifetime. As I set out tonight for my evening walk, I thought to myself, “But what does Old Soul really mean to you.” Does it represent your propensity to pick up the pen and write whenever something is on your mind? How about the moments where you just sit in silence thinking and listening to the absence of sound? Or maybe is it how you think in the first place? What makes you really different? Why are you different?

I think part of the answer to why I am an Old Soul is in my appreciation for the people of the past. Part of me was born as an ancient thinker, the other part an explorer. They have combined themselves into who I am now…a young man exploring deep inside himself and thinking about the outside world that he walks around in every single day. On my walk, I stopped and looked up at the stars…and even though I know how incredibly small I am in comparison to the universe, I know how unpredictably large my impact can have on the world around me. I ask the Big Guy above for the strength to tell the truth, and to tell it in a way that touches people’s hearts. That is all I have ever asked for.

I never really question why things are the way they are. I also never really wish for things to be different. I think that many of us get caught up in wishing that something would change or hope that an event never happened. You can get really stuck in thinking about the past. Trust me, I have been there many times over. I have held onto things in the past, a few far too long, and it eats you up inside. But I have also learned how to let go. That first time you let go of someones hand willingly is incredibly scary. After a while though, you stop thinking about the pieces missing, and you smile remembering what your fingers felt like intertwined. My mental approach to people leaving has changed significantly. Now, I am just happy I had something so great that it was incredibly hard to let go of. You can choose your emotions. Choose happy ones.

As the book coming out gets closer and closer, I have been looking back on the past 23 years of my life, and taking in all of the lessons I have learned and things I have overcome. Lately, I have been writing a lot of these lessons down, and it is very cathartic to put memories down on paper. There are many that I have still yet to write, but in good time they will come out. February 9th is going to be a life changing day. It will have been 3 years to the date of when I first started writing online, and it will represent a huge milestone in my life. And while my anxiousness at times is very high, I try to keep myself grounded and appreciate this time exactly for what it is.

I will continue to walk, think, and write. Me and my old soul.

Evan Sanders

The Better Man Project