Let’s face it, the world is kind of a shitty place sometimes. And, the reason is largely because of the people who inhabit it. Fortunately, there’s good news: a few personality changes and philosophical reconsiderations can create a new chapter for any man; immediately creating a brighter future for everybody.

These behaviors could mean, for you, the difference between success and happiness—versus just being another piece of the big problem.

The Victimless Attitude

I’ve heard every imaginable excuse for why a person fails, is miserable, or has had misfortunes of various sort; including that some archetypal enemy has thwarted his abilities. It could be Barack Obama, Prime Minister Cameron, Todd the 4th grade bully, or even some non-physical, crushing existential fear. All of this is bunk as soon as a man takes responsibility for EVERYTHING, good and bad, in his life.

The alternative is to play the victim, in which case you WILL suffer.

Courage to Lose It All

We live in an interesting time on this planet. If you belong to a first-world country, the bottom of the social ladder is no longer death as was expected in a bygone era. Not long ago, if you lost all of your money and had no place to live, you’d end up on some flea-infested street, dying of plague in about a week’s time.

Today, the worst that can happen is you’ll have to bum on a friend’s couch for a couple of weeks while you pick yourself back up. In fact, if you really did lose EVERYTHING, you might find yourself feeling strangely liberated about no longer dealing with car, cell-phone, gym, cable, and flat-screen TV costs.

The point is that not being afraid of “losing” stuff helps a man become less clingy to his material attachments. By doing this, he is more prone to take positive risks, to go outside of his comfort zone, and to not place so much value on the stuff that may really just be holding him back.

To Try And Make a Better Planet

You should at least be investing some small percentage of your masculine energy into serving the planet, and not just yourself. The reason is because it’s possible that earth could, someday, be a hell of a lot better than it is now. This serves the individual as well as the collective; as we all want to live in a society with clean air, happy people, complete health and wellness, abundant resources, and technology that allows us to do anything we damn well please. This future is only possible through YOUR efforts, right now, so get after it.

When something doesn’t work in your business or personal life, you must learn to adapt. The opposite of adaptation is defending the status quo. Typically, this is because your ego is worried about its own imperfections, and will resist the idea of change.

So, don’t get stuck in first gear. If you have to enhance your personality to become more successful, do it. If you have to shed off old limiting beliefs, then start identifying them immediately. Whatever it takes to get to the next level.

To Not Seek Things in Return

Another pitfall is the tendency among men to become cultivators of good deeds… at the expense of everyone around them. They are the guys who will drive their friends from the airport, buy girls dinner constantly, even give money to homeless people, only to harbor secret resentments or an intention for all the recipients to give back in some way. These types of guys may rant later about how people (or the world) owes them so much.

So, don’t be that guy. You should only ever give back without expectations of return. Consider your compensation the good feelings that you experience knowing somebody benefited from your actions. Asking for anything more is creating trouble.

To Have an Identity

I always believe there is an advantage among those bohemians and artists who make a point to stand out from the crowd by whatever means possible. You can learn a thing or two from the most colorful personalities, which is simply about expressing who you are. You don’t have to do this by dying your hair pink, but you can do it by celebrating your personality and not becoming a human doormat as you age.

To Know Your Life Goals, Up Until Death

Finally, there is a more positive attitude that you can strive for that encompasses death as part of your life; as merely the finale of your experiences. Think of your life as a book you’re writing, so don’t be afraid of ending it, as every great story needs one. So, focus instead on expanding the length of that book you’re creating, and be sure to include some enduring tales.

In Summary

All we can do in life is try to be our best selves; and do our best to make things better for the next generation that follows us. So, don’t be ignorant about your potential. A man will have truly wasted his life if he does not make even a small effort at improving himself on a regular basis.

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