Credit goes to James Northeimer—@JamesNortheimer, the Beta_Killer, on Twitter—for the title of this essay.

Ok, so your life is bad right now. You’ve hit rock bottom. Good. Reality has sunk in. You’ve got a place to remember for comparison. A place you never want to return to.

But how in the hell do you get your ass out of there?

First step: get yourself a mentor.

Reach out and ask for some help. I bet there’s someone out there who’s just been waiting for the opportunity. Someone who’s been working his ass off to put himself in the strongest possible position; simply because there was nothing else he could do; and simply to be ready when and if the call came.

Have the courage to reach out. Your future self will thank you. It could be the smartest thing you ever do. Take the help and do your part. Listen, be humble and do the work.

Second step: stop doing things that make you weak.

You know what these are. No more inebriation and no more Shallow Distractions. Quit television, ignore the poison of politics, let go of people who are a bad influence and no more junk food.

Get comfortable being alone and without distraction.

Quit hiding from yourself.

Have the courage to be alone for a while. Face yourself. Stop running away. Good and bad, face yourself. You’re not the first man to be where you are and you won’t be the last. There’s nothing unique about your difficulties.

Accept your situation. Accept who you are right now. And let’s roll from there; but without all of the things that make you weak.

Clear a damn path.

Start simply and build a foundation for success

Third step: Progressive Resistance as a Way of Life.

Here is where we will begin to roll forward. We will start simply and build a foundation for success. And then slowly dial it in, slowly add some progressive resistance.

Just as with weight lifting to add muscle mass and power you will start with some basics and pay attention to form. There will no heavy lifting to start. But you will begin to take action.

Day in and day out you will take simple action. You will handle what needs to be handled and take care of what needs to be taken care of. No more putting off and no more weakness. Ask your mentor for help and ask him to keep you accountable. And when he does, stand up and be accountable.

Always remember where you ended up and where it is you don’t ever want to ever be again.

And just as with weight training, growth will begin in the kitchen. It’s much harder to be mentally strong if your physiology is not also strong. Quit eating processed foods and switch over to real food instead. Eat as humans have evolved to do.

Eat meat, fish, chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, vegetables and some fruit. In other words, move away from a carbohydrate based low fat diet, to a protein based high fat diet. And cook only with butter, olive oil and coconut oil. No more vegetable or seed oils. They are unnatural and no good for you.

Moving away from carbohydrates to animal based saturated fat for energy will convert your metabolism from being a sugar burner to a fat burner for energy. This will have obvious benefits if you’ve got some excess weight to lose, but it will also prevent the ups and downs of a carbohydrate based diet. You’ll have steady energy all day long and mental clarity like never before.

Energy and mental clarity, this is a good start.

There are some pluses and minuses to living in the best time in history in this civilized modern society of ours. If you’re a man of even modest means, life can become pretty comfortable—yes, pretty comfortable indeed.

Of course this is good in many respects. A man can live his life in relative safety, there is ample employment, as well as easy access to both health and educational resources. And there are countless entertainment and pleasure based distractions readily available for rest and relaxation. Never before has so much rich food, diversion and vice been simply a few dollars or the click of a button away.

But all of this wealth, material ease, distraction and comfort can lead to a certain emptiness. As with all extrinsic based stimulation, tolerance eventually comes into play. In other words, eventually nothing external to you is able to create the same level of pleasure as it used to do.

This tolerance, or The Hedonic Treadmill as I call it, can twist a man into what he should not become if he is not careful. The pursuit of pleasure and materialism as an end tends to corrupt the Soul and can take a man completely down.

Even if you’re disciplined and wise enough to avoid this trap, excessive ease and comfort can still steal the fire that used to reign within. Comfort can be an ambition killer. Once your life is on cruise control and you reach a certain level of satisfaction, that satisfaction can backfire and you can lose your way.

And the same goes for the daily routines of work and family. The worse part is, that in working to provide for your family, you can lose the all important focus on your own well being—and your woman and children will see it. Raising a family and working for a living, along with all the responsibilities of doing so, can dull a man’s edge after a few years.

You can become soft in physique, soft in ambition and soft in spirit; a shadow of your once formidable self.

If you’re sick of this shadow and tired of being sick and tired, then perhaps it’s time to break away in some fashion.

The good news is, if you’re dissatisfied with your current state it means there is still yet, some life within. A small ember or pilot light remains. This dissatisfaction is good then. It’s a signal to your Core, to your Soul, to your innate God given potential that something is amiss; relish it, because it means you haven’t given up.

Yes, relish this unease and then turn it around and light it on fire.

Take a step back and reassess your life.

Put aside all distractions for a day and get serious with yourself. It won’t take very long, if you bear down and dig deep.

Perhaps it’s time to break away from the comfort and ease, by choice and by deliberation.

Perhaps it’s time to challenge yourself again with a brand new course of action; time for some Personal Evolution and some gut busting effort; time to make life your playing field again; time to Live to Thrill.

Create your Vision

So it is done then and the decision is made.

You will start at the beginning.

Find your Purpose and then use it to create a Life Vision.

Dig deep into your Core and find what it is that will give your life the most possible Meaning—this is your Purpose or Life Mission, as I call it.

And then craft a Life Vision from that Meaning—who you want to become and the goals you want to achieve. Design your Ideal Self; you at your very best utilizing all your innate potential. And then create a list of accomplishments that would propel you to that Ideal.

Your Vision can contain something you’ve always wanted to pursue or maybe just take you in a whole new direction. The key is that it will light your hair on fire. It will stretch you and require personal evolution.

No matter what your age and what your situation It’s a Wide Open Road Ahead.

You’re never too old and you’ve never made too many mistakes.

You possess Free Will and you live in the greatest time in history. Take advantage of this good fortune. Don’t live your life and let this slip by.

Without a doubt, it is possible at this very moment to change your life.

From unlearning bad habits to radical life change, this power does reside within you.

Stop right now and think. Really think.

Free will. You do possess it.

Do you deny it? Of course not.

Then accept it as Truth.

Accept it as your new Law for Life. Today is a new day. Right now is a new moment. Choose and set yourself free. And then keep choosing, day by day and moment by moment.

As soon as you intuitively grasp this reality it will light the Fire of Joy within. You will see nothing but possibilities and potential. And hope, excitement and a new Energy will begin to drive you forward.

And what better Energy is there for success in this life than Joy?

It is positive, powerful and will arm you to handle just about anything.

With Joy as your fuel for change, the sky’s the limit.

So open up your mind and open up your heart. Think about what it is that will light you up like nothing else. What is it that will be as exciting and rewarding in the pursuit as it will be when attained? And even it never fully realized, what is it that will always be worth the effort?

A new career? A new shredded physique? Financial independence? A new love life? A renewed Faith? Or perhaps just you at your very best from now on until your last day; troubles be damned.

Ask yourself these questions while considering the fact that you are a man with Free Will. And that you have access to resources, information and technology that even royalty could not even imagine just a couple of generations ago.

Not that it will be easy. Nothing in this world that is worthwhile will ever be easy. But you know this. After all, nothing is easy right now.

But mix in a new Mission with an abundance of Joy and it becomes a whole new ball game as they say.

You’ve got to believe in your Core that you do indeed possess the ability to change who you are. You do posses the ability to change how you live your life.  And you do have the ability to change how you think about things.

You can determine your own Destiny

You can determine your own fate. And you can control your own Destiny.

You can be happy if you decide to be. It’s that simple.

You possess both a Soul and a Mind. And each is unique unlike anything else in the universe. Both your Soul and Mind are self directed. Through the use of Free Will each one can make itself better. And each one can also complement the other.

A healthy Soul will lead to a healthy Mind. And a healthy Mind will lead to a healthy Soul.

Belief in this simple concept is the key because it will give you the power to change.

You can change.

And you can change right now. Both Soul and Mind can make it so.

Will you have difficulties and failures along the way? Sure.

Will you have doubts and issues with confidence? Yes.

Will everyone you care about cooperate and support you? No.

But once again, how is that any different than right now?

It’s time to move past all of that. The difference today is you’ve brought to the fore of your Mind and Soul that your life is yours to do with as you wish. You’re fed up with your past. And you’re fed up being fed up.

So it’s time to take the gloves off and let yourself loose on the world.

Deep down you know what it is you want.

Of course when the shit hits the fan and your life is in the toilet it’s not so easy to Make Your Day a Work of Art.

To hell with that Max Panzer and his stinking, idealistic “Work of Art” posts.

Sometimes I say the same thing to myself. What the hell was I thinking? That’s just an ideal. It doesn’t apply for when life gets really nasty and serious.

But it does indeed Gentlemen. Let’s define “Work of Art.”

When things get nasty, when they get extremely difficult or even ugly, there is still a best way to conduct yourself. Even if you’re not exactly sure what to do or what the best response is, you can still endeavor to do what you believe to be right.

If you Center yourself and drop down to your Core Values, search your Soul and then proceed from that point, there’s not much more the Creator could ask.

And that gentlemen is a Work of Art.

To struggle for the right answer or best way to proceed in the midst of extreme difficulty is Noble and Virtuous. Irrespective of your bad feelings at the time, conducting yourself with courage and good character is a beautiful thing.

We are on this earth to face challenges and face them we will. This is simply part of the Creator’s natural order.

As I always say, we live in a broken world and it has a lot of moving parts, competing interests and extremely fallible human beings. To say nothing about some of the pure evil that’s out there.

So in the midst of all this chaos, sometimes all you can do is all you can do; even if it seems worthless and without meaning at the time.

This is simply what men do.

Principle

An advantage you can give yourself in preparation for difficult times is to set your core principles for life ahead of time. And if you’re unprepared, confused and currently getting hammered, take a step back and do the same. It’s never too late.

Of course, being prepared beforehand might help you to alleviate the situation with less complication and gnashing of teeth. So take the time to set your standards. It will pay dividends many times over.

Part of the battle is simply defining what behaviors you will not engage in. And what characteristics you do not wish to incorporate into your character. Most of these are probably what I would label as Shallow Distractions. But some of them, to state the obvious, would be purely immoral behavior.

Avoiding what you know to be wrong and not doing things that will make you weak, will put you on good footing if things should get difficult.

The other half of the battle is living your defined principles each and every day. Make it a habit. Make it instinct. Doing so will give you the courage of your convictions and place you on a solid foundation as an automatic response.

There’s something to be said for a clear conscience. There will be no self-defeating holes in your armor. And you will indeed have the legitimate courage of your beliefs and principles when confusion and torment begin to rain down. A man with a clear conscience can stand tall and stand defiant.

If you were to make the pursuit of Virtue your number one principle for life, you couldn’t do much better in my opinion. Virtue will pretty much cover all the good stuff and eliminate all the bad stuff.

For me there’s Soft Virtue and Hard Virtue.

Examples of Soft Virtue: compassion, empathy, courtesy, consideration, faith, faithfulness, order & cleanliness.

Examples of Hard Virtue: honor, loyalty, discipline, honesty, courage, fitness, preparation, competency, dynamism, self-denial & sobriety.

Work to become all of these Virtues. It is my belief they are all pre-programmed into your DNA with divine intention. Manifest this intensional design and you will never reg...

Consider each new day a blank canvas. And then paint yourself the best day possible.

Make it a point not to be deterred, regardless of the circumstances and people you encounter. The nastier it gets, the better you will paint.

After all, you’ve tried it the other way. And where has that gotten you? Has it elevated your spirit? Has it infused you with positive energy? Perhaps it’s time to cut yourself a new path. Perhaps it’s time to flip the usual script and become indomitable instead.

In no way, shape or form will you become a pushover. If someone crosses the line or circumstances go sour, you will handle it as man should, but with composure and control. And you will manage your emotions and then get right back on track.

If you have to paint with some black paint for a while, then this is what you’ll do. But you will make the most of it, wrap it up and then move on back to the full palette.

And the same goes for those days where it’s nothing but the same old same old. There’s no need for inspiration. You’re a man. You live your life based on principle; and one of those principles is that no matter what …

You Will Make Your Day a Work of Art.

Kindness

Conduct yourself with Courtesy, Consideration and Kindness.

Take the offensive here. Stand tall and strong, carry yourself with energy and power and kill them all with Class. Be confident and untouchable. Disarm people with your controlled demeanor, even those who you really do not appreciate.

Acquire the attitude that no one can touch you. You know who you are and you know where you’re headed. And you might as well distinguish yourself along the way. The reaction and opinion of others does not really matter; so the high road it will be.

Be authentic and be genuine. Look for the good in everyone and be compassionate towards those who are not so good. The probability is great they are suffering in some way and they are simply lashing out as a matter of consequence. You’ve been there before and would appreciate the same consideration. Just move on and let them be.

Elevate your conduct as such and it will change your life. Not only will it pay dividends in return from others, but it will also set you on a higher plane. Becoming a class act in your interactions will help you to cleanse your Soul.

Treating people with respect and honor is the proper way to live. It will put you in congruence with the Creator’s natural order. And doing what’s right will begin to multiply in its returns.

And while you’re at it treat yourself in the same way; with Courtesy, Consideration and Kindness.

Hold your feet to the fire, but save some of that compassion for yourself as well.

Make Your Day a Work of Art.

Gratitude

Be grateful that you can even consider working at crafting each day. If you’re reading or listening to this essay, you’re one of the most fortunate men ever to walk the planet.

To have the freedom and have access to the technology to read or listen to my thoughts from half way around the world is nothing short of a miracle. You have the ability to communicate and learn from another, literally at the touch of a finger. The world is your oyster.

If you’re in need of information, understanding or motivation it’s all out there for the taking. Ideas, attitudes and strategies for self-development are freely shared. And interaction and direct questioning is once again, just a few keystrokes away.

All of this freedom, modern technology and information combine to provide more leverage for a man than ever before in history.

Make use of this leverage. It’s the most powerful tool you will ever have to become the very best you can be. Combine all of this with Right Action and the sky is the limit.

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

All the best,

Max Panzer

Without a doubt we live in a broken world. Why the Creator lets it be so to such a degree, is beyond my understanding. All I do know is that we cannot win the argument, so we are left to another solution.

My best guess as a layman, is that the Deity has set up the natural order to His liking and then gave us all free will. This was His will. And as a matter of definition, He lets it all ride purely on Divine Principle.

Not letting things play out would create a contradiction and defeat the purpose of His original intent. Thus it seems, when God sets his principles, He sticks to them. Apparently, such is the nature of Divine Perfection.

Unfortunately for we fallible mortals, it means life can be very difficult and replete with suffering.

Sometimes though, I am surprised that society works as well as it does and that we do have plenty of success as civilized and caring human beings.

And when you really think of it, some of the actions, creations and achievements of people are indeed overwhelmingly fantastic and inspiring, considering our inherent weaknesses. As much as the world is in disarray, there are nonetheless innumerable acts of kindness, love, courage, invention, compassion and perseverance that are enough to stir the Soul.

So perhaps this is the solution; these innumerable acts of kindness, inspiration and beauty that occur in spite of all the conflict and disarray.

All of this goodness and all of these right actions originate with the individual. Making the world a better place, therefore, can start at no other point; which brings us to you.

Do it for your loved ones, do it for yourself and do it in reverence to the Creator—Make Your Day a Work of Art.

Turn it All Around

So the challenge then is to turn it all around; all of the difficulty, all of the conflict, all of the ignorance and all of the pain.

We’ve all tried fighting it and we’ve all let it get us down. Been there, done that.

Instead, why not work to make each day for the rest of your life a work of art? As nasty and as ugly or boring as things can get, why not work to make things right as much as possible. Take it all on as a challenge and become indomitable.

This is a man’s challenge is it not; to work relentlessly to make the best of everything?

Do everything right for its own sake.

Take it all on with Righteous Defiance.

Even in failure, defeat and the mundane, a man can still carry himself with dignity, energy and verve. He can continue to pick himself up and continue to pare away, long past when others would have given up.

If the perfection of your character and the pursuit of Virtue are your goals, then the extrinsic really doesn’t matter. You will focus instead on the intrinsic and the unseen.

My belief though, is that if you do persevere in these intrinsic values, eventually you will succeed. Eventually you will begin to bend reality in your favor.

This is simply the natural order when a man commits to do what’s right like his life depended on it—when he commits to Making Each Day a Work of Art.

Virtue

Set your foundation properly. Make it a foundation of Virtue.

Do what you know is right.

And stop doing what you know is wrong.

Employ the Replacement Principle and replace the latter with the former; replace the wrong with the right.

Drop all of your shallow distractions and pursue A Man’s Hardened Virtue: Morality, Principle, Discipline, Courage, Toughness and Improvement.

It’s this type of Hardened Virtue that will give you the backbone and good character to turn it all around.

From all the little annoyances, to the stress of work and family and the major problems that will inevit...

Let Principle RULE over Preference in your life.

An ass kicking for someone who needs to hear it.

All the best,

Max Panzer

If you’ve got the guts to make some serious life changes, pursue them relentlessly and continue to evolve along the way, something special is eventually going to happen.

One day a door will open up and you’ll get a view into Unforeseen Possibilities.

It will become a reality that you could achieve or become something you never before considered. This will be a result or destination way beyond the plans surrounding your original changes. And it will represent There’s a Whole Other Level out there for you, just waiting to be had.

In other words, not only could you become twice or three times the man you were, but a different and unexpected one as well. You could begin to tap into the divine nature of your genetic potential and manifest the genius of your creation.

It is my belief the Creator put you together and put you on this planet for a reason. You are not simply an accident of nature. For each of us there is a path to something special, a true Life’s Destiny that we may or may not be aware of.

If you can imagine all the best that you would want for your son or daughter, imagine what the Creator Himself would want for you; and the potential He would instill at your origin. But with the natural order in this world being what it is, for most of us the burden for Personal Greatness lies deep within. And it will take a concerted long term effort to make it real.

There’s no question there are some for whom greatness seems to come easy. World class athletes or brilliant scholars or successful business people come to mind. But rest assured, these people will have their own challenges. No one is immune.

In any case, good for them; but for the vast majority of the rest of us, the path to great heights will simply require more. It will take a life changing decision, long term gut busting effort and the willingness to adapt.

Accept this struggle and Make the Journey Its Own Reward. Earn your way to Excellence and the payback will make you truly as successful as any other.

You will live a life of Purpose and Meaning beyond the mere satisfaction of extrinsic achievement.

You will achieve Your Life’s Destiny.

And in the end, that’s all that really matters.

Radical Change

One day you’re likely to get fed up with your situation. Despite serious prolonged gut busting effort, you’ll find yourself spinning your wheels; going round and round and getting nowhere. But you’ll keep at it way beyond getting sick of it, hoping for a break through; hoping for a change somehow. You’re no quitter and you’re willing to tough it out.

At some point though, you’ve got to take a step back and reassess. Perhaps some wholesale changes are in order. Or perhaps it’s time to shake things up and head in a different direction. All of your goals and principles can still remain consistent, but it might be necessary to carve a new path to your destination. After all, your current strategy has played itself out and is seemingly leading nowhere.

The problem with this course of action is that people don’t like change. The radical moves you need to make will likely upset the apple cart. Your woman, children and family will resist and it will put them under duress. And this is the last thing you want to do.

But then, they are not you. They may be comfortable and set in their lives, but your tremendous innate potential is waning. It’s waning and it’s not right, even if they can’t see it.

You’ve got a glorious Vision for your life and what you want to provide for your family. You can see it clear as day, but your just not getting it done. Sometimes life and commitments can worm their way into a man’s path subtlety over time until he is cornered or way off track...

… and the only way out is to break something.

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

All the best,

Max Panzer