About Anewtrek
There are guarantees in life. Every day guarantees us new opportunities, challenges, and choices. Each new day is a new trek.
This page includes…
- About Anewtrek Culture
- About Anewtrek’s Founder
- My Top Tips to My Younger Self
- Respect truth and become a life-long learner
- Manage your mind, it’s more powerful than you know
- Understand that we are spiritual beings, not just physical
- Take care of your body, it’s the only one you get
- Build strong relationships, they are opportunity multipliers
- Plan your life, it’s the best way to improve anything
- Commit to what’s important to you
- About Anewtrek – Call To Action
- Growth Poem
About Anewtrek Culture
About Anewtrek’s Founder
I’m a veteran who grew up in a small town in the Midwest and was raised by a single mother. I joined the military right after high school because it offered a full-time career, health benefits, four weeks paid vacation each year, travel opportunities, and the opportunity to serve my country.
I had a rewarding career in the U.S. Army and left as a Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer who specialized in planning. I gave some of the best years of my physical life to serving our country, and that experience continues to shape who I am today.
After leaving the military, I started my own business. I soon realized I needed more knowledge about business, so I closed my business and got a business degree. This opened my mind to the importance of knowledge. The psychology class specifically changed my understanding of myself, as I realized how much I enjoyed thinking and learning.
After getting my degree I faced significant personal challenges in health, relationships, and finances. That significantly expanded my passion for learning and growth.
For more than ten years I have pursued that passion by reading more than 300 books on human nature and performance, and business. I learned about the major religions and studied the Bible. I read many study Bibles, and my notes became my book, Core Bible Verses. I also developed my own theories about growth, wrote Personal Planning Package, and am finishing my book, Meaningful Growth.
I created this website to share important knowledge with the hope of helping improve our collective humanity—one person at a time. I try to remain humble, remembering how great God is and how many remarkable people share this earth with us.
My Top Tips to My Younger Self
Respect truth and become a life-long learner
I believe truth is our most valuable resource, not time. Because, it’s only with truth that we can use our time well. I consider truth as God’s word (John 17:17 & 2 Timothy 3:16) and natural laws that govern the world (Genesis 1).
We are all unique and have unique situations, and many truths affect us differently. This doesn’t mean there is no truth. I believe there are hard truths like in the field of physics (gravity). Then there are soft truths like in the field of psychology (human motivations). Soft truths are more subject to uncertainty and perception, and affect us differently.
Time is clearly just a resource, one that we can spend, but not buy. However, truth is a resource and a guide, that we can buy. We can waste time searching for truth, if we don’t search well. However, without truth we could be deceived and moving in the opposite direction of what we want. The question is, How much truth do you need to use your time well? Which depends on, What exactly do you want?
Almost anything you want to do, someone has shared how they did it. Consider building a solid foundation of knowledge about human nature and history. This helps understand the world we live in, which can be valuable in all of life. Shortcut to reading… find a good book you are interested in, search YouTube for the title and author, and you might find a video of them sharing the highlights.
In an honest and good heart, hear the word, keep it, and bear fruit with patience (Luke 8:15). Knowledge is power (Proverbs 24:5). Wisdom is better than power (Ecclesiastes 9:16), as it helps with our health, honor, wealth, and peace (Proverbs 3:13-17).
Manage your mind, it’s more powerful than you know
We crave meaning, and it starts with growth, becoming better and more skilled versions of ourselves. Work on building an emotionally fit, positive, growth mindset. Start more thoughts and questions with, “How can I…?” Being the best is not as important as doing your best. Life is mostly about doing what you can with what you have. But this depends on your core values and beliefs. Which depend on how you manage your mind. We are not our emotions and thoughts; we are what we do with them (Jason Krause, Core Bible Verses).
Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by renewing your mind (Romans 12:2). Take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Whatever is good, think on those things (Philippians 4:8). Thoughts of the diligent lead to plenty (Proverbs 21:5). To set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life (Romans 8:6).
Understand that we are spiritual beings, not just physical
Over 70% of the world’s population identifies with one of the four big major religions. Religion has helped, and continues to help, many people around the world. Don’t let bad behaviors of individuals, in the name of religion, discourage you from it’s benefits. You alone are responsible for your soul, and when judgment day comes no excuse about other people’s bad behaviors will matter. Study the spiritual world and how it interacts with the physical.
God made you in His image (Genesis 1:27), as a three part being; a spirit, with a soul, in a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23), with a three part spirit; of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Your spirit reflects your core personality traits as a worker/warrior, lover, and thinker.
Take care of your body, it’s the only one you get
Just because your body is young and strong doesn’t mean it is immune to the laws of nature. Small actions can have large compounding effects over years. Think and eat clean to be clean. Exercise hard to be hard. Rest well to be well. Brush and floss your teeth morning and evening. Try to get some sun daily, but not too much. Manage stress (your mind).
Physical training is good, but godliness is great, having promise for the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8). Our desires of the flesh are against the desires of the Spirit (Galatians 5:17), and we struggle against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). Everyone bears their own burden (Galatians 6:5).
Build strong relationships, they are opportunity multipliers
People like to help people. They especially like to help people who help people. Be willing to help people as you have the opportunity (Galatians 6:10). But just be careful about how it affects your life. You never know who may know something or someone that could help you with a goal or challenge. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but don’t be resentful if people don’t give help. You never know what other people are going through. They could be struggling with challenges bigger than yours, that you don’t know about. Communication is our most important relationship skill.
Do to other people as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12). Seek wisdom from God (James 1:5), and other people Proverbs 13:20). Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 17:27). Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (James 1:19) for understanding (Proverbs 14:29). Our words can harm or heal (Proverbs 12:18), and they even have the power of death and life (Proverbs 18:21). Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Love God and love people, all the law depends on these (Matthew 22:37-40).
Plan your life, it increases clarity and focus
Consider making a habit of goal setting and pursuing goals. This gives you clarity and focus around your desires. Know that the level of importance and impact of the goal usually affects the level of effort needed and challenges. Cultivate a deep sense of meaning for your goals. Have a clear sense of why they are important to you. Life has meaning when we pursue goals (Aristotle).
Look forward. Think about your path, and establish your ways. Don’t turn right or left, and don’t do evil (Proverbs 4:25-27). Count the cost (Luke 14:28).
Commit to what’s important to you
Every day guarantees us opportunities, challenges, and choices. Work on building faith and courage, because these help you persist in opportunity and persevere challenges. Science confirms that having faith influences us to think, speak, and do things that attract opportunities. Courage to do what’s right, at the right time, in the right moment. It’s not easy but it’s worth it, and respectable people respect it.
Faith can move mountains (Mark 11:22-23). Blessed are those who trust in the Lord (Jeremiah 17:7-8). Our works reflect our faith (James 2:18). Be strong and courageous, God is with you (Joshua 1:9). Let your heart not be troubled or afraid (John 14:27). In the world we will have trouble, but we can have peace in Jesus, as he overcame the world (John 16:33). Better is little with integrity than great revenue with corruption (Proverbs 16:8). The love of money is the root of many evils (1 Timothy 6:10). Do not grow weary of doing good, in due season we will reap, if we don’t give up (Galatians 6:9).
Anewtrek - Call To Action
Consider the Anewtrek Membership where you can get computer fillable and printable pdf copies of the Anewtrek Goal Plan, Personal Growth Plan, or Professional Growth Plan. The growth plans have sections for goals along with other helpful sections. Each page has instructions for the plans. Planning increases clarity and focus, which are becoming more important as our world becomes more uncertain.
Most people want to improve their lives and help their loved ones, but they are unsure what else they can do, or they feel discouraged. Goal setting is often the best way to start. Get a membership and start a goal plan or growth plan and check the Goal Setting page. Or, you can get the simple and effective goal and growth plans in the Personal Planning Package. If you are interested in Christianity get the Core Bible Verses, or it’s smaller summary, Firm Faith.