About Out-of-the-Mind Self Improvement and Motivation

About Inspired Life Change and the Warrior Within

"Life ought to be a struggle of desires toward adventures whose nobility will fertilize the soul."

~Rebecca West

Why Inspired Life Change and the Warrior Within?

To truly grow and evolve, we need to be willing to walk to the very edge...to go beyond the limits of our current thinking and to leap into something new. Evolutionary Pathways is designed to help you do just that. Make no mistake about it, walking the path of inspired life change, self-improvement and conscious growth is a courageous choice. Congratulations for taking that step.

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

~ Helen Keller

About Eli and Evolutionary Pathways

You're probably wondering about the guy behind this self help website, so let me share a little about myself...

I set myself on the path of out-of-the-mind self improvement and motivation by following the evolutionary impulse within me - that inner-voice that's always whispering...

"Grow...grow...never stop learning...never stop expanding...life is short...make good use of it...don't rest on your laurels...strive to be all that you can be...don't follow the crowd...do what you love...live to die with no regrets...be true to yourself...follow the life that is calling you."

I believe that conscious self improvement and personal growth is a calling - it's the call to evolve. Those of us who beckon this call become collaborators and allies with life itself.

I see myself as a student, an apprentice, of life. I also see myself as it's guardian and protector. After all, it's only natural to want to protect that which supports me, nourishes me, teaches me and - dare I say - loves me.

I have traveled extensively around the world to broaden my horizons, challenge my limits, and expand my perception of the way things are or could be. I've never been disappointed.

It seems that the more I discover, the more I realize there is to discover. The more I learn, the more I realize there is to learn. With every new horizon revealed, it becomes clear that there will be another, and yet another, just waiting around the corner.

More and more I see how the process of personal evolution is one with no end in sight. The next level is always waiting; a new level of understanding to be reached.

The Martial Arts, Zen and the Warrior Within

I have always been fascinated by nature with human nature being no exception. Following this interest led me to earn a joint major (BA) in Criminology & Psychology and to later train as a coach.

My fascination with nature is also what led me into what would become a great love of my life - the martial arts. Through my study of the martial arts I happened upon the path of Zen and came to a point where I left my life in Canada to live and train in a Zen monastery in Japan.

I lived in Japan for two years, spending one year at Antaiji (a Soto Zen monastery) and one year at Sogenji (a Rinzai Zen monastery). The impact of this experience has been beyond words. Those who are familiar with the teachings of Zen or the Martial Arts will be able to see their influence between the lines of this self-improvement website.

Following the path of Martial Arts & Zen I discovered, and continue to discover, amazing things. I started to see that there is more to me - and to life - than initially meets the eye. I discovered that I could grow in amazing and often unexpected ways. I realized that I was much less limited than what I would normally allow myself to believe.

The knowledge, insights and understandings offered on this potentially life changing site are gleaned from sweat, blood and tears - my own, and those of the many teachers, mentors and friends that have shared and are sharing my path along the way.

Years of training in the Martial Arts and Zen, countless hours of study in universities and coaching academies in different parts of the world, and years of travel and living in foreign lands...

This, and more, has made me who I am today.

Sharing My Life...

The content offered on this self help website isn't meant to be believed in. It is a sharing of knowledge and experience that can act as a framework for your own personal exploration, experimentation and evolution.

We all walk our own paths in life. We all have our own personal truths. Yet, we can benefit each other in ways both large and small - and help each other reach the next level of personal truth and understanding - if we open ourselves up to the possibility.

You will find many opportunities on this self improvement website to share your personal experience, knowledge and insight. I hope you will. We all grow in wisdom when we get to see things from different angles or perspectives. We are all enriched by the experiences and intelligence of our fellow travelers. I look forward to hearing from you and exploring our paths together!

My Qualifications...

I like to see my official qualifications as personal achievements rather than status symbols. I have worked hard to earn them and - perhaps more than anything else - have enjoyed and cherished the learning and growth that came with them.

Here are some of my official qualifications to date...

Masters Of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Swinborne University of Australia - Isemi Branch).

B.A. in Criminology & Psychology (Joint Major) (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada).

Certified Martial Arts Instructor (Wingate Institute, Israel).

Certified 'Results' Coach - N.L.P. & Hypnosis Training (Chris Howard Companies - Los Angeles, USA).

Life coach training with the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) , Toronto, Canada).

Member with the International Coach Federation (ICF) - the largest coaches governing body in the world.

3rd Degree Black Belt in Budo Taijutsu (a classical Japanese Martial Art).

Brown Belt in Kendo (Japanese Fencing).

Here are some of my out-of-the-mind qualifications to date...

Have sat in zazen meditation for a conservatively estimated 4,500 hours to date.

Have sweated for well over 5,000 hours training in martial arts and other mind/body disciplines.

Have studied and practiced under the tutulage of some very accomplished martial arts and zen masters.

Have been exploring the essence of stepping out-of-the-mind for the better part of two decades.

The Hidden Hands Behind This Inspired Life Change Website

This self help web site, as you experience it today, has been made possible through the tremendous support of my chief editor, Elana, who has been highly instrumental in lifting this project (out-of-the-mind self improvement and motivation) off the ground.

I also owe a lifetime of thanks and gratitude to my many teachers and mentors over the years - from the martial arts, from zen, from the business world, and from all walks of life. Your knowledge, wisdom, and personal examples have been (and continue to be) a source of great inspiration and strength. I see this website as a tribute to your courage and generosity.

I also want to thank SBI (Site Build It) for providing the online vehicle that made out-of-the-mind self improvement and motivation possible. Beyond offering an amazing set of tools, methodolgy and business building know-how, I have found a very focused yet friendly community that's highly conducive to personal growth, self improvement and motivation. SBI has become a true entrepreneurial home.

Thanks to You

Last but not least, I want to thank you for stopping by and visiting this self improvement website. This site is about you and for you. I value your precious time and hope that you will benefit greatly from spending that time here.