Search the Community

My Happy New Year I’ve been blessed in abundance in 2022, with the end of the year glittering with moments of miracles and love. That doesn’t mean it was easy, or simple, or that there isn’t work left to do. In many ways, this land of abundance is alien, and I’m making my way into 2023 a little star-struck from it all, and with no small amount of culture shock. How to live in this space, amplify it and honor it? How to make sure I don’t squander the gifts with a scarcity mindset, or from anxiety? How can I go forward in love? This is a time of having set down the weapons; the sword stands at rest in its scabbard; the bow has been unstrung. There is no fight and I have no enemies. The Way forward is one of gentleness, a time of tending to my Self and my Spirit as I would tend a newly-laid garden bed, rich and fertile. In the lunar calendar, this is the end of the year, a time when all things should be squared away, buttoned up, and arguments ironed out. For the Celts, this was a time of looking forward as the earth tilts towards the light, culminating in Imbolc, a time to sweep the house and set the fields to right for the coming gifts of Spring. The Christian liturgical calendar brings Epiphany, a time of revelation and gifts, the joy of the end of waiting in the dark, the manifestation of the miracle. These traditions focus on looking at our everyday lives in ways that we can prepare for the coming abundance, making ourselves ready to receive very real blessings. This challenge, the goal is to take stock, see what’s what, and make a plan from there. Will there be a spreadsheet? Possibly, but the numbers are less important than the measurement. Because the universe loves me and wants me to be happy.

Midsummer June 12- July 23: Take Root Yoga, meditation, anti-inflammatory foods, acupuncture, sound healing, love. This Druid challenge I’m focusing on a single element: The Root. Grounded. I made some significant strides with being grounded last challenge, and this challenge I’m looking to focus on that and deepen it. From stillness comes strength. Strong roots that run deep provide the stability to weather the storm. It’s been noted in recent research that deep roots in old forests act as a communication network, allowing the trees to sense what is happening and respond, from restorative rains to rampaging wildfires, and to act accordingly in their own best interests. The Sanskrit word for root is muladhara, and from the root we receive our security and balance, our ability to be in harmony with the world, no matter what might come our way. It is associated with the color red, the slowest of all the hues in the spectrum. It serves as a reminder of our inextricable connection with Mother Earth. Nourish Flower and urban farm shares (including eggs!) and farm fresh vegetables are populating my pantry once again. I love this time of year. There’s a lot going on with needing to wash, prep and store the bounty, and then turn it into the wonderful meals that are waiting. My kidneys in particular are looking forward to this, and to the beets that are surely on their way. I’m looking to deepen my sense of abundance and sit with the miracle that is the power of the earth to produce food. All my needs are met, if I can meet the universe’s gifts. Creative Power, I haven’t felt very powerful over the last few years, and even my creativity has felt diminished. Deepening my sense of boundaries and allowing myself to take up space is essential to having personal power. The foundation of this is a strong and powerful connection with my center and with the ground. The result is an ability to express my boundaries and personal power in a loving and rooted way. Plans: This is summer, and before I was offered the job I had said yes to a whole host of summertime dogsitting. I’m honoring those commitments while also saying no to any future engagements. This is difficult for me, but necessary. I need time in my life for rest, the first part of the word restoration. I cannot be present and available when I’m depleted and scattering my energy all around. Bask : Acupuncture and milk each week help me heal and deepen my glow. I have signed up for restorative yoga sessions on every other Friday that are like a deep meditation session, and I’ll add those where and when I can. Love Visitation is supposed to be expanding, but it isn’t. Encouraging this with firm compassion is going to take some deep calm, deep wisdom, and deep love.

Don't you just love that movie? It is so relatable: we all have different voices arguing inside our head. This challenge I'm going to change from the inside out, listen to the voices and find my own voice. This challenge I'm not going to change on the outside: no strict food rules, no changing my environment to fit my goals. Because that stuff doesn't change my relationship with food, it doesn't change my brain. So, what am I going to do this time? I've talked about Life on Tellus before here. And I still love this approach. The theory is that you've got a lower brain, she calls it a dinosaur, but I'm picturing mine more like a dragon And you've got a higher brain. Your true self. She pictures it as Hermione (from harry potter), more because that toy was the closest thing resembling a human being in her house I guess So here is my Hermione: The short version is: your lower brain (dinosaur, dragon, lizard, monkey brain or whatever you want to call it) is instinct, habit, it does what you have taught it to do. If you taught it food makes you feel better when you are sad, it will direct you to food every time you get sad. It is stupid, it doesn't think things trough, it only cares about survival right now. Your higher brain is your intelligent self: the one that knows that the chocolate will make you feel better for a few minutes, but isn't the right thing for you to eat right now. It isn't healthy or you aren't hungry. The trick is to actually face your dragon. And realize that you are an all powerfull wizard/witch that will have no trouble taming it. Your dragon can trow all the tantrums in the world, but in the end you are the boss. You say what goes. You take care of yourself, you look at the long term. So my goals for this challenge: And I'm copying this directly from the Life on Tellus blog And for the practical part: Knowing I have a dragon, and learning to face it opens the way to really take care of myself, love myself. I'm going to do that by creating discipline: choose healthy, don't eat too much, move around. I recently got a fitbit that is going to help me do just that I love new toys

GREETINGS REBELLION!!I am Wraiven but those whom know me well call me Mitch Jnr. I have been working on leveling up my life and developed my quest log in a way to grow, not only for me but for the benefit of those all over the world. Since I can remember I have always been a very giving person and gathered joy from tasks that not only helped me be a better man, but also to help others grow too. Since my Father (Mitch Snr) passed away started really struggling with depression and anxiety in recent years and it's truly effected my growth and attitude towards what I always believed of myself. It could be chemical or it could just be my mind trying to avoid the pain of failing... But that's not gonna happen! Since joining the Rebellion I decided to dedicate a whole year to trying to change some lives and it's really had an Impact on me too.17 has always been my favourite number soooo I decided in 2017 I was going to do a Charity Challenge called 'Songs and Smiles' to help raise funds for Kids with Cancer, Mental Illness and Poverty/Famine. This requires me to do a song a day to bring smiles and provoke thought/nostalgia every single day and then people could share and possibly donate if they could. A simple premise but alot of people seem to like it. So far we have raised over $5000 and had 250,000 views on Youtube.My Dad always wanted to help kids with cancer because when he had it he always beleived he had lived and they deserved a chance to aswell, so I am doing this all in his memory and I hope all of the rebellion can join me too and become a SMILE SAVIOUR!DONATE: http://bit.ly/2iRw2vO GOFUNDME: http://bit.ly/2jXoQ5f FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2hFp6UY TWITTER: @MitchJnrMass <3 Mitch Jnr

GREETINGS REBELLION!! I am Wraiven but those whom know me well call me Mitch Jnr. I have been working on leveling up my life and developed my quest log in a way to grow, not only for me but for the benefit of those all over the world. Since I can remember I have always been a very giving person and gathered joy from tasks that not only helped me be a better man, but also to help others grow too. Since my Father (Mitch Snr) passed away started really struggling with depression and anxiety in recent years and it's truly effected my growth and attitude towards what I always believed of myself. It could be chemical or it could just be my mind trying to avoid the pain of failing... But that's not gonna happen! Since joining the Rebellion I decided to dedicate a whole year to trying to change some lives and it's really had an Impact on me too. 17 has always been my favourite number soooo I decided in 2017 I was going to do a Charity Challenge called 'Songs and Smiles' to help raise funds for Kids with Cancer, Mental Illness and Poverty/Famine. This requires me to do a song a day to bring smiles and provoke thought/nostalgia every single day and then people could share and possibly donate if they could. A simple premise but alot of people seem to like it. So far we have raised over $5000 and had 250,000 views on Youtube. My Dad always wanted to help kids with cancer because when he had it he always beleived he had lived and they deserved a chance to aswell, so I am doing this all in his memory and I hope all of the rebellion can join me too and become a SMILE SAVIOUR! DONATE: http://bit.ly/2iRw2vO GOFUNDME: http://bit.ly/2jXoQ5f FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2hFp6UY TWITTER: @MitchJnr Mass <3 Mitch Jnr

Welcome back doodlies! And what shell we do this time? A battle between the waffles and the pancakes? Or something with the whole group? Let us know your ideas. Even the bad ones, because they can inspire someone else

Annyshay stumbles into her home and lets her pack fall heavily to the ground. Dragon greets her with his usual warmth and demands to be fed. Once Dragon's needs are attended to, Annyshay sheds her cloak and boots. She sinks into her well-worn chair and reaches for the scroll emblazoned with "For the Rebellion!" She sighs as some scenes from the last few weeks flash in front of her eyes - political unrest, friends consumed by despair, and harsh words that cannot be unsaid. The flashes of memory threaten to fill her mind with regret and worry, but Dragon jumps onto her lap and tries to insert his muzzle between her hand and the scroll. This movement reminds Annyshay of her intention, so she repositions Dragon and opens the scroll. She moves past her brooding to share these moments with her friends in the Rebellion. As always, the scroll lets her share in the struggles and victories of her fellow rebels. An all-too-familiar thought comes to her - you will never change. Annyshay notes the thought and renews her commitment to be the author and editor of her own legend (follow the link to my battle log and backstory), instead of heeding the thoughts that have so often overpowered her. She scratches Dragon's chin, takes up her quill, and begins to write... Quest the first - Post Daily on NF My rebels are my tribe. I value all of your kind words and love. Whenever I stay away from NF, I cut off my support system. That's the worst plan. Time to re-establish the habit of showing up here each day. Quest the second - Journal about Eating Nutrition is a big challenge for me, as my body composition currently shows. This is largely rooted in emotional eating driven by chronic stress. No diet or habit tweaks will complete this boss battle if I am not willing to examine myself without judgment and address my boss battle's root causes. Quest the third - Mindful Moments I'm stealing this from Headmaster Amy Clover of Strong Inside Out. Basically, I take a moment before any eating to check in with myself. Quest the fourth - Choose Love Cynicism and bitterness are natural responses to the challenges we rebels face, but with Jesus' help I will choose to act out of love. Love will be my modus operandi and will inform my choices instead of fear, anger, or despair.

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. Lao Tzu I can't believe another challenge cycle has spun around again. The new timeframe seems to be uncannily aligned with my life's rhythms, to boot. Life is frequently like that.Last challenge I learned much - so very very much - about how love is stronger than fear. It was a lesson I understood intellectually, but had no true grasp on, and I delved in to put the principle into practice.It was as hard as it sounds. At times, I could not imagine how to release the fear, let alone find the love, but it was there, the whole time, waiting for me, whenever I was ready to receive.And now, armed with a new understanding, I can move into practice a step further, finding strength in the softness, in the compassion, in the unity. For we are all one; to injure anyone is to injure myself. I have no enemies other than myself. Unity can heal all divides.This challenge I flow forth as water: welcoming, accepting, unifying, undeniable strength through nurturing and softness. My tools along the journey are simplicity, gratitude, stillness. The sauna and the hot tub, the keyboard and printer are my allies. As a river does not flow in a vacuum, I will lean on my supporters and support others in turn. We will do more, together.

Hey. Psst! Yeah, you. Do you want to know a secret? Come, pull up a chair, scooch it close; let me tell you what I know. It won’t take long, because it isn’t much: LOVE IS GREATER THAN FEAR. Let me pour you some tea while you think that over, because that’s it; that’s all I know. I have spent a lifetime looking for answers, thinking I found them, watching them crumble or dissolve or simply disappear. But not love; never love. And it’s possible that the Beatles were right all along, that love really is all you need. Now, I’m not talking about the kind of love when a seventeen year old boy kisses a sixteen year old girl on a summer evening. That’s amazing and all, but that’s not the universe-centering sort of love that I’m on about. I’m talking about the love that comes from the core of your body and radiates into everything, without end, beyond the outer edges of Kuiper belt, still going strong, without taking anything out of you, never depleting, only connecting and lifting you higher. That kind of love softens everything before it, warms everything it touches, breathes life and fresh air all around. And it’s ours, whenever we want it. It is there in the grass, in every argument, no matter how far off track we have gotten. It is there in the wind, in the rain, in cubicle farm. Take a sip of tea. Love is in there too, and if you feel for it, you can feel fear and hurt recede, melt away. This challenge is about living in love, that kind of love, every day, even when I’m angry or hurting. Especially when I’m angry and hurting. Join me, if you care too. It’s simple; it’s free. It’s not exactly easy, but what is that is worthwhile? Either way, enjoy the tea.

I got the 42 positive, honest self appraisals in Milythaels' HOoRAY, (as the moment, Bekah, the Druid ambassador, as the boss). And still counting! A part of what helped me succeed was that it was always in the back of my mind reminding about positive things, and all that "about surrounding yourself with positive people", yanno? So, I was very, very broken until the last week, somewhere inside me I still am, but I am doing a f*cking insane progress. I can't really believe how awesome this is! I am not sure, if this is borderline delusional, but what the hell! Given where I am coming, this is welcomed for a change. And where I am going, when the endorphins and dopamine ( = The moments/days when it could rains shit and you'd keep on smiling) levels drop, these things still stay, and are a golden line in the middle of day-to-day living that so often is disillusioned and hopeless. - Fending off for the moment the Demonemon (the negative voice we all have to some degree that tries to bring you down and keep you there) - A lot of brutal, honest, wickedly useful and fun (Yeah! I know!) self-appraisal, realisations, stomping on the lies we feed to ourselves, throwing out of the window several parts of the useless, bad habit-ridden crap we haul around daily, - I'm getting better at stomping down my ego, pride, stubbornness and fear of change - As there is said to be the delusion with young people that "life goes on forever, there's always a new tomorrow and I am immortal, I cannot die, ever", thinking about death daily has ground that illusion to the ground. The very, very little things good, that I mostly took granted, hit me sometimes speechless. - And I still like doing immature, unexpected, weird, useless things just for the fun of it, giving a mental middle-finger to the "Oh, what other people think about me"-thought -hell, let them look! Comparing to the shitstorm I have gone and going through, I have a lot less to fear. - Oh yeah, if this or my struggles helps someone, ever, let me know! It would make my day! I feel solemn at the face of this all, because these things usually take a lifetime to learn, and can't be really taught by anyone else, they have to be lived to be learned. And kept alive constantly after learned. And I am barely past 20 years! And how miraculously I happened to be given the hardships, that I have survived, to find out these things, and the knowledge and tools to learn all that I have learned and be here in the forums, with this swirling, wonderful atmosphere. It is not over, but going to the right direction!

Okay I have been working on the program a while. Mind you I never really stretch with my workouts which I have been told can lead to issues, so yeah. 30 squats 15 push ups 15 knee-push ups 15 full crunches/lifting my legs instead/with my upper body 30 lunges 15 diamond push ups 15 d-p on knees 15 sit ups 15 side kettel rows each side 25 second plank 45 jumping jacks repeat once more I do that every second day 3 times a week. every day I don't do that I do M-100's because I am still to blubbery to run without getting really winded. I warm up by running up and down a flight of stairs six times. <- M-100I was going to move up to three sets soon and might just amalgamate the knee push ups with the normal push ups. I don't know if I was going to start move in skipping for my cardio conditioning because I heard running is really hard on the knees. So yeah, any opinion's are greatly appreciated as well as resources.

Hi there <3 Whoever you are, I am VERY glad that you are here! I've decided to make the switch from challenging back to a battle log for the time being. I think that having short term goals with the pressure of a challenge isn't the best formula for me right now. I think that I need the accountability of something far more long-term and flexible. I need to be able to focus on whatever goals I think are necessary at the time, and I need to be able to change my goals in a time frame that I decide, but most importantly, I need a longer commitment than just 6 weeks. This battle log will hopefully stand as a constant reminder to me that being healthy and fit and successful and peaceful and happy is a lifelong journey. To give you a little background on what's going in my life right now, I am 22, currently living in a suburb of Sacramento, and working in another suburb of Sacramento. I am in management on a Congressional campaign here in the area, and I work 75 hours a week currently. Election Day is 8 days away, and life is crazy! I live in a house with a 32 year old woman who has become my newest best friend and sister, and I'm loving Cali. I'm moving home on November 5th and feeling very bittersweet about that. I'm interviewing for a couple new positions, and I will update you when things are more concrete. I'm not sure where I'll move next, but it looks like D.C. is the main possibility. As far as health and goals and such, I have been TERRIBLE. I've been eating lots of non-paleo things, and too much of them. I've been drinking a lot, and I haven't run in 3 weeks. I've stopped doing yoga, and reading the Bible, and generally anything that isn't working or partying with my colleagues, roommate and friends. Although I absolutely love my job and it's a complete dream to work on a winning Congressional campaign (we're absolutely smashing the opposition and it was never truly a contest), they're super draining and consuming and life-sucking I'm having a hard time finding time to do everything I need to do, or the willpower to stay on track. Politics is the #2 least healthy field in the professional world, and I understand why! Here are my goals for rght now: 1. I must eat/track my calories on MFP and eat between my BMR and TDEE of mostly paleo food. As far as priorities go, I am going to prioritize eating exactly my calorie goal rather than making everything absolutely paleo. If I'm eating 85% paleo and not eating under or over my calories, that's fine with me. The only thing completely not allowed is sugar..... except for alcoholic beverages I don't have a scale with me, so I'm going to guesstimate my weight to calculate my BMR and TDEE. If you would like to friend me on MFP, I'm politicosnow Consequence: I have realized that I am a sneaky, self-justifying, tricky bastard, so I am going to have consequences for not staying on track for each goal. My consequence for not eating within a range of calories (which I will re-determine every 2 weeks) is that I MUST eat entirely paleo the next day; no cheats allowed. 2. I must drink 100 oz of water each day. This one's pretty obvious. Consequence: I can't have any other type of beverage (besides coffee and tea) until I have done so. 3. I must exercise 3x a week. With my crazy schedule right now, I'm not going to specify what type of exercise or when or anything. I will plan it out week by week and try to get it in whenever I can. It could be a run before work, walking during my lunch break (if I get one that day), or body weight exercises after work, or riding my bike once I get home. I just need to do something active 3x a week! Consequence: No Grey's Anatomy for the week. It's my guilty pleasure binge show right now that is my stress reliever when nothing else works. If I fail to work out 3x by next Monday, I can't watch Grey's until the following Monday. 4. I must read my Bible every day and read from a career-related book every 2 days. I had a schedule ALL worked out for this and I was doing great, until I wasn't.... haha....so here's the new plan. I will read 2 chapters from the Bible every single night after work. There is NO EXCUSE for being able to take half an hour or less every night to read the Word before bed. And every two days, I need to get an hour of reading done. That's just an hour. And I can find time every two days to do that. So I need to have an hour of reading done in Political Confrontations by Wednesday morning. Consequence: I must perform a random act of kindness! 5. Every morning, I must post on this battle log: 1. One positive thing about my body 2. One positive thing about food 3. Three things that I am thankful for 4. Someone in my life that I am going to reach out to (and then actually reach out and either text, Facebook, call, message, etc them) 5. Things I want to accomplish that day Consequence: I cannot use any social media each day until I complete all of this. Thanks for reading! I'm grateful you're here on NF! -Snow <3

Hi y'all! I am starting this as a daily thread to encourage myself and anyone else who wants to show more love to their bodies and/or improve their relationship with food. How It Works:Every day, you find the thread (click "follow this thread" the red button on the top right of the thread page) and post one or more positive comments about your body and/or a positive thing involving your relationship with food. Who Can Participate: Anyone, regardless of level or guild, from the day you join the Rebellion until the day you leave us. What Else Do I Need To Know: There may be levels added for consistent participation in the future, and everything will be decided by group consensus. Feel free to make suggestions, ask questions, laugh, joke, have fun, support eachother and anything else positive. Keep the judgement and negativity elsewhere. I am really excited about doing this and I hope that you decide to love your body and improve your relationship with food along with me

A fair warning: This thread may still contain thoughts of suicide, depression, and dark and sad emotions. I feel I cannot and do not want to clean those away. To me, fluffing it away would be a another kind of lie. It is not wise to be so immensely honest. I probably going to tell things other people would think thrice to tell anyone. If I ever am going to make waves and go out in the public to do great things, some bastard (or worse...) is going to look out for my weaknesses, and use them against me. There are people like that. But there is also people who this will help, and give strength to, and make lives more loving and beautiful! Those I help, even only a few, are more important than some hurtful S.O.D delibrately looking out ways to hurt other people. Or my personal hurt, if that happened. But what if this will be used to hurt those I love? That's what I'm scared for. After you've read this, I would appreciate help about this matter. I am so young I do not know the dynamics of the Internet. At which point doing what feels right meet the limits of caution of common sense? The worst case scenario: If I was a parent, and a random jackass came and said: "Yeah, your son had depression and suicidal thoughts, right? So did you fail as a parent?" it would hurt tehm like seven hells... And even if they would understand my need for excruciating honesty, it would still hurt them badly. ----------------------------------------- Brene Brown's work inspired this challenge, and I am grateful for stumbling into her talks. http://blog.ted.com/2012/03/16/being-vulnerable-about-vulnerability-qa-with-brene-brown/ https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame I try convey the impression she has had through this challenge write up, but it will be imperfect. Things marked in this post "in quotes" are all direct quotes from Brene. *breathe...* Getting a name for the core fear of myself, the fear of vulnerability and shame, felt so real and important, and also really icy fear scary. I have big issues with this, but I know there's a way out, and I will love myself. I know that. It ain't easy, but I know I can do it. Do you know those people who like to hurt other people from the sheer joy of it? My inner critic, Demonemon I named him, is one of those. And he is a part of me, because if I curl up, put up walls and nurse my hurt and let it all get to the point of... You see where this is going? Not pretty. I will very easily remember again I am not good enough, I am a bad person, good for nothing, I am not worthy of love... Hypocrite. Hurting other people. Dark dark dark. It is a lie, I know, but it hurts the same as someone came and dug up one of the worst things from the box of hurts you keep locked... Those sudden times, I am not strong enough to believe it. But oftentimes, I can also love myself! You know, the amazing feeling of "worthy of loving and belonging" "I am enough", I am a good person. I can take mistakes, make the best of despite them and find good sides of almost all of my darkest thoughts... And forgive myself. 1) Go to work every day, on time and do productive work and the best I can. My practical placement is 5 months, and I know I will inevitably screw up, and it will feel like the whole world at the time. It is not. Whatever I feel, I will go to work and do good work, because I cannot let my personal pain hurt other people. I need an immensely good, indefiable reason not to go. And 99% of the time it is not, even if it feels like it. 2) [Reddit post Ryans gospel -> http://www.reddit.com/r/NonZeroDay/comments/1qbxvz/the_gospel_of_uryans01_helpful_advice_for_anyone Okay, this quote is from Ryan: "Rule numero uno - There are no more zero days. What's a zero day? A zero day is when you don't do a single fucking thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I'm not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. -- -- Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn't happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That's rule number one. Do not forget." So, Non-zero for me is either: be something where I face my shame/vulnerablity or do something definitive towards my dreams, or otherwise do something I would regret not doing. But despite what was said, my self worth is not tied to achieving. List of things to count, but depends from the best I can do at the given day: This doesn't work, but I am too tired to change - I look at the list, and I am already overwhelmed by it, because most of the things has to be done consistently or they do not matter enough. And I cannot do it all consistently, just too much. It is a giant, terrifying 'if I do all this, I am good enough' to-do list from hell. ... Write something of your own. Plan the trip abroad a bit. Practice Japanese. Visit a gym to ask if they have personal trainers to teach me bodyweight exercises. Find a traceur(s) to practice parkour with from my hometown. Work out. Cook a new recipe/eat a helthy meal. Reach out to people, old friends and new ones. Reach out of my way to help someone. Reveal an idea I might get negative feedback from. Do something differently. Stand out and make waves. 3) I will strive to love myself fully, flaws and the good and bad and the whole package that is me, so that feeling is not dependent about anything happening outside me "You are worthy of love and belonging" - Starting by completing her worksheet full of important and difficult questions about shame 4) I will continue the Zenhabits 1000 cuts fitness program (fitness things in manageable chunks spread throughout the day) It is easy, and making results. The goal is to make it consistent throughout the challenge and make at least 120 fitness-things.

Alright, so last challenge I had a go at loving myself... Which didn't go too well. Yes, I did see some things in my appearance that I liked. Yes, I did see I am worth something and that I'm fun to be around... But loving yourself goes so much further than simply liking yourself for who you are and what you look like... Loving yourself means taking care of yourself and that is one major thing I haven't really been doing, which made me feel disappointed in myself. Thus I have decided that I failed last challenge. Not miserably, but I failed enough to have a go at this again and not let myself level up. I'm not going to make it too easy for myself, it's not called a challenge for nothing. So, the plan for this challenge is... Taking care of myself! I am going to take care of myself in various ways, which are all important. Physically: This means becoming fit. I need to exercise more (seriously, I don't do a thing when it comes to exercise, I am super duper lazy) and I need to start doing SOMETHING which comes close to exercise. I also need to eat healthy. This means enough veggies and fruit. And cutting back on sugar. Which is difficult, because I am dealing with an addiction. Fortunately having an addiction doesn't mean you will NEVER get rid of it, so I'm going to show myself some love by fighting for my own health. Mentally: This means loving myself as a person more and realising and BELIEVING I am worthy of existence. And that I don't make mistakes all the time. And that even when I do make mistakes, it is alright to make mistakes, because that's only human. Right? But mentally making sure I take care of myself also means doing things I like, things I find fun, like face-painting myself, drawing, singing, playing piano, baking, having a facial mask, watching films... Things like that. Also... Pokémon!!! TL:DR - Exercise, eat healthy, love myself, do fun stuff Plan de campagne I am going to make my daily list again, only stricter. I have been too soft on myself and I need to give myself a shot in the arm, to say it neatly. Basic needs - I need to win all of these, in order to win a day. One fail means failing a whole day. In that way, I must win at least 75% of the days. - Sleep 8+ hours - Eat veggies - Eat fruit - Drink 1.5L + water I need to have at least 12 sugar free days in this challenge. It is hard enough to have 1 sugar free day each week, but this calls for me to have an average of 2 sugar free days each week. It will be a real challenge for me. I am, however, allowed to fill these sugar free days in whatever way I like. Exercise is mandatory to this challenge as well, since I need to get off of my lazy... uhm... bottom. Yes, that's a neat word, right? I need to (partially) stop being a couch potato, as much as I love being a couch potato. This calls for me to exercise at least 12 times this challenge, which, again, means an average of 2 times each week, but again I'm allowed to schedule this at will. Dancing for 30+ minutes counts as exercise as well, because it is something that gets my heart BPM up in no-time and it is something I actually enjoy doing, despite not being good at it. Doing the things I love is also important, which means I need to take time for myself to do the things I love. I want to do something I love at least 18 times this challenge, which means an average of 3 times a week and again planning my own schedule with this. And then there is the to-do-list of things I really need to get done this challenge. I like to use my challenges as to-do-lists, because it allows me to push myself to get a few things done before the end of the challenge, which helps me keeping my life on track. I will stick mine in the logbook, because that's easiest to do. Then everything's stuck together. Logbook Keeping track of stuff is very important, hence I am going to do that here. Week 1 (5 wins, 2$, 1€, 4£) Day 1 Win £ - Day 2 Fail £ - Day 3 Win $ - Day 4 Win £ - Day 5 Win $ - Day 6 Fail €+£ - Day 7 Win Week 2 (6 wins, 2$, 2€, 5£) Day 8 Fail £ - Day 9 Win €+£ - Day 10 Win $ - Day 11 Win - Day 12 Win £ - Day 13 Win £ - Day 14 Win $+€+£ Week 3 (7 wins, 1$, 0€, 1£) Day 15 Win - Day 16 Win - Day 17 Win $ - Day 18 Win - Day 19 Win - Day 20 Win £ - Day 21 Win Week 4 (7 wins, 2$, 2€, 5£) Day 22 Win $+£ - Day 23 Win - Day 24 Win £ - Day 25 Win €+£ - Day 26 Win - Day 27 Win £ - Day 28 Win €+£+$ Week 5 (6 wins, 2$, 1€, 5£) Day 29 Win $+£ - Day 30 Fail £ - Day 31 Win - Day 32 Win £ - Day 33 Win £ - Day 34 Win $+€+£ - Day 35 Win Week 6 (3 wins, 1$, 1€, 3£) Day 36 Fail - Day 37 Win £+$ - Day 38 Win £ - Day 39 Win £+€ - Day 40 (count: 10) $ for $ugar free day (goal: at least 12) (count: 7) € for €xercise (goal: at least 12) (count: 23) £ for doing something I £ove (goal: at least 18) WIN (count: 34) Daily wins (goal: at least 32) WIN to-do-list (still subject to change, I need to complete at least 50% of these tasks, rounded up) WIN - Find room in Cambridge Win - Finish reading "Directing the Documentary" - Order 2nd book for Cambridge Win - Buy mini SD card USB reader, for my camera to my laptop Win Weight at start of challenge: 85.0 kg (never expected this, since I ate fairly unhealthy during my holidays, I even lost weight! LOL ) Weight at end of challenge:

Haku loves Haku - 5th challenge So here we are again. I'm 10 days late, I know, so my challenge will be a whole lot shorter in being present, but nonetheless I have started with this challenge a few days earlier than the 9th of June. The reason for me being late is that I have been on holiday for almost 2 weeks. I've been in France (in the Provence, only a few metres away from Lac du St Croix) and in Luxembourg (in Esch-sur-Sûre) and it was amazing. France brought a loooot of sun, so I'm nicely tanned. You can clearly see where my bikini sat on my body. Durrr! (Pictures from the holiday will follow soon) Anyway... The challenge I gave myself this time is one to start loving myself a bit more. If you have read my topic from previous challenge, you'll find I wasn't so happy with myself and that I noticed I wasn't out of the depression I thought I was. It was hard to realise that one and especially to accept that things didn't go as well with me as I thought. I figured I eat a lot bad things because I feel lonely, unhappy, unwanted, and worthless. With this it is easy to conclude that I should feel better in order to get rid of my cravings, right? So that's what I'm going to do. To be honest, I haven't given much thought to how I am going to give shape to this challenge. So everything is still subject to change, in order to create the perfect challenge for myself. I noticed the daily and weekly goals work really well for me, so I am going to keep those. And to have a list of a few life goals to work on is a good thing too, because that way I actually get things done. Which is good. So I'll just stick that in here. Daily goals: (win at least 6 a day and at least 80% of the days, starting from day 12, so at least 25 days) - Sleep 8+ hours - Check posture - Have my pills - Tell myself "I love you" - Eat veggies - Eat fruit - Drink 1.5+ L water - Max 2 unhealthy snacks Weekly goals: (win at least 80%, starting from week 3, so win at least 7 times) - Exercise - Facial mask Life goals: (win at least 3 goals) - Get Erasmus grant SEMI-WIN (they aren't sure if I can get one, but they affirmed they got my application for it) - Find room in Cambridge - Buy books for minor WIN - Finish commissions WIN - Pass motorbike exam WIN Total 3.5 wins Current stats are: STR 5 - DEX 4 - STA 3 - CON 4 - WIS 5 - CHA 7 My current weight (19th of June) is 87.3 kg and hopefully I'll lose some weight this challenge. That would be a good thing. But most importantly I need to love myself and I still need to find some ways to increase that self love. Although I must say it's already starting to happen. Huzzah! Week 1 Day 1 ... - Day 2 ... - Day 3 ... - Day 4 ... - Day 5 ... - Day 6 ... - Day 7 ... Week 2 Day 8 ... - Day 9 ... - Day 10 ... - Day 11 ... - Day 12 FAIL - Day 13 WIN - Day 14 WIN Week 3 (mask win - exercise win) Day 15 WIN - Day 16 WIN - Day 17 WIN - Day 18 WIN - Day 19 Win - Day 20 Fail - Day 21 WIN Week 4 (mask fail - exercise win) Day 22 WIN - Day 23 WIN - Day 24 WIN - Day 25 WIN - Day 26 WIN - Day 27 WIN - Day 28 WIN Week 5 (mask fail - exercise win) Day 29 WIN - Day 30 WIN - Day 31 WIN - Day 32 WIN - Day 33 WIN - Day 34 FAIL - Day 35 FAIL Week 6 (mask win/fail - exercise win/fail) Day 36 FAIL - Day 37 WIN - Day 38 WIN - Day 39 FAIL - Day 40 WIN - Day 41 Daily total 23 wins Weekly total 4 wins

I don't know most of you, but I wanted to say that you are all so very strong and inspiring and that I love you all for it. Keep up all your hard work, you beautiful people.

Hello old friends, I am heading back to the Rangers this time after hanging out with the Warriors for the last few challenges. To achieve Level 7, I will be channeling my true inner Ranger which means combining a lot of what I have learned over the last few challenges into a more balanced version of myself. My main quest is to fit comfortably into size 14 trousers by losing body fat. To move towards this achievement, I have set the following quests for this challenge: 1. Handstand challenge! STR+2 DEX+3 As a much younger hooman, summer lunchtimes were spent out on the fields doing cartwheels and handstands. Now I have all but overcome my shoulder injury, the time has come to revisit those carefree days. Using Chris Salvato's method as a guide, I will spend 5 minutes per day on handstand practice. A = 28+ days of handstand practice B = 25-27 days C = 22-24 days F = 21 days or fewer of handstand practice. 2. Rangerfy the workouts! STR+2 DEX+1 STA+2 Living in the land or Warriordom was great (lifting + eating = fun!) but I did sometimes yearn for the days when I did all the things. I will continue with workouts up to 5 days per week but make them circuit-type workouts and not pure heavy lifting or pure cardio. More a kind of cross fit style. Don't rest for too long between things. A = 25+ circuit workouts B = 22-24 circuit workouts C = 19-21 circuit workouts F = 18 or fewer circuit workouts. 3. Love your body challenge! WIS+2 CHA+1 Using Molly Galbraith's blog posts as a template and guide, I'll be completing this 28-day challenge within the 6 weeks of this challenge (so basically weekdays.) No grading here; I either complete it or I don't. 100% points for completing the challenge 0 points for not completing the challenge. 4. Clearout! WIS+1 CHA+1 Inspired by this article, I need to make a space on my floor for my exercise mat to fit. In order to see that bit of floor, I will eliminate the embarrassing pile of clothes that currently occupys the space. Currently my laundry goes from worn to wash to dry to worn - it never seems to hit the inside of the wardrobe. So what the hell is in the wardrobe?!? I obviously need to evaluate what I have, do a clearout, and eliminate that mess. A = "A place for everything, and everything in its place" B = The doors shut but inside things are messy C = Everything fits inside but the doors don't shut F = There are still things which don't fit in the wardrobe.

This turned out maybe too honest. A fair warning: I personally think you should read this as an adult, and then decide if it is okay for your kid to think of such. Concerns dark and sad emotions and suicidal feelings. -Thank you Lately, that mental bullsh*t started giving me trouble again. After one extremely bad "not-any-kind-of-beautiful-thoughts" day, I am seeing professional help. On a rational level I mostly know what is causing it (depression, addiction, loneliness, low self-esteem like glass and a general "why the **** bother?" with life), but it is a royal mess to start making life easier. Tried to tidy up the challenge to save people from the hurt. Well, seems with this kind of subject, I can't tidy it up enough. PM me, if you want a rougher account, I will gladly give it, but I am not comfortable with the idea of making it public. Main goal: Although I feel sometimes like suicide is a good option, I am afraid of death. I don't want to die. The small steps of beautiful things: Escapism is not a depression medicine 1) 2 hours of homework day, and no gaming/books before that. 2 hours is less than I'd need to solve the huge backlog accumulated, but as I currently do next to zero, that'd be a good step up. Love, human connection and beautiful things 2) I know I need close people, and just a normal conversation with someone makes me feel better, but I do not know how. I have spent so long alone, I find it hard to reach for people, especially strangers. Despite family and two good friends, (sometimes) I feel terribly lonely. 3) Look on the positive Due to depression and my self esteem feeling like glass, if something happens (I fail at something, break stuff, can't hit a deadline) I have a tendency for spiraling thoughts of negativity that go on and on, and I tend just listen to that little voice that tells me I am worthless (and worse...). On the worst times I really believe that lil' bastard. I am going to take active part in the Honorable Order of Rebellious Appraising Yeomen and Love Your Body and Food. To have a defence for the horrible days. 3) Finding thing that bring me joy Lately not even PC games or reading has brought me much joy, other things even less or not at all. I just do those to have something, to have bubble that shields from the boring real world. See #1 But then again, sometimes the little things, like walking in the sun, or drinking warm chocolate are fun. But I still can smile and laugh, and enjoy things. Finding more of those. Right now, I would rather feel pain than nothing at all, because of the chance of life. -Yours, Fearkiller

First and foremost, thank you in advance for all your help and support. I look forward to repaying you all with a little entertainment in the future (see Life Quest). Disclaimer: This may be a tad depressing, but it has a happy ending : ) Background Story: (The Beginning) When I was in high school I was a nationally competitive gymnast. Needless to say I was in fantastic shape. However, I lived in a home that had a healthy food regiment and didn't really eat out. Leaving for college, however, did a number on me. Junk food, soft drinks, and alcohol. It was a hard time balancing a small budget, having no car, and eating healthy, but I generally was physically active enough to retain most of my fitness. I had a great time, but towards the end things got very dark. (The Fall) Junior year my girlfriend at the time cheated on me with my best friend. To add insult to injury it was while I was in the same house, after I had bought them both dinner, when I had gone to bed early to get back to work early the next morning. Treason once I could handle, but twice? I was in a dark place for senior year of college. (Rock Bottom) My drinking became a problem as I numbed myself to the world around me. The numbness caused me to hurt others who did nothing but care for me. Then when I was sober enough to realize that, I felt even worse; I drank even more. I had met the woman I am currently with and, while I did not know at the time, plan to be with for as long as life allows. I nearly lost her to all my idiot actions that year. I knew that if I was ever going to be worthy of such an incredible person, I needed to change. (Hope) I decided on a sort of reinvention of myself. My first priority was academics and peace of mind. I decided to go to law school far away (in Michigan) from my college (in Florida), to eliminate anyone that could draw me back into that darkness. In short, it was a success: I got the grades; I got the girl (she's ended up coming to another [better] law school in Michigan); and I got the new life I wanted. (If you want to know more about what it takes to succeed in law school, feel free to PM me). (Start Loop) Yet, because fitness and health was not a priority, I was gaining weight and my shape was worsening. I didn't change my diet, nor did I stop drinking. Like a typical New Years resolutioner I bought an exercise system (Rip60) last year and finished it with pretty good results, but I was still The Fork Outrunner. Having run out of workout DVDs I fell off the workout boat and my bad eating/drinking habits caught up to me yet again. (Repeat) I've started and stopped 1) P90X, 2) Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and 3) Running since then... Main Quest: I want to break this cycle: Get fit, keep eating/drinking. Stop working out, keep eating/drinking. Get out of shape again/gain weight. Repeat. In short, I need discipline. I suppose this is my initiation into the Ranger's guild. 3 Specific Goals: 1) Eat better, drink less. My plan is to go paleo and booze-free weeks with weekends limited to a finite number of drinks/cheat meals. In order to accomplish this I will post proposed weekly food regiments and hold myself to them. Success or failure in this is going to be pretty dependent on accountability. Please help me construct reasonable meal plans and devise punishments for failure to adhere to them. 2) Improve Cardio. I'm constantly moving from one place to another so I never have a gym membership. Winter in Michigan is a runner's nightmare with black ice and below zero temperatures. I cannot afford to buy a treadmill and then proceed to move it everywhere I end up going. Therefore, jump rope. I'm doing the workouts in the Rebel Fitness Guide with jump rope as my cardio, and as my supplemental exercise on off days. I can barely do it for a minute straight, so my goal will be ten minutes of coninuous jump rope by the end of this challenge. I will post weekly bests along with my meal plan. 3) Improve Flexibility. While I'm quite happy with the warm up and cool down of the Rebel Workouts, I used to be a competitive gymnast. I'm frankly ashame of how inflexible I have become in relation to my past. Therefore, I will add my old gymnastics/martial arts flexibility regiment to my workout and off days. I will also post weekly bests on my splits in order to be held accountable. My belief is that each of these can be done regardless of my access to workout equipment, and will ensure that I can not fall off the boat. I will set alarms on my phone so that I can never forget. Side Quests: 1) Become a better cook with Paleo recipes. Try at least one new recipe each week. Report the results. 2) Game while standing. When I game I will try and remain standing to avoid sitting all day when I'm not exercising. Life Quest : I want to finally finish developing my magic routine and perform it from start to finish for an audience. I've been casually practicing magic, putting hundreds of dollars into it as a hobby, and never having more than a few isolated tricks to do. My goal is to develop, perfect, and perform a full 10 minute routine. I want to finish this by the end of this challenge and post a video for all of you to enjoy/critique. Motivation: I've always had a fascination with the jack of all trades (aka Batman). Being the best I can be at a variety of things has always brought me pride and pleasure. It is a point of pride then to be not just a Computer Engineer/Patent Lawyer/Archer/Magician but a fit Computer Engineer/Patent Lawyer/Archer/Magician. Being the best I can be, is being the happiest I can be.

If you have someone in this world that you love, go right now and show that love! Smile, hug, give a fiery kiss, cook good food, help with a dream she has. Just something that makes her smile ... Think, let it sink in just how lucky you are; maybe you never had met that person, if things had gone differently? If you can get light, warmth, colour to someone's day and through that to this often so dark and cold world, have a go at it! Just e-mailed that to a teacher in my school to be posted to everyone in my university of applied science. What you think the result will be? And I'd love to hear what you have come up with!

Hi y'all! My name is Bekah and I finally picked a guild. I got really comfortable as an Adventurer, but it was time to stop learning and start training. Princesses aren't able to kill people automatically yanno? So here I am. I'm 35, a mom of 2 teenagers, 5'3" and 242lbs. I'm very positive about everything but my own strengths, and I like helping people. I'm also part Druid, so I tend to have a lot of introspection and live in my head a bit. I love learning new things, especially about people different from me and other religions and cultures. I love books, The Legend of Zelda, Biology, Sociology, Mental Health/Psychology, Hello Kitty and most 80's girl cartoons, and I recently developed a love for Anime. Main Quest I want to feel worthy of being loved by myself and others. This quest has so many components to it, and I am not at the beginning, or even halfway through, but I have done some huge work on this overall in the last few years. Four years ago, I didn't even feel like I was deserving of basic human rights like food and clothing, without doing something for them (working, cleaning, childcare etc.) and now I see that I'm more than deserving of those things, I deserve to love and be loved and to be respected and to not have to "be" or "do" anything to prove I'm worthy of having those things--at least, I get it intellectually, but most of the time I still don't feel it's true. I need to accept that truth entirely to keep progressing in my life. This is a diet/fitness related quest because my body has always been one of the biggest ways I assessed my value, and to be a reasonable weight, and be fit and physically strong, gives me a much greater sense of self worth. Quest Goals: 1. Do yoga for 15 minutes at least 3x/week for the first 6 weeks, increasing 1 day per week every 6 weeks. 3/3: A 2/3: B 1/3:C 0/3: F [3 DEX, 2 STA] 2. Participate in the Biggest Loser Challenge started by Jenn and include at least 30 minutes of bodyweight exercises (BBW or Clubbells) and 20 minutes of HIIT cardio (treadmill) 5x/week (alternating activities). This will be graded on x/7 for a weekly grade of A-F and can be made up on another day as long as there are not both the same type of workout (ie. not two BBW or Clubbell workouts on the same day). 6-7/7: A+ 5/7: A 4/7: B 3/7: C < 3/7: D 0/7: F [3 STR, 3 STA, 1 CHA] 3. Eat 3 balanced meals every day (will post menu for accountability) and eliminate gluten and dairy entirely, with the exception of one "cheat meal" per week, that is also gluten and dairy free. As part of a personal goal, this "cheat meal" will be the only time I can have anything with added sugar. (Im not counting Truvia as sugar in this context) I will grade this on x/20, with an A-F scale. 17-20/20: A 12-16/20: B 8-12/20: C 5-8/20: D < 5/20: F [2 CON] Life Quest: Consistently follow my Flylady routines, to increase my feelings of self worth in how I take care of my home and family responsibilities. This will be graded on x/7 for a weekly grade of A-F and ONE days routine can be made up on another day per week. 6-7/7: A+ 5/7: A 4/7: B 3/7: C < 3/7: D 0/7: F [1 CHA] I totally forgot about the Motivation!! I have several motivations: This: “What practice builds in us is a true confidence that can’t be derived from outward signs of success – fame, money, beauty. This confidence comes from the fact that you show up over and over again. That you do what you say you are going to do. That you commit to a practice, one that is possible given your life and maybe with a few missed times, a few times you mess up, you stay in the driver’s seat. And even the times you don’t show up are part of the practice if you pay attention to them, do not get rigid, can develop a soft heart/mind and don’t punish yourself or quit altogether because of one – or two – times you didn’t [practice] perfectly.†there’s a reason why we call yoga (and self-acceptance, body-love and life) a practice. And To fully believe this:

So today I was feeling down.Like from a scale 1-10,1 being SOOOO near suicide and 10 being complete happiness,I was a 3,if not a 2.I used a quick power-up(a soft drink,potato chips and candy;I know,shouldn't have but I did) and got better (about a 5).Then I thought about happiness,what it is,how to achieve it,did a little research on the internet.Steve Kamb here says that progress is happiness.I don't fully agree with that.I've had a few instances where I progressed at something and felt nothing(although those are VERY FEW,usually you feel good about yourself when you progress,like I did when I suddenly realized I'm a lot better with changing gears than I used to be,but it wasn't blissful either,it was just nice). Then I thought about dogs and giving love.Like how good you feel in the morning when your dog jumps on your bed,wiggling his/her tail,licking your face.You smile or even laugh,pet the crazy animal,maybe even kiss it and go outside for a walk(but if you're feelin' good,that walk will probably be more like a round or two of frisbee and interval running). So I came to the conclusion(kind of) that GIVING love is,well,not necesarilly key,but important to happiness. This thread is for that-to write down here what/who you love,maybe why you love them,how you love them.Doesn't matter,just write down your love here,share it,spread it. I'll begin-I love YOU guys.Every single one.Even if you swear at me and talk down on me with sarcasm,I still love you(that may actually make me love you even more).Why?Because I do You guys are awesome,maybe you just don't know it yet.How I love you?By writing down this thread and commenting and acknowledging your progress in your threads(I know,not a lot of that recently,but I'm making up for it RIGHT now) So,what do you love?Please share

Jambo!!! First of all, any other Kenyans here? It would be so cool to set up a Kenyan NF meet up soon. Second, I live in Kenya. I'm 29 years old, a project management professional, a makeup artist in my spare time, and an avid reader. Third, 2013 is the year when I let go of all my excuses. So here are my fitness goals: - 2013 Goals: Participate in at least 6 six-week NF challenges Complete one Insanity Fitness 2-month challengeLose a minimum of 20lbs and get my flat tummy backEat healthy 6 days per week, with one cheat day each weekRemain accountable to the NF community100 pushups in a row100 situps in a row300 squats in a row5 pull-ups in a row2-minute plankDrink at least 2L of water each day (or more)Wheatgrass every day (does wonders for energy levels and red-blood cell formation)1st 6-week Challenge- January 7- February 18, 2013 (thanks @Laureleye for pointing out that these need to be captured): Fitness Goals Lose 7 lbs (*scream*) Perform the Rebel Fitness Guide Level 1 Rookie workouts for 6 weeks (I tend to want to hurry things along- I'm teaching myself patience) At least 20 pushups in a row Life GoalJournal at least three times per week, for the next 6 weeks. Bring on 2013!!!