WolfDreamer Continues His Middle Earth Adventure

[WolfDreamer]

I have decided to continue my LotR themed challenge since I am in the midst of a 30 day challenge that is relevant to what I was struggling with last time. I'll copy and paste my challenge goals below:

 

I have been wrestling with the urge to read the LotR series again, so what better way to motivate me than to theme my challenge after LotR. I could use some inspiration and heart from some of Tolkien's heroes. As this challenge progresses, I will no doubt be channeling some of the traits of some of my favorites, specifically the race of Men because I find myself identifying most closely with Tolkien's human characters. . Lately, some... temptations have arisen, so it is also fitting to work through a challenge that themes these temptations as the pull of The One Ring. 

 

And so it begins.

 

Goal 1: Resist The One Ring

 

"Not if I found it on the highway would I take it I said. Even if I were such a man as to desire this thing, and even though I knew not clearly what this thing was when I spoke, still I should take those words as a vow, and be held by them.
‘But I am not such a man. Or I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee." -- Faramir

 

For this goal, I will be channeling Faramir, who is without a doubt my favorite of the characters who successfully resists The One Ring, even though he had reasons outside of the Dark Lord's power to take it from Frodo. I also identify with Faramir's struggles to make his father proud, to know that he isn't the favored son, and his choice to be peaceful and merciful by nature: “I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.”

 

Without getting into specifics, this goal focuses on recognizing when and why these temptations occur: what triggers them and what is the best way to resist them. Faramir's quote above also brings to mind scripture: "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." -- 1 Timothy 6:11-12

 

• learn about these temptations and what hidden dangers lurk within them 
• set boundaries and barricades against temptations; arm and fortify yourself against the attacks of the enemy
• be brave and stand strong when you can, but have an escape plan
• remember BRACE: Breathe, Remember the truth, Accountability Call, Escape the situation
• if you get lost, call out to your fellowship of brothers to help you find the way again
• fast and pray to build discipline
• celebrate victories and milestones, but remain resolute and do not lose your temperance

 

Goal 2: Build Strength, Wisdom, Courage, and Heart to Become Who You Were Meant to Be

 

"But I am the real Strider, fortunately. I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by my life or death I can protect you, I will." -- Aragorn

 

For this goal, I will be channeling Aragorn because of his strong heart, his wisdom, and his courage, which grows as he breaks free of the shame of his father and steps into his destined role as heir to the throne of Gondor. Aragorn is aware of his flaws and weaknesses as a man, but he strives to do good by serving others. He faces peril, inspires others into battle, and fights courageously for his fellowship. None of this would be possible if he had allowed himself to get weak or distracted or lose his self-control. He is also faithful to the cause of defeating evil and to the love of his life. He is watchful and alert, wise and intelligent, humble and modest by nature but also mighty and proud when necessary.

 

Some aspects of this goal will look familiar if you have followed me for some time.

 

• awaken before dawn
• pray/meditate/study scripture & other books of wisdom
• fast daily (intermittently)
• eat whole foods (mostly plants)
• drink at least 64 ounces of water daily
• WHM breathing daily (I really need to get back to this; it clears my head and may help stave some of the temptation triggers)
• read at least 30 minutes every day (LotR, of course)
• spend at least 30 minutes every day in nature
• strengthen the body (stones, log, sandbags, cinderblocks, sledgehammer, buckets)
• spend time with my queen; this includes going to bed with her and not staying up late

 

Goal 3: Rebuild Your Heart and Your Kingdom

 

"For he was a gentle heart and a great king and kept his oaths; and he rose out of the shadows to a last fair morning." -- Aragorn, speaking of King Theoden

 

Theoden is a good example of someone who, as he grew older and more tired, allowed himself to become misled and lost sight of his true purpose as king. It corrupted him and led to the usurping of his kingdom by evil forces. Once he is set free of this spell, however, he steps into his role as king and, in spite of the bleak outlook, fights for his people and for the good of all Middle Earth.

 

For this goal, I am both literally and figuratively referring to my "kingdom" (as in my home, my domain)

 

• meditate on/reclaim my purpose as husband and father (as "king")
• spend time with daughters; hug them, play with them, go on adventures with them
• keep my current house in order: clean daily, keep the yard clean and mowed, make necessary repairs
• work on the other house, as well, at least twice per week; be assertive but clearheaded when any obstacles arise

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along again.

[Teros]

1 hour ago, WolfDreamer said:

some... temptations

?

 

Challenge looks good.

[WolfDreamer]

16 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along again.

 

Always an honor.

 

16 hours ago, Teros said:

?

 

I'll message you.

 

16 hours ago, Teros said:

Challenge looks good.

 

Thank you.

[Snarkyfishguts]

Following along! 

[Sciread77]

I did not realize I had not posted yet. (Oh look, a trend!)

 

I love your challenge and am here to aid in any way I can. 

[Teros]

Checkin on ya

[WolfDreamer]

On 7/29/2020 at 5:21 PM, Snarkyfishguts said:

Following along! 

 

Welcome!

 

On 7/31/2020 at 8:05 AM, Sciread77 said:

I did not realize I had not posted yet. (Oh look, a trend!)

 

I love your challenge and am here to aid in any way I can. 

 

Glad to have you!

 

On 8/2/2020 at 1:42 PM, Teros said:

Checkin on ya

 

I'm good, buddy. Thank you.

 

So... I'm back to work this week. For those of you who don't know, I am a public school teacher. I don't teach in a traditional school, however. I teach for a collaborative program that partners public high school students with a local university. The students receive dual credit by attending university courses on the college campus. Our public schools are closed until September 8th, but the university's first day is August 10th. 

 

It's... weird. We had to check in at a table near one of the building entrances and get our temperature checked. There was a group of contractors signing in before me, and as they walked behind me one of the guys jokingly coughed. The woman at the table lit into him, mentioning a relative of hers who died from COVID and that it wasn't a joke. This guy, who stood about 6'3" mumbled something about his cousin having it (probably bullshit), and I swear to you his shoulders drooped and he quickstepped out of the hallway and to the elevator like a child scolded by his mother. He knew he had messed up. About 30 seconds later another one of the contractor's stepped up and apologized for his colleague. The woman assured him that he had nothing to apologize for, that the other gentleman is the one who should be ashamed of himself.

 

Of course everyone is wearing masks because you aren't allowed in the building without one. The eventual plan is for all of us to work out of our classrooms, not out of the office. I chose to come to my classroom now because there was so much going on in the office, and it felt more cramped than usual (probably just me, but passing through doorways and tight spaces when a colleague needs to get by, as well, requires more brain power than I am willing to use right now). I'm not afraid of the virus, honestly, but most of my coworkers are very nervous and uncomfortable, and that nervous energy is also infectious. So I escaped to my classroom. They have my number, so if any of them need me they can text or call.

 

Things will be even more interesting next week when students come in.

 

I'll post an update in a few days.

[Sylvaa]

1 hour ago, WolfDreamer said:

The eventual plan is for all of us to work out of our classrooms, not out of the office. I chose to come to my classroom now because there was so much going on in the office, and it felt more cramped than usual (probably just me, but passing through doorways and tight spaces when a colleague needs to get by, as well, requires more brain power than I am willing to use right now). I'm not afraid of the virus, honestly, but most of my coworkers are very nervous and uncomfortable, and that nervous energy is also infectious. So I escaped to my classroom. They have my number, so if any of them need me they can text or call.

 

What does your school year look like at the beginning of the year? Are the girls going to be in person? 

[Snarkyfishguts]

Wow. I'm glad that the school is taking things seriously. I hope you stay healthy and well this year!

[WolfDreamer]

2 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

 

What does your school year look like at the beginning of the year? Are the girls going to be in person? 

 

Yes because we do not have childcare, and we are not permitted to bring our kids to work with us. However, our county has a plan in place to "stagger" how many students attend each day for the first three weeks. In other words, two of my kids will attend MW the first three weeks and on TRF they will be signing in virtually and going online assignments. My other daughter will attend on TR and will be online MWF. Then supposedly the rest of the school year will be a blend of in-person classes and online/virtual. A lot of these plans seem to be implicitly followed by "... but it depends...," as if at any time things could change (which I understand is kind of a universal issue right now). Our governor is all over the place in terms of taking precautions; in one speech he says we should be very worried and should take this very seriously (that's usually when he's encouraging people to wear masks and social distance), but then he says he does not want to shut businesses or schools down, even though I know for a fact (seen it with my own eyes) that bars and clubs in my area are still operating (literally saw a group of six people come out of a local sports bar, walking closely together, none of them wearing masks).

 

I just... I want consistency. I know perhaps that is unreasonable and asking too much... I don't know... I'm not in charge, so...

[Sciread77]

32 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

 

What does your school year look like at the beginning of the year? Are the girls going to be in person? 

Also interested to know this. Jessie just sort of found everything, of course, and it’s still all in flux as our outbreak worsens. 
 

Edit: Makes sense. Jessie’s school will let the kids come with her though I think they’ll be easier to manage at home. 

[Sylvaa]

8 minutes ago, WolfDreamer said:

I just... I want consistency. I know perhaps that is unreasonable and asking too much... I don't know... I'm not in charge, so...

 

I hear you. I will say it's weird that one of your daughters is on a different schedule than the other two (I guess it makes sense if they are in different schools, so the people they are exposed to would be different regardless, but our district was doing the blended by family / last name, which makes more sense). You can't even have your older daughter in charge of the younger two with that schedule. 

 

I really just wish that people in the US would voluntarily do what we need to do to curb the spread instead of going about their business like nothing is wrong.

[WolfDreamer]

4 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

I will say it's weird that one of your daughters is on a different schedule than the other two

 

Ours is by grade level, and all three of my daughters who are at home are in different grades. It's by coincidence that two of them are in the group that is at school on MW while the other is TR.

 

 

[WolfDreamer]

4 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

I really just wish that people in the US would voluntarily do what we need to do to curb the spread instead of going about their business like nothing is wrong.

 

[Sylvaa]

28 minutes ago, WolfDreamer said:

 

Ours is by grade level, and all three of my daughters who are at home are in different grades. It's by coincidence that two of them are in the group that is at school on MW while the other is TR.

 

This seems like a really less than helpful way to do it. Aren't your two youngest in the same school? Are they on the same days at least? I thought the whole point of going to a blended schedule was to limit interactions between all the students, but if you have students in the same house on different days, you are still doing the same exposing. 

[WolfDreamer]

Just now, Sylvaa said:

 

This seems like a really less than helpful way to do it. Aren't your two youngest in the same school? Are they on the same days at least? I thought the whole point of going to a blended schedule was to limit interactions between all the students, but if you have students in the same house on different days, you are still doing the same exposing. 

 

Nope. The two at the same school are on different days. My high school age daughter is on the same days as my third grade daughter.

[Sciread77]

4 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

 

Nope. The two at the same school are on different days. My high school age daughter is on the same days as my third grade daughter.

Wow. That’s not cool. 

 

5 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

 

5 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

I really just wish that people in the US would voluntarily do what we need to do to curb the spread instead of going about their business like nothing is wrong.

 

 

SAME. I am so disheartened by all that. I mean, my cynical and bitter side knows a large group of people could not care less for others, but it’s a tough pill to swallow seeing it when I leave the house and, more often, seeing the results as we try to open schools or the economy in vain. 

[Sciread77]

A bit off topic, but I found this and thought of you. 

[WolfDreamer]

On 8/7/2020 at 2:29 AM, Sciread77 said:

A bit off topic, but I found this and thought of you. 

 

 

I needed that laugh today. Thank you.

 

Week 1 Update:

 

Goal 1:

• listened to several podcasts and watched a few Youtube videos about mindset, habits, and seeking inspiration
• spent time with my wife and daughters; played outside, watched some cartoons with them, watched a movie with my wife
• I spoke with several of my Fellowship members; at the end of last week
• have not been fasting
• news from Middle Earth is... meh; I had several slip ups and gazed upon the ring briefly, tempted to wear it.

Goal 2:

• up before sunrise every day except Sunday; my wife wanted to wake up with me in the bed with her because it's been a while since I'm usually up so early
• said the Lord's Prayer, as well as a more personal prayer; also read the verse of the day "stories" that are available on the YouVersion app and continued the 30 Day Challenge I mentioned before
• no fasting this week
• ate mostly whole foods; some sweet treats but still no fast food, no soda
• drank 64 ounces 4/7 days last week
• WHM breathing 4/7 days this week
• did not get much LotR reading done; I did, however, finish the audiobook for The Institute by Stephen King.
• few days of walking, some of running
• lifting and working out is still going well; I am still working with the cinderblocks a lot, but I had a few days of lifting with the log

Goal 3:

• read several articles and Instagram posts and listened to a few podcast episodes about fatherhood and marriage
• spent time playing with my youngest daughters, sitting around the house with the family
• did some laundry, washed dishes, cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, and living room and cleaned up the yard, mowed grass, helped my little ones clean their room, took trash to the dumpsters
• the other house is on hold until I can get the money to rewire the electrical system; it is likely going to cost at least $8,000

[WolfDreamer]

@Sciread77, I found this, as well:

 

 

[Teros]

Nuuuuu-wong

 

How ya doing man?

[Aquarii]

I am loving the theme of your challenge. One can never go wrong with an LotR theme.

[WolfDreamer]

On 8/14/2020 at 3:32 PM, Teros said:

Nuuuuu-wong

 

How ya doing man?

 

I'm still here and doing pretty well. I just haven't had much time to update. Thank you for checking up on me. It really means a lot.

 

On 8/14/2020 at 10:30 PM, Aquarii said:

I am loving the theme of your challenge. One can never go wrong with an LotR theme.

 

Thank you. I am always happy to see you.

 

I'll post an update for weeks two and three this weekend. As I stated before, school has started back for our students, so I haven't been on the forums much. I can share a few quick things with you, though.

 

I stumbled onto a really great resource to help me battle my struggle with The One Ring. Many of the videos are about mindset and things like self-talk and replacing the lies of The One Ring with truths about its potential for destruction. One of the videos even discussed the eventual damage of short-term "power" of The One Ring on anyone who wears it. It might feel good in the moment, but destruction (even if slow) is sure to follow.

 

I have also decided to start Andy Frisella's 75 Hard Challenge. If you're not familiar with it, it's 75 days of this:

 

 

I started the morning with the progress pic. I figure I look worse in the morning than ever, so... And then after about 10 minutes reading scripture, I went outside for my first workout. I was able to break it down: 5 minute warmup, 25 minute workout, and then 15 minutes of cool down stretching. For my second workout of the day, I plan to take a 45 minute walk this afternoon or this evening. I've been walking almost daily through my neighborhood anyway because I love to walk, and it gives me some personal time.

 

As for diet, I am sticking to my goal of eating whole foods with a focus on low carb, high protein, and high fat, no sodas or sugary drinks, no fast food, and I am also cutting out sweets and "junk food" during the challenge. As you already know, I have a sweet tooth, and I sometimes unconsciously grab snacks throughout my day, and they're often not healthy snacks.

 

So much about this challenge is psychological, as well. Needing the discipline to stick with something for 75 days, which is two and a half months! The point of the daily progress pic is to see and celebrate the changes that occur in your body as you go through the challenge. The reading needs to be nonfiction or some type of self-development book because the point is to read something that helps you learn or grow in some way. And it can't be an audiobook or an ebook because, like the daily progress pic, there is something about tangibly seeing your progress in a book.

 

I'm excited about this. I mostly decided to take on the challenge because it would be a good distraction from The One Ring. I am continuing with my LotR theming for the duration of this challenge and then determine if I'll stick with it or change it for the next challenge rotation.

 

Anyone else doing or have done 75 Hard? Comment with your thoughts, tips, feedback, prayers, and well-wishes.

 

Meanwhile, I leave you with this:

 

 

[Snarkyfishguts]

22 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

So much about this challenge is psychological, as well.

Soemtimes thats the hardest part! But you got this!  It’s exciting to take on such a big challenge!