[WolfDreamer]

 

Last month I listened to the audiobook version of Dan Millman's auto-biographical novel The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. I really enjoyed it and was inspired by its message. I haven't watched the movie based on the book yet but plan to watch it during this challenge.

 

In searching for more information about the book and Dan's story, I stumbled onto a challenge that was posted to Challenge Tribe and decided to incorporate that challenge into my 5 week NF challenge. The challenge is only for 30 days, so in order to help extend it I will be including it with several other challenge goals.

 

All credit to the Challenge Tribe Way of the Peaceful Warrior themed goals should be given to the original creator:

 

• Pay attention to the noise in your head. Is it negative or positive? Are they voluntary or do they seem to spring from nowhere? How much of an effect do they have on you?
• Meditate for 10 minutes a day and remain mindful of the moment. Take in all sounds, sights, and tastes of every moment. Notice how you feel internally, the temperature of the room, other people and how you treat them. Focus on your breath throughout the day. Do you breathe from your chest or from your stomach? Try combinations of the two until you breathe easily and it feels good.

• When you walk, notice the pressure on your feet. Notice the way the air around you feels, the sights and colors. Drench yourself in the moment. 
• Cleanse your body and mind with a whole foods diet (fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds), with little to no processed foods, meats, or cheeses. Do your best to eat healthy food but slowly transition to a healthier diet by crowding out unhealthy foods with healthy foods you like or you won't stick with it.
• When you eat, do so slowly and mindfully. Breathe in the scents, chew your food well, notice the tastes and textures and temperature. Savor every bite.

• Learn about wisdom or spirituality, whichever interests you more and brings you more peace, love, and kindness.
• Practice loving yourself by doing and thinking things that make you happy, so much that this love spills over onto other people. Replace negative impulse thoughts with understanding and caring ones. Treat yourself like you would a friend. Replace put downs with uplifters. When you look at yourself in the mirror, smile at yourself warmly.

 

Part 2 of my challenge will be guided by the Eminently Qualified Human goals designed by Jocko Willink. At the beginning of the year, I downloaded the EQH app and have been completing the evaluation daily. My average is 2.5 out of 5, with 5 being the absolute eminently qualified human. An overall score of 5 is considered unattainable, so the goal is not perfection but rather something to strive for.

 

The EQH evaluation is based on the following code, affectionately referred to as the Jocko Code:

 

 

From The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols: Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human by Jocko Willink

Read on Jocko Podcast No. 226 (starting at 25:15)

 

1. I will take care of my physical health by exercising, eating properly and getting the rest I need to recover and rebuild. I will take care of my physical surroundings, keeping them in order.
2. I will develop myself mentally by reading, writing, drawing, building, creating and engaging in other activities that sharpen and expand my mind.
3. I will not waste time. Time is precious.
4. I will not waste money and I will make prudent financial decisions. Money is hard to earn.
5. I will set goals that I will strive toward.
6. I will excel in my job because work is integral to life.
7. I will be humble and not allow my ego to negatively impact my decisions.
8. I will control my emotions and not allow my emotions to negatively impact my decisions.
9. I will put others before myself. I will help other people and protect those who cannot protect themselves. I will take care of my friends, my family and treat other people with respect.
10. I will be ready to protect my friends and family. My gear will be ready. I will train and prepare to defend myself and others.

 

So that's it. I know it seems like a lot, but I am carrying over habits and routines that I built while participating in my last challenge while incorporating the challenge goals for The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. And of course many of these goals will overlap.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following.

[Qnobi]

Love the book and the movie -- following!

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Loved the book and the movie too.  

[WolfDreamer]

Forgot to mention I am also doing the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge. It is definitely getting me out of my reading comfort zone, and not because I am bothered by any of the content but mostly because I feel as if I am not the intended audience for some of these books. As an example, I am reading Felix Ever After, which I recognize is a well written and very important book, and I'm glad I'm reading it, but as a straight white cisgender man it is obviously not written for me. It doesn't mean I'm not enjoying it or that I don't want to finish it, but I definitely feel like the outsider here (which, again, is kind of the point, I think).

 

I'm already five books into the challenge. I am also part of the book club at work, and the book they chose is The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Luckily, I have a copy of the book and plan to keep up with the reading for our group meetings.

[WolfDreamer]

 

Challenge Update:

• This challenge is starting off rocky as I'm finding myself in a weird mental health place where I feel good until I start to doubt and question some things. This, of course, calls for me to consider the first part of the challenge: pay attention to the noise in my head. Lately, I have been feeling like my wife and kids deserve better. When I hear myself getting snappy or grumpy, I feel this distrust of my ability to be a good husband and father. As a solution, I openly expressed these feelings to my wife, not for reassurance from her but for the sake of stating it out loud and feeling whether or not I truly believe it or if it is simply my mind messing with me. I think what I said to my wife was, "It's one of those days when my mind is telling me you deserve better." She hugged me and said, "You know better than that." She's right. I do.
• I have consistently sat in silent meditation every morning, paying close attention to my breath and to how my body and mind respond to this silent solitude. I get restless after a little more than 5 minutes, but I've learned that if I remain without judgement, it is possible to let the quiet and stillness really set in.
• The weather has been unseasonably nice the past few days, so I have enjoyed a couple of mindful walks, including one barefoot walk.
• My nutrition has been... a mix of bad habits and better habits, if that makes sense. I did eat too much this past weekend and regretted it will both a belly ache and with the scale reading higher than I'd like it to read. But I'm convinced the overeating and the mental health issues are connected.
• I am continuing to read Consolations by David Whyte in the morning, as well as a few poems from Mary Oliver's collection, Devotions.
• I plan to write down some mantras to say to myself in the morning during my devotional time, or possibly in the mirror after my shower.

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

3 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

As a solution, I openly expressed these feelings to my wife, not for reassurance from her but for the sake of stating it out loud and feeling whether or not I truly believe it or if it is simply my mind messing with me

Saying these things out loud takes away a lot of their power.

[Rurik Harrgath]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:22 PM, WolfDreamer said:

From The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols: Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human by Jocko Willink

Read on Jocko Podcast No. 226 (starting at 25:15)

 

Honestly some of Jocko's best work; as brilliant as it is powerful.

 

This whole challenge is solid AF.  Giving me those motivational, feel-good vibes!

[Heidi]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:22 PM, WolfDreamer said:

Meditate for 10 minutes a day

I like your goals -- really digging under the surface to lay a solid foundation here. Kind of like feng shui of the soul.

Feel free to jump into the Meditation Adventure Group chat and spreadsheet. It's a great place to air the "mental noise" 

 

[WolfDreamer]

18 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

 

Honestly some of Jocko's best work; as brilliant as it is powerful.

 

This whole challenge is solid AF.  Giving me those motivational, feel-good vibes!

 

Thank you. And I agree. And it is definitely one of the more practical tools he has offered. And thank you for the compliments. I'm sorry I haven't been more faithful with updates, but I appreciate that you are following.

 

1 hour ago, Heidi said:

I like your goals -- really digging under the surface to lay a solid foundation here. Kind of like feng shui of the soul.

Feel free to jump into the Meditation Adventure Group chat and spreadsheet. It's a great place to air the "mental noise" 

 

 

 

Thank you.  That is a very powerful perspective. And I will definitely check out the group.

 

Week 2 Update:

• My thoughts lately have been a steady balance of positive and negative. I reached out to a friend who is also a Rebel and part of this community, and he allowed me to blow up his Messenger with some recent struggles I have been having. Essentially, I am wrestling with some very real emotional dichotomies (if that makes sense), feeling torn apart by polarizing thoughts. I've been living in that tension between wanting to abandon everything and yet not. This is especially true when it comes to education. I still believe in its power, and I still love being a teacher, but damn it rough out there right now. Our kids are drowning in a sea not of their own creation, and they know they're drowning, but many of them have become so familiar with their pain and suffering that it's easier to remain in it than to crawl our or to accept help. And yet, YET I still believe that education (not the system but education/learning) is one of the best ways to heal this struggling generation.
• Friday, I walked from the high school to my favorite church in the city. It is an impressive stone structure that always catches my eye, most especially because of its steeple, which can be seen from all over the city. I also go there because they have a Little Free Library, and I was curious what books were there. As I was considering grabbing a copy of Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, I heard the call of a red-shouldered hawk (my favorite species of bird) and looked up to see one perched on the steeple. He called a few more times and then flew off behind the building only to circle around and fly right overhead then turn again to land on a nearby tree, where he continued calling. Out loud, I said, "Okay. You got me." And right there I started weeping. I am not exaggerating when I say I almost knelt right there on the sidewalk (and perhaps I should have) as I watched this hawk, his silhouette stark against the vibrant blue sky, wispy clouds, and rising sun. But, to paraphrase Frost, I had promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

• I sat in silence for 10 minutes this morning while repeating the word NOSTALGIA in my head, which was the word discussed in the chapter of David Whyte's Consolations that I also read this morning. Some images of childhood memories and toys and people and songs kept creeping up as I sat. But there were also thoughts of both the value and the hindrance of dwelling on the past.
• I am getting better at eating slowly and mindfully, as well as eating foods that nourish. I am still struggling to drink enough water, mostly because I just get busy and don't have a bottle with me or near me.

[Qnobi]

I listened to (about half of) the podcast on my ride this morning — great stuff! Thanks for sharing.

 

Struggles with education ring a bell for me. I’ve always gently pursued learning, and now have a 13-year-old son in what calls itself a G&T school but is really just accelerated. We spend hours every day trying to squeeze out the moto, and it feels hopeless because the onslaught of work that is due never ends. We’ve basically consigned ourselves to gritting it out for this last semester, but my resentment of the education system simmers. I feel forced to force him to grind out the work, knowing that it’s undermining the love of learning that I’ve cherished. Definitely a fractured system, but you know…we need the white knights more than ever!

[WolfDreamer]

11 minutes ago, Qnobi said:

we need the white knights more than ever!

 

I appreciate the reference. At the risk of feeding my own ego, I've often thought of what I do to resist as "storming the castle from the inside." The knight reference is fitting, I suppose.

[Teros]

On 2/7/2023 at 2:22 PM, WolfDreamer said:

I will not waste money and I will make prudent financial decisions. Money is hard to earn.

Honestly I look at EVERYTHING as 'hours worked'.  $30+ meal?  That's X number of hours worked.  $60 videogame? That's X number of hours worked.

 

On 2/20/2023 at 10:11 AM, Qnobi said:

knowing that it’s undermining the love of learning that I’ve cherished.

 

I definitely hated learning when it was forced on me, but I learn 'optionally' all the time.  I don't want to get all conspiracy-theory-ist, but I feel like what is being forced to learn in the education system is woefully out of date and unhelpful.  Imagine in 10th grade learning what taxes are and how to do them instead of what's pushed now?

[WolfDreamer]

8 hours ago, Teros said:

Imagine in 10th grade learning what taxes are and how to do them instead of what's pushed now?

 

 

I try my best to make what I teach relevant to my students' lives, to the real world. I modify writing assignments to match something they may actually have to write outside of school, while also giving them opportunities to be creative and expressive.

 

8 hours ago, Teros said:

Honestly I look at EVERYTHING as 'hours worked'.  $30+ meal?  That's X number of hours worked.  $60 videogame? That's X number of hours worked.

 

That's a solid philosophy.

[Qnobi]

10 hours ago, Teros said:

Imagine in 10th grade learning what taxes are and how to do them instead of what's pushed now?

 

Solidly concur! My best classes were the ones that taught me how to identify what I needed to learn, find trustworthy information, and learn it. The worst were the ones that forced me to regurgitate a list of 'essentials.' Even math was more valuable when I (finally) learned that it was better to know what kind of problem I was dealing with than to have a bunch of formulas memorized. 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

How did your week 3 go?

[WolfDreamer]

12 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

How did your week 3 go?

 

Not great, at least as far as my challenge goals are concerned. Thank you for checking in.

 

 

• The noise in my head has been overwhelmingly loud lately, but also neutral. I'm not hearing a lot of negative talk, just a lot of jumbled busy memories and sounds and words and voices. I'm assuming it is either my anxiety overwhelming my ADHD, or vice versa.
• I don't think I meditated during Week 3 at all, unfortunately, which may also be the cause of the above mentioned issues.
• I did manage to walk outside a few days during my break at work, but most days I was too busy to get out.
• My diet has been... okay, I guess? I start out good with a simple breakfast and even a decent lunch. But as soon as I get home, I guess the comfort of home makes me hungry? I am more likely to snack and even borderline binge eat something like chips or crackers before dinner. It was exacerbated by the constant stress of keeping up with the kids, doing afternoon and evening chores, cooking dinner, etc. The good news is that dinner is the one meal I can actually slow down and war mindfully, since breakfast and lunch are often eaten at work.
• I am continuing to read Consolations by David Whyte but also have been digging into The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard.
• Been saying a mantra in the morning after I wake up: You are worthy of love every day.

 

[TimovieMan]

16 hours ago, WolfDreamer said:

But as soon as I get home, I guess the comfort of home makes me hungry? I am more likely to snack and even borderline binge eat something like chips or crackers before dinner. It was exacerbated by the constant stress of keeping up with the kids, doing afternoon and evening chores, cooking dinner, etc.

Would an upgrade to your Batcave help with this? Making the snacks more difficult to reach, or even better (although that's not always viable with kids): making sure there aren't any in the house (or at least not the ones you like)?

 

I've always struggled with this as well. Especially if I know there are snacks around. They're just too darn tempting...

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

On 3/3/2023 at 2:09 AM, TimovieMan said:

Making the snacks more difficult to reach,

 

Or upgrade snacks to something you should eat?  

[WolfDreamer]

Final challenge summary:

 

While I wasn't faithful in posting my progress, all things considered I feel good about how I progressed through my goals this challenge. The only part of it I don't feel good about is my nutrition. I snacked far too often on stuff that would be considered empty calories and not conducive with my goals. I already have a plan in place for next challenge to focus on this as a major aspect of my goals.

 

I am grateful to those of you who checked in to see how the challenge was going for me. Life continues to be a lot, but I am still in a good headspace to make it through and am looking forward to the next challenge.