For this episode, we’re doing a special ten-day Forest Monk challenge!

Day One: Discomfort is Good — Today, choose one thing that feels uncomfortable for you, but that also gets you a little excited to try. Cold shower, anyone? A bit of hot sauce on your eggs? Calling your Mom? Do that uncomfortable thing, and see how it makes you feel.

Day Two: Finding Hidden Family Patterns — Today, sit down and ponder one of your close relationships. Are there places where it is stagnating, or where you’re afraid to look? Is there something unsaid, or a negative pattern that keeps repeating itself? Today is the day to connect with that person and communicate about this, and see if you can approach it in a loving, non-blaming manner. Together, can you change this dynamic into a positive one?

Day Three: Diet Makes a Difference —  Today, make a meal plan to eat ultra-healthy. If you’re unsure where to start, try a vegetable-based diet with fish. Skip any excess sugar or alcohol today. Note how you feel as opposed to a day on your “regular” diet.

Day Four: The Things That Will Make the Most Difference We Often Avoid — You know what it is. That thing that you really don’t want to try to tackle. Maybe it’s quitting a bad habit, making a commitment to exercise, or cutting back on screen time. Today is your day. Tackle it!

Day Five: You Can Do More Than You Think You Can — This is the day for a challenge! Don’t go out and try that backflip just because you watched a YT tutorial, but do choose something that you don’t think you’re quite capable of. If you did a 20 second cold shower on Day One, can you do a 2 minute one today? Choose your challenge and go for it! If you fail, take notes on tomorrow’s challenge.

Day Six: Failure Makes You Stronger — Choose something you KNOW you will fail at? Seems counter-productive. But this takes your skills to the max. Maybe it’s a way-difficult math problem. Maybe it’s starting a fire in the rain. Maybe it’s going a whole day without looking at a single screen. Go for it, and when you fail, stop and see what lessons you learned from the effort. If you succeed, then yesterday’s challenge really sunk in!

Day Seven: Nature Accepts Everyone — Find some nature time today. Sit under a tree at the park, rest by a stream, or go for a day-long wander. Notice what being in nature does to you. Do you feel more peaceful, more clear? A little bit happier? Be conscious of how nature impacts you, and consider how arranging your life for more nature time might benefit you on multiple levels.

Day Eight: An Adventure-based Attitude Makes a Huge Difference — Today is the day for adventure! If you are more Bilbo than Gandalf, then think of something that will challenge your boundaries a little. An overnight camping trip? Cooking a new cuisine? Asking that guy out that you’ve been afraid to ask? Whatever you do, embark on it with a sense of adventure, not concerned with the goal so much as the journey. Then reflect upon how your adventurous day felt.

Day Nine: Walls Tumble Down Around a Campfire — Not all of us have access to a campfire. If you do, invite a few friends over. If all you’ve got is an online community, ask a few people if they would go “deeper” with you, at least imagining that you are all around a fire. Whatever you choose, take this time to open up with those you’re with, to share some stuff even if it’s kind of difficult. Let the power of the fire (or the pre-commitment) do its magic and invoke some stories from the past, some fears or hopes for the future, or some dreams. Enjoy the camaraderie.

Day Ten: The Best Survival Tool Is Your Attitude — Your final day of the Forest Monk challenge is a special one. The most subtle, perhaps, but the one that may hold the most potential to change your life. This challenge is all yours — adapt it to your own life. You might do an overnight and try not to use certain pieces of gear. Or, you might just live your day like “normal”. But whatever you do, pay attention to your attitude. Every moment of life is powerfully impacted by your attitude. If you feel your attitude sour today, stop and see if you can take a different perspective on the situation or see the silver lining. Attitude is so powerful, my friends! Make its power yours!

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