Day Four: Courtney's Picture

Today is a lazy day. I've been laying on the floor watching How I Met Your Mother for the past hour. It's my favorite show!

Day Four: Courtney

Today hasn't been as productive as other days. I guess because it's a weekend. Always taking the stairs gets a bit annoying because usually I'll just sit stuff I can't carry on the floor of the elevator, but now I have to take several trips. It's good for me though I guess. I'm working on the novel right now. That's really the hardest one. I guess I should get back to that. Thanks again for the support!

Day Three: Courtney's Picture

This is a picture of our lovely recital hall. It's rather peaceful here with all the lights dimmed.

Day Three: Courtney

Today I got sick, so challenges have been rather difficult. I missed my last two classes of the day and spent the majority of it sleeping. Rachel even walked in to me asleep on the floor. I did meet a stranger today. He was an older gentleman who gave Rachel and I a ride to our first class in a golf cart. He was super sweet. I really appreciated it , especially since I didn't feel well. I have also watched a documentary today. It is called This Is Love in Action. Look it up. Well, I'm going to go finish up remaining challenges. Thanks for the support!

Day Two: Rachel

It's only Day Two, but I can already feel things getting easier. It's still hard managing to fit so many things into one day, but I'm figuring out how to squeeze things into my day. This challenge is beginning to open me to so many new things that I never knew about. Today I found an extremely interesting theory on the history of the earth that has been very exciting and fun to research and delve into. I'm enjoying all of the new experiences and all of the new things I'm learning. This challenge is one of the best decisions of my life. I'm finally forcing myself to do all the things I've wanted to do, but have failed to actually pursue doing. I'm so excited to see what tomorrow brings and hopefully tomorrow will bring more sleep. 

Rachel~~

Day Two: Courtney's Picture

This is my friend Elliot. It was supposed to be a candid shot, but being the completely fabulous guy that Elliot is, he struck a pose.

Day Two: Courtney

Today has been a long day.  The funny thing is, the challenges don't get in the way of my school work.  They actually don't take up that much time (well besides writing novel).  The challenges are already benefiting my life in several ways.  For example, I am finally sitting down and research  topics that I have wanted to know more about for the past couple of years.  These challenges are also helping me focus more on how to get stuff done.  We keep a chart on the back of our door to mark our progress (I'll post a picture of it tomorrow).  I think the two challenges that are the most difficult would be the 50,000 word novel and the cold showers.  The meditation is also difficult because of the patience it takes, but not nearly as hard as sitting down and writing a novel.  We calculated that we need to write 1,700 words each day to make the deadline and being a full-time college student makes that hard, especially when you have 29 other challenges to do on top of it.  I think this is all I will say for tonight.  I'm hoping to include more details of our adventures on the weekend when there is more time.  Support and well wishes are much appreciated!

Day One: Courtney's Picture

This is a picture of the paper flower bouquet one of Rachel's friends made her. It is sitting on our microwave and it is awesome.

Day One: Courtney

Today we took on our 30 day challenge!  When Rachel first asked me to do this with her, I was a bit scared because instead of taking on one challenge for a month like the High Existence article recommended, we are taking on thirty.  As the time to begin our adventure grew closer, I grew even more scared for the sole reason that we have to take cold showers every day.  And this morning, that fear was realized.  Cold showers are...well, really cold.  I can't complain for a month, so I will not elaborate on the string of curses that ran through my head as I jumped under the icy cold water.  The rest of the challenges went pretty smoothly, until it came to meeting a stranger.  Rachel and I wandered around campus looking like creeps trying to find someone to meet.  Losing hope, we went the university food court.  We grabbed some dessert, which since my bad habit is junk food I had to be careful in choosing, and looked for someone new to sit with.  We chose a guy sitting alone at a table and introduced ourselves.  He ended up being a really cool guy.  His name is Daniel and we were so happy to make a new friend, even if it meant stepping outside our comfort zones.  Overall, today has been well.  I hope we have your support as we continue on our 30 day challenge!

Day One: Rachel's Picture

The faces we attempted to draw today...pretty creepy.

Day One: Rachel

Today, which is no longer today, was a big day. At the end of it I have so much to reflect on. It's hard to believe that we actually got through the day successfully. From watching documentaries about porn to meeting spectacular people I have already began to learn so much. After only one day I realize how much I don't know yet and how much this is changing my life already. Just from today I started being way more productive than ever before. I tackled so many things in one day I don't know how I managed to fit it all in. I'm definitely finding that cold showers are awful and it's what I'm struggling with most. I'm really looking forward to the progress on our human faces. Currently they're awful and quite hilarious to look at. I really hope by the end of it all I'll have shading and beautiful drawing skillz. I'm so excited for all the things I'll be learning. Please help me by supporting me through this as this begins to get more difficult as the days wear on.
~Rachel~

Our 30 Challenges

The challenges Rachel and I chose are based off a list we found in an article on www.highexistence.com.  We altered a few to make them more conducive to a college budget.  Here is our version of the list:

1. Write one I-like-this-about-you note to someone everyday.

2. Meet a stranger everyday.

3. Take a picture each day.

4. Re-evaluate one long-held belief everyday.

5. Take a thirty-minute walk everyday.

6. Practice self-love everyday everyday.

7. Create a business in 30 days. We are starting to try and start a wedding music business.  Rachel is planning to write custom arrangements of songs for the happy couples.

8. Abstain from alcohol and drugs for 30 days.

9. Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

10. Learn to draw a human face in 30 days.

11.  Watch one documentary everyday.

12. Read a chapter of a book everyday.

13. Study a topic everyday.

14. Take a new route to class everyday.

15. Read a Higher Existence article everyday,

16. Media fast for 30 days.

17. Break a bad habit in 30 days.

18. Inspire yourself each day.

19. Take a cold shower each day.

20. Think of an accomplishment for each year for the next 30 years, thinking of one accomplishment each day for 30 days.

21. Practice a random skill each day.

22. Take the stairs as much as possible for 30 days.

23. Wake up early everyday.

24. Journal, which is being done in this blog, everyday.

25. Don't lie for 30 days.

26. Combine challenges everyday.

27. Face your fears everyday.

28. Work on not complaining for 30 days.

29. Meditate each day.

30. Do one selfless act each day.