March 2021 Challenge
The challenge for this month is to watch the sunrise and/or to watch the sunset. I am planning to do both. I realize one or the other could be difficult for some people due to commitments they might have during these times, but you should be able to make it to one or the other.
I chose this challenge because it represents a solid way to start and end the day. By watching the sun start or end it’s “day.” Yes, it’s just the world rotating so that the sun is in or out of our view wherever you are located, but you understand what I am saying. It is symbolic, beautiful, and powerful. We must be thankful each day that the sun rises and blesses us with it’s presence, light, and warmth.
It shows that we live another day. Each sunrise is a bit different from the last and taking some time to appreciate them is something that should be celebrated. For this challenge I am hoping to find wonder in watching the sun rise and fall each day in all of its splendor.
How to complete the challenge
To complete this challenge it is simple. Get up early enough each day to watch the sunset. Bonus points for watching it from your favorite spot, one that has a great view. Also, get outside for this challenge a quick glance outside the window before you go back to bed does not count! If you can not catch the sunset be sure to do the same thing for the sunrise. If you are into the challenge as much as I am you can try to catch both the sunset and sunrise. This provides extra difficulty in that you might have to go to two different places to get a view of both of them since they happen on different sides of the horizon.
I hope you enjoy this challenge and are able to watch each sunrise and sunset in all of it’s incandescent glory!
My Experience
I love this challenge as it hold me accountable for getting up early and watching the sunset or rise, which are two things that I love and that I think are extremely beneficial to me. I enjoying watching the sun and all of it’s beautiful colors as it leaves us or graces us with it’s presence. It is a subtle reminder that no matter what happens during the day, life goes on and it keeps moving.
And changing! It’s also interesting to see how the sun will rise or set in different parts of the sky each day and to notice the changes in everything around us. This is especially powerful if you can find a hill or high point in which to watch the sun’s transitions each day.
I will say that for this challenge I watched the sunset a lot more than I ended up watching the sunrise. The main reason for this is that there is a hill about half a mile from my house that has an amazing view of the sunset, but the view of the sunrise is concealed by trees.
I also didn’t always wake up in time to see the sunrise (oops) and I never quite got around to driving somewhere that I could get a proper view of it.
I also found that walking to my sunset spot each day was great exercise and I even started taking our dogs on walks each day with me. It became a habit that they loved! Now that I am not always walking over to see the sunset I have been taking them on runs with me and it’s been a great experience.
I did not make it every day. Some days other responsibilities got in the way. On weekends I did not always get up early enough to watch the sunrise. And sometimes I just forgot to look even if I was up. I think that having some sort of ritual such as what I had walking my dog would have been helpful for keeping me on track.
Overall, this was a great experience and I will continue to watch the sunrise and sunset when I get the chance and when I get the urge to do so.
One takeaway for this is that it really made me appreciate having a job and hobbies where I had the opportunity to get amazing views of the sunrise/sunset. Also, whenever I decide to buy a house I will definitely be taking into consideration if it has a good view for watching the sun make it’s transition each day.
Review
DThis challenge is great for being present, recognizing the beauty around us, getting in touch with nature, being grateful, and reflection. You can also get exercise and even spend time with loved ones while watching a romantic sunset.
However, watching the sunrise and sunset each day is a bit unrealistic. Many times life and our schedule can get in the way. That should not stop us from enjoying a good sunset every once in awhile and pondering everything that life has to offer in all of it’s beauty.
I would recommend everyone to every once in awhile go someplace peaceful with a great view of the sunrise or sunset and just take it all in.
Difficulty: 8.5/10 – While watching the sunrise or sunset sometimes is not that difficult. Catching both of them every day is time consuming, can conflict with schedules, and it could be tough to find a good view.
Effectiveness: 9/10 – Watching the sunset does wonders in helping us to appreciate and reflect on all that this life has to offer.
Impact: 7.5/10 – For most people stopping to watch the sunset should have a strong impact on your life. Some people might not be present or appreciative enough to have much impact initially though.
Sustainability: 7/10 – This is a challenge that could be completed and sustained every day for their whole life. That would take a large commitment though.
Overall: 9/10 – Watching the sunset is an amazing experience and one that everyone should enjoy from time to time.
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Here’s my favorite picture I took during this challenge
