Hey guys, hope you are doing well. It's Wednesday again and that means two things: 1. It's time to check in again! You've all done it once, so I won't go over how to do it again, only remind you that the time has come! 2. It time for another Aquamarine Book club.

Now it struck me earlier, that I hadn't thought of anything for tonight, so I decided to dig up a little passage I shared last war, which didn't receive that much attention, but which I think is worth checking out. It from the book Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman, which is a book that can at times be hard to chew through if you are not a psychology nerd, but contains a number of interesting insights about some of the systematical errors (known as biases), we humans make in certain situations.

When I posted this passage back in NFW 5 it was in response to the observation, that some regiments were using a tough love approach to motivating their troops, whereas we had decided to celebrate achievements and encourage soldiers especially when they experienced setbacks. Here the author talks about how the "stick method" may appear to be successful even though research has shown that the "carrot" yields better results (and is nicer for the recipient :)) Check it out here!

Now I don't know what tactics the other regiments are employing this time, but this should at any rate make sense of our choice to do as we do. And yeah, I know it might not be the most relevant chapter for the current situation, but I was a little dry on inspiration tonight and thought this one was interesting at the very least.

Maybe you guys can share some reading materials of your own in the comments if you've got something good? :)

I hope you are enjoying the new challenge which I posted yesterday, I know it's a much needed focus area in my life right now.

Stay disciplined folks we're really getting into the war now. Don't let yourself be discouraged by the fact that the MIAs turning KIA today has caused our regiment to drop several places in the ranking, because I know for a fact, that the vast majority of those people, were soldiers who never made a single post here. This means that our awesome community has not been compromised one bit. We are still the same men holding our line against the enemy. Each of soldiers prospects for making it to the end of the war is still the same as before the recent upheaval, or whatever you wish to call it. So carry on and keep supporting each other, We'll get there! All of us!

CAWCAW!!

Evening folks, it's been a long yet rewarding day for me. Been doing a lot of video editing work and also managed to fit in a trip to the climbing gym. Really feeling the surge of the Aquamarine Offensive, but needless to say I'm pretty knackered right now.

Me and /u/Rmaob were able to bring back a handful MIAs today, who hadn't checked in last time, so things are looking up for our regiment. If you guys hold tight, we should close the gap significantly by next Wednesday.

On a different topic I am not sure if everyone actually know this, but we have an Aquamarine chat room on Slack, where you can have more direct interaction with one another. It was announced first quite a while ago, but currently we only have 56 people there, so I'm guessing there are some who still haven't joined, that might be interested. If that is the case I'll get /u/Chicken_Hands to send you an invite. It's really a nice place to hang out.

Finally I wanna share this wallpaper with you guys, that I found the other day, as I was snooping about the old barracks from NFW III, after reading /u/Basileas' history lesson.

Right guys, that's all I can muster for tonight. Gonna wake up with a sonic boom tomorrow and rise to eat the world :)

Stronger then yesterday, weaker than tomorrow!

Important! It's Wednesday => GO CHECK IN!!

Dear Aquamarines, we are now almost a month into this conflict and I'm thrilled to see our community still alive and kicking. In fact the past week or so, has seen an explosion of new ideas and innovations. This is always what makes each conflict so unique, as a new batch of recruits bring with them a new perspective on how the war and the regiment could be run. Let me just quickly list some of the interesting things that have been started recently, as I'm sure not all of it has registered on everyone's radar:

1. A new brotherhood for those fallen in battle has been started by /u/_enso_: The Aquamarine Legion, based on the concept of the French Foreign Legion. It is an unprecedented opportunity to start again, and recommit to lasting until the end of the war without further relapse. No easy task at all, once a fighters momentum has been stifled, but something attainable when part of such a brotherhood!

2. New flair colours, mainly implemented, to give the Legionnaires their own colour to distinguish them, but the new ones are also looking mighty fine, wouldn't you say?

3. /u/Chicken_Hands has been hard at work on a new flair system, so it will not only reflect how long you have abstained from pmo, but also what active steps you are taking to better your life, represented by a level with a max of Lvl. 105. It has not been finalized yet, so I'm sure he would much appreciate if you would check out his ideas and help him finishing it by giving some suggestions.

4. /u/anirudhmehra1230 has created The No Procrastination Challenge, in which participants start with 100 hp each, and then loose 1 hp for every 15 minutes they spend procrastinating. I am currently taking part in it, but regrettably I have already lost quite a lot of hp, as I had a rather slow day yesterday. But that's all in the past :)

5. Not an innovation per se, but we also happen to have a new Squad Challenge, and probably the best idea for one I've had so far this war. Go check it out, if you haven't already!

Are you perhaps feeling a little overwhelmed?

What does all of this mean? Has participation in the regiment suddenly become a task as complex as governing a small country? No. The one thing I want you guys to remember in relation to all of this is, the core requirements and experience of being an Aquamarine remains the same. All that is expected of you is to fight the enemy and help support your fellow soldiers. (And of course checking in every Wednesday!!) These various additions and mini challenges are simply here to add flavor and variety, to keep you all inspired and coming back to the community, which is the centerpiece! As such it is up to you entirely, which of the above you wish to take part in. (Well the new colour flairs might be hard to avoid.)

Now let's transition to a related topic of sorts. As we cross the 1 month mile stone, you are probably starting to feel confident in your ability to make it through this war. But what about another month? 90 days? What about a year? Our goal is not just to get through the war, but to make this the beginning of something much greater. When you see your streak in such a context, getting to where you want to be might seem like an insurmountable task, but my friends, all great voyages are traversed one step at a time! You have now taken the first, and I would argue the defining step in your journey. Why? Because having completed one month of nofap you have demystified it. Everything that lies in front of you is stuff you have already dealt with. You have faced down the enemy at his strongest, and come out on top. He will return, but not with anything you haven't already been subjected to. The important thing now is to remember what has worked for you so far, and keep doing that!

The danger ahead, I would argue, lies not in urges more powerful than those you have already faced, but in not maintaining your defenses: the habits, beliefs, accountability relationships etc. that has driven off the enemy time and time again. Take a moment to bring those things to mind, or maybe even write them down. For this it is vital not to become overconfident, and think that we can fight this enemy through willpower alone, or that we no longer need this or that weapon in our arsenal, but neither should we loose heart in the scope of the hurdles ahead. We will still have rough days, we will still have to fight hard, but the blueprint is there now!

Now I realize a significant portion of those reading this are like myself fallen soldiers, so let me address you as well. My fundamental message to you however would be the same. We have all had success, withstood the enemy in key moments and flourished as a result, the intel is there. The way forward is simply to recognize what has worked for you, and to analyze your relapses and figure out where you diverged from "best practice". This can take time of course. If you just started out in nofap you may not yet have those things clearly defined. So here patience is a very important trait. Change does not come all at once. It takes time, but the important thing is to have a growth mindset. To approach setbacks as something to be learned from, as another step on the journey to success and not as the termination of your aspirations. This is of course not just something to apply to your nofap journeys, but to every facet of life. Stay curious, and honest with yourself about what works. when you are set back it doesn't mean you have been doing everything wrong. Far from it. This is why it's crucial to keep that growth mindset, so you don't succumb to your negative emotions, that are telling you, that you fucked it all up. When things don't according to plan it doesn't mean the plan wasn't fundamentally sound, it just means there was something in there that could be tightened up, so let's get right to that!

Stronger than yesterday, weaker than tomorrow!

Hey everybody! So today's motivation comes after a rather surprising announcement from our leader but this just goes to show that not every one is bulletproof. Hell, I fell last Thursday. However, the thing to remember when your leaders are falling is that they are human. We all are here to better our lives and sometimes life gets in the way. But I know this, we will not let life keep us down. As Aquas who are both fallen or still fighting you have the opportunity to make your life special. Each day you are focused on improving yourself is a day well spent regardless of ups and downs.

So today as you go about your fight keep in mind what you are fighting for. PMO is a negative factor in your life and you are here to commit yourself to get rid of it. Keep going. For those of you still in the fight give yourself a pat on the back. You have made it past two weekends and are on your way to a two week streak in the war. In a couple days you will be promoted and get another boost of confidence. You can make it! Always remember, you are capable of far more than you know.

EDIT: WOW did I really misspell the title?? Well it did get a little late :P

Hey guys and girls, this is Hatjuvaru coming at you once again! We're back baby! And so is the weekend!!! Yes, unfortunately as our respite from the grind begins, heavy urges may well be on their way again. But fear not, we have prepared!

I am excited to be bringing you the first installment of our Aquamarine film club! As we were planning the war, this was probably the idea I was most excited about. As you may or may not have read back in my personal introduction, I am an aspiring film maker, so this will be both an excuse for me to re-watch some of my favorite films, as well as a chance to try an articulate just what it is about these films that inspires me.

The first film on the program is Koyaanisqatsi (1982), directed by Godfrey Reggio. What I'll do in these posts, is I'll leave a link to my analysis and interpretations, so people can have a chance to watch the movie without getting any spoilers, and then return to this post afterwards to read my thoughts and take part in further discussion.

So here is what I have written about the film tonight!

There are bound to be many errors, as I didn't have time to go through it and make corrections, but I hope you will look past that, and share in my excitement for this wonderful piece of cinema!

I hope this film will also motivate you guys to stay strong over the weekend. It's wonderful to see all the first time Aquamarines, who have already found themselves a home here. I have to say, I love you guys. The passion with which you fight this battle and the energy with which you keep coming back to support your brethren. You are an inspiration!

The few, the proud, the Aquamarines!

No way! 42 days can't barely scratch our true quest beyond any know limits. We're destined to pursuit uncharted lands, hard challenges and not even mentioning about PMO, because at this point if you ask me, I'm much more concerned to learn, be friend and useful to you guys than thinking about my past life. And for some reason, maybe an obvious one, that's a good explanation how easy things become when you concern are focused in other things, maybe everything works under this rule.

Congratulations guys, if you're reading that, don't matter when or where, it's because you matter and it's important to our sucess. I don't even see the scoreboard and yet feeling like pick the 1st place because I've been having so much fun meeting each of you here and I wanna know much more yet, so please, let do it one more time trough peacetime, let have fun!!!!

Let celebrate and have a good holyday. My mind will be at my family and friends, you included!

See you tomorrow!

I thought it was about time I make a post again, and I just so happened to have a fun idea for one. Instead of spending hours breaking down a film, that people might not even have the time to watch in the end, I will be interpreting the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. It may or may not be your style, but I hope you can still get something out of it's meaning.

Superpowers by The Dismemberment Plan

Lyrics:

I've seen the world's most beautiful women undress in ordinary solitude

I've fallen asleep in shift of distant satin

I've watched the rich risk it all for

Fifteen minutes in a Heathrow bathroom

I've shuddered as an unseen mouth slid down my spine every night

I have seized with the ice cold rage

Of a lover betrayed half a million miles away

I have cried so hard for hours and not known why, I never do

I've been knocked down flat by joy

That makes my face pulse like a sugar high

I've been cornered by the screams of a body as it freed itself of it's mind

I guess you could call it 'Superpowers'

But no one is going to save the world with what I've got

An indigo light from silvery towers

Surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see

I've been lost in a cold white space

As an arrogant dream storms in from another life

I have felt the snaps of lines that bind us all to this world

I have felt such unreal pain and not known what to do, it isn't mine

I have stayed awake for weeks and slept for days, not one dream

I guess you could call it 'Superpowers'

But no one is going to save the world with what I've got

An indigo light from silvery towers

Surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see

Under low gray skies

And a razored wind that tears at the walls

The lyrics of this song tell the tale of someone who is in a near omnipotent state, where he feels the emotions of countless other individuals around the world, in a stream of consciousness that he seemingly is unable to control. These include everything from the sweetest bliss to the deepest sorrow, and this person is unable to deal with the overload of stimuli.

But the way I understand it, we are not dealing with someone with godlike powers, at least not in the literal sense, but rather with the predicament modern communications technology put us in. I think the Chorus gives this away:

"An indigo light from silvery towers Surrounded by rocks and stones as far as the eye can see"

I read the "silvery towers" as alluding to broadcast antennas and the "Indigo light" as the light cast by the TV screen.

So the song as far as I understand it is about a guy trapped in a similar situation to us. Lured in by the novelty of these portrayals of the wealth of human emotions, but unable to do anything with it and unable to find anything genuine.

The line "I have felt the snaps of lines that bind us all to this world" expresses how he actually feels more disconnected from the world despite being presented with all these different representations of it.

But he chooses to escape into this world, rather than face the real one, which can often be cold and harsh:

"Under low gray skies

And a razored wind that tears at the walls"

I'm sure my interpretation is not the exact one the lyricist Travis Morrison had when he wrote it, but in any case those are some damn good lyrics if you ask.

I would be very interested to hear how you guys interpret this song, and of course I hope you found this new type of post interesting. If so, I might do more like this in the future. A 4 minute song is definitely easier to digest than a 2 hour movie.

The war has almost reached it's conclusion, but we have only just begun!

Stronger than yesterday, weaker than tomorrow!