Mount Athos is an isolated, narrow peninsula in Macedonia, Greece oftentimes called “The Holy Mountain.” It is considered the Eastern Orthodox religious equivalent to the Vatican City of the Catholic religion. It is populated, almost to exclusion, with monks scattered about 20 separate yet linked monasteries. Sometime prior to the 7th century, the first monks arrived and they and their successors have honed their faith in exclusion and almost without interruption ever since. Each monk takes a vow to pray without ceasing for as long as they reside on the peninsula, meaning they commune with God on a deliberate basis during every activity. The promise is taken seriously: no females are allowed in Mount Athos, in order to minimize distractions of the holy men.
Access to the monasteries is limited, almost without exception, to members of the Orthodox religion. All visitors enter via the Aegean Sea and request permission to set foot on the autonomous land. Legend has it that, in a long ago time, a certain man made an annual trek across the steep mountain range, also known as Mount Athos, to a particular monastery. He remained in prayer for his entire stay, one week, then returned to his home. The trip came at great personal expense and inconvenience. When asked why he made the trip each year, the man said, “Because every time I return to my home, I return a better husband, a better father, and a better man.”
Find your equivalent. Journey somewhere for a time, even if only in your imagination. Once there, take a vow of great import to you and keep your promise for the duration. You might vow to work on a certain school project without ceasing or to study your football playbook without pause or to practice your concentration skills without relaxing, for instance. Whatever your mission, complete it to the best of your ability. Emerge a better student; a better athlete; a better man!
From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com
Access to the monasteries is limited, almost without exception, to members of the Orthodox religion. All visitors enter via the Aegean Sea and request permission to set foot on the autonomous land. Legend has it that, in a long ago time, a certain man made an annual trek across the steep mountain range, also known as Mount Athos, to a particular monastery. He remained in prayer for his entire stay, one week, then returned to his home. The trip came at great personal expense and inconvenience. When asked why he made the trip each year, the man said, “Because every time I return to my home, I return a better husband, a better father, and a better man.”
Find your equivalent. Journey somewhere for a time, even if only in your imagination. Once there, take a vow of great import to you and keep your promise for the duration. You might vow to work on a certain school project without ceasing or to study your football playbook without pause or to practice your concentration skills without relaxing, for instance. Whatever your mission, complete it to the best of your ability. Emerge a better student; a better athlete; a better man!
From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com
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