Week 9: Battling the Three Monsters

If you've been tuning into our blog or visiting our campus, you know that at Acton Academy Nanaimo, we're not just about academics...we're about equipping young heroes with the mindset to conquer real-life challenges. This week, embracing the spirit of Halloween, we're diving into a fun yet profound part of the Acton model: the Three Monsters. These aren't spooky creatures under the bed, but metaphorical foes that every hero faces on their journey: the Monster of Distraction, the Monster of Resistance, and the Monster of Victimhood. We'll break down what each one is, share its antidote, and explore how we weave this battle into daily life here. It's all about empowering our young heroes to recognize and overcome these obstacles, turning potential pitfalls into powerful growth opportunities.

The Monster of Distraction: The Attention Thief

Picture this: a sneaky beast who loves to

interrupt others - making noises, wandering around, or stealing the spotlight to pull focus away from meaningful work. This monster can

be sneaky and subtle too, luring the hero off track with "shiny" distractions, like wondering what everyone else is doing instead of staying focused on their own tasks. This monster thrives in our fast-paced world, where notifications and side quests can derail even the best intentions.

The Antidote: Focus To slay this monster, we harness the power of intentionality—setting clear goals, prioritizing what's important, and creating habits that keep distractions at bay. It's about choosing focus over frenzy, one deliberate step at a time.

The Monster of Resistance: The Fearful Gatekeeper

This monster is all about fear of the unknown or change. It whispers doubts like "This is too hard," "I can't do it," or "No one cares about my ideas," leading heroes to avoid new challenges, give up before trying, or resist helpful guidance. It's that inner voice that judges tasks as impossible without even engaging, blocking the path to growth and discovery.

The Antidote: Growth Mindset The cure? Embracing a growth mindset; the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning from setbacks. By shifting from "I can't" to "I can't yet," heroes transform resistance into resilience, opening doors to new adventures.

The Monster of Victimhood: The Blame Shifter

This monster can appear as despair, feeling like the world is always against you with no control over outcomes, or as blame, pointing fingers at others for your feelings or failures. It thrives on excuses like "It's not my fault" or "They made me do it," avoiding personal responsibility.

The Antidote: Gratitude and Accountability We banish this one with gratitude for what we do have, and the truth of accountability - owning your actions, choices, and emotions. By taking responsibility, heroes reclaim their power, turning victim stories into victorious ones.

How the Three Monsters Are Woven into Life at Acton

These monsters aren't just theoretical, they're integral to our Hero's Journey framework, showing up in quests, discussions, and everyday interactions across our studios. We start by naming them openly with our young heroes, because recognizing the monster is the first step to battling it. Words matter here; by labeling these foes, we demystify them and make them less scary.

In practice, they emerge during challenges: maybe Distraction pulls a hero away from a deep work session, sparking Resistance to a tough math problem, which then leads to Victimhood if things don't go smoothly. We notice this cycle and use Socratic discussions to reflect: "Which monster showed up for you today? What antidote can you try?" Heroes practice these antidotes through real-world activities, like setting personal goals to build intentionality, tackling "stretch" projects for growth mindset, or holding town hall meetings and Peace Table discussions where accountability is key to resolving conflicts.

This approach fosters self-awareness and empowerment, helping heroes not just in the studio but in life. It's why our community feels like a supportive guild - everyone's battling monsters together, celebrating wins, and growing stronger.

In the end, facing these Three Monsters head-on is what makes the Hero's Journey so transformative at Acton Academy Nanaimo. It's not about perfection; it's about progress, turning everyday struggles into stories of triumph.

As we head into the next week, I'm reminded of how these lessons echo in our community. In the words of one of our biggest inspirations, "The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." – Nelson Mandela