Dr. Hyun Jin Moon has often expressed that nature is his first school and place of worship.

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon has often shared his love for nature, what he calls his first school and place of worship.

Recently he expressed, “I love creation because it puts things into perspective.” When one stands in front of the majesty and harshness of nature, the most essential things in life become apparent.

Experienced climbers only bring the bare essentials. In the mountains, one’s favorite pajamas and favorite blanket become extra weight. Extra weight means one will cover less distance in a day.

How does that translate to life? In life one has to decide, “Do I need this? Do I really want to be held down by unnecessary things? Or do I want to live an unencumbered, rich, and expansive life?”  

What are the essentials one should carry in a happy life?

For one, one should make sure to pack gratitude and humility. Peace and happiness are not found in the highest places, they are found in the valleys.

Out in the woods, when there is near to nothing, one can be grateful for even the smallest conveniences, like toilet paper. Gratitude and humility help find happiness in the shadows.

Another essential to bring along in life is a good attitude. In the wilderness it becomes quickly apparent that unexpected circumstances are inevitable.

For example, in Montana sudden hail storms are not uncommon even in the summer. If one exposed when the storm arrives, death could be imminent. Crying about it will make no difference. What will determine life or death is attitude.

It has been proven that most people who die in the wilderness give up first. Those who survive refuse to give up. They win a psychological and mental battle.  At the end of the day, human beings have the capacity to overcome whatever challenges they face. It is a God-given gift. Dr. Moon stated, “If I change my attitude, I change my perspective. I have the power to determine the course I walk in my life.”

Regardless of the situation, one can choose to be defined by the circumstance or overcome the circumstance. Everyone has a choice of how they engage with challenge.  How one decides to face the challenge defines their greatness.

Where else, but in nature can such lessons be garnered?  Such experiences are powerful metaphors for life.

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Through the International Youth Assembly and Global Peace Youth Corps (GPYC) the next generation is building a movement on college campuses and communities to secure peace through the vision of One Family Under God.

Dr. Hyun Jin Moon addresses youth in Nepal prior to an environmental clean-up project.

An essential of GPYC’s leadership training is attitude. Through hands-on service and social development projects, outdoor leadership training, and international leadership programs, members learn how to face challenges with an attitude that can secure success.

At the end of the day, people have one-hundred-percent control over their attitude in the face of life’s circumstances.

An attitude of humility and gratitude enables one to grow and learn from challenges.
• Gratitude for life, for hope, for every big and small blessing in life, including life’s challenges.
• Humility to recognize one’s limits and continually push past those limits to learn and grow towards a higher standard and a better self.
On the contrary, an attitude of self-pity leads to self-destruction and an attitude of arrogance is blinding.

Challenges are an indication of growth. During adolescence, the body experiences growing pains; it is the same in life. Without challenges, there is no growth. The right attitude enables a person to overcome and grow from challenge rather than be defeated.

Dr. Moon has spoken and worked with youth of emerging countries in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia, as well as the inner cities of developing nations such as the United States and Korea.

He has observed that young people have the greatest capacity to dream big. They are not held back by past enmities or realities. Even when they have nothing, they dream that somehow, someway the world will become better.

This is the vision that has driven the great leaders and transformers of this age. Regardless of the challenges, they held onto this dream and eventually changed the world.

Attitude keeps this vision alive and moving humanity forward.

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No matter what challenges confront you day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment, if you have a good attitude, you will develop the capacity to overcome every challenge.

Challenge is not a bad thing. Some people like to think of it as difficulty. I like to look at challenges as Heaven’s way of providing me with a lesson of a lifetime.

We cannot always determine the circumstances around us. How do we deal with that which we cannot control?

Acknowledge that challenges are Heaven’s gifts to help you grow and mature. No matter what challenges confront you day to day, hour to hour, moment to moment, if you have a good attitude, you will develop the capacity to overcome every challenge.

Also, don’t opt for the easy way.  Just as the sun rises and sets, there is a beginning and end to all challenging times. So, rise to the occasion; dig deep inside for what you need to face your challenges. The experience of overcoming challenges will mature and deepen your commitment and faith.

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Challenges in life are a given. They are a part of learning and growing.

I like to take young people into nature for leadership training because I know that creation can teach them the importance of attitude.

We cannot control what nature throws at us. But we can control our attitude.

We must greet each challenge with an attitude of humility and gratitude. We must face each challenge with the attitude, “I must rise above this challenge. I must set a good precedent.”

With this attitude we will always find a path through, and in the process of finding a path we can inspire countless others that might not have the strength, the fortitude, or the vision.

Attitude is everything.

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