Mark J. Durdach – Blog
Philosophy, Business, Technology, Art, Culture, History, and More!
About
This is a passion project where I learn about things I find interesting and then write 500-1,000 word articles about them. My goal is to learn, write, and curate that knowledge into my own personal “online museum.”
Recent Articles
The Spirit of Giving
Much of the world just celebrated Christmas, the holiday of giving. There are many age-old themes, traditions, and religious connotations to Christmas, and a primary theme behind the holiday is giving. Every year, many people mobilize on Christmas to give. Some people give by volunteering their time. Others give by spending time with loved ones. Most give by sharing meaningful gifts with family and friends. No matter what Christmas traditions you practice, the message of giving is prominent for most.
Focus on What You Want
Focus is, in my opinion, an under appreciated value today. Not in a general or short term sense, but in a long term context. Many people today are living their lives on a day-to-day basis. They wake up and follow the same routine, go to work, and have the same day as they did before. Perhaps due to different circumstances, these people are running on a hamster wheel without thinking enough about the big picture. Many of them could think of two or three reasons why they’re unhappy. A huge factor in this is their lack of focus, specifically on the things that they want.
Never Stop Learning
Personal and professional life is all about learning. From a very young age, we start learning things from our parents and relatives, then our teachers and classmates, and eventually we learn from peers, mentors, and coworkers. But somewhere along the way, some of us stop. We no longer view ourselves as students of life and we get complacent with our expanded, but still relatively limited knowledge. I believe that learning is a lifetime process that everyone should aim to practice in some way.
Navigating Challenge
Life is certainly subject to challenge. Things don’t always go according to plan. We do our best to prepare and make the right maneuvers, but sometimes things just don’t go our way. Many times it is in our power to prevent the challenges that we face, but we don’t always have the foresight
Give Thanks
Last week, many of us celebrated the holiday of Thanksgiving, gathering together to enjoy time with loved ones and give thanks. Giving thanks isn’t just something we should do once a year. We should all practice the act of thanksgiving in our daily lives.
Creating and Holding a Vision
How do we create and hold a vision? Over the last two weeks, I’ve been thinking much more about the future than I usually do. I would humbly classify myself as a visionary person. Like most of us, I’ve got some big plans of wealth, health, personal freedom, travel, and adventure. I want to get the most out of life, and I’m not the only one. Part of my purpose with this blog is figuring that all out. I mean, isn’t that what everyone is trying to do?
Growth: Spare Change Adds Up
Everyone is looking to experience growth. Preferably, we’d all like to experience lightning-fast growth. Wouldn’t it be great if you could eat right and workout for a week and lose 10 pounds? Wouldn’t it be even better if you could read the first chapter of any book and miraculously retain and apply all of the knowledge found in that book?
An Analogy on Scalability
Most people that talk to me frequently know that I love analogies and scalability. So let’s combine the two this week and discuss an observation that I’ve noticed along my journey. The Craftsman’s Dilemma In my life, I have met and built relationships with many...
Dealing With Mistakes
We all make mistakes. Sometimes we make silly mistakes, and other times we make mistakes we never would’ve expected. It happens to even the best of us at some point. Mistakes are never fun, and living with them can sometimes be unbearable. That said, it’s important that we own our mistakes, apologize to those we may have hurt, forgive ourselves, and move on.
The Productive Power of Internal Silence
How does one simply be more productive? In daily life, with all of the tasks at hand (as well as all of the distractions available) it is not always easy to be the most productive.