Thanks, Mark. This is a nice piece on the transitions through life and the importance of continuing to learn and grow — a timely read as I’m trying to chart a path into my own unknown and figure out what that growth looks like. Appreciate the reminder that the first goal doesn’t have to be the final one.
It’s easy to get stuck 'building monuments to past achievements', and harder to remember that the point is to keep moving — avoiding stagnation, embracing change, and staying open to reinvention — even when the next step isn’t clear yet.
I had to relearn this recently, "When it is time to do so, let it go instead of inhabiting it," because when referring to the past it's tempting to drop anchor there. Being open to unknown and uncertain but possible futures is difficult, our nature likes consistency, repetition, habit ... stagnation, which is how we die long before they bury us. Sometimes, movement simply for the sake of it feels like the way to stir the pot off its simmer and towards a boil.
Thank you. This piece was very timely for me in a very impactful way. I like how you (I think) purposefully left off the periods on most of your list. For me, it made the sentences flow in a way that both contrasted and melded the ideas – evolving in their own way. Not sure if what I’m saying makes any sense, but my point is that it inspired my way of thinking to “move” instead of remain stagnant.
The thing about this piece is that it applies to pretty much everything. From climbing and fitness, to the world of risk management and information security. Anything that is stagnant is slow death, or like a good friend put it: stillness is death.
Thank you, my friend. Sometimes I am surprised by the way an essay reads over time and changes; as a current reference point this feels pretty good today.
Thanks, Mark. This is a nice piece on the transitions through life and the importance of continuing to learn and grow — a timely read as I’m trying to chart a path into my own unknown and figure out what that growth looks like. Appreciate the reminder that the first goal doesn’t have to be the final one.
It’s easy to get stuck 'building monuments to past achievements', and harder to remember that the point is to keep moving — avoiding stagnation, embracing change, and staying open to reinvention — even when the next step isn’t clear yet.
I had to relearn this recently, "When it is time to do so, let it go instead of inhabiting it," because when referring to the past it's tempting to drop anchor there. Being open to unknown and uncertain but possible futures is difficult, our nature likes consistency, repetition, habit ... stagnation, which is how we die long before they bury us. Sometimes, movement simply for the sake of it feels like the way to stir the pot off its simmer and towards a boil.
Thank you. This piece was very timely for me in a very impactful way. I like how you (I think) purposefully left off the periods on most of your list. For me, it made the sentences flow in a way that both contrasted and melded the ideas – evolving in their own way. Not sure if what I’m saying makes any sense, but my point is that it inspired my way of thinking to “move” instead of remain stagnant.
The thing about this piece is that it applies to pretty much everything. From climbing and fitness, to the world of risk management and information security. Anything that is stagnant is slow death, or like a good friend put it: stillness is death.
Thank you Mark.
One of my favorite pieces in Poison. Thank you for the share and reminder
Thank you, my friend. Sometimes I am surprised by the way an essay reads over time and changes; as a current reference point this feels pretty good today.