I am back from my vacation, and I feel pretty fresh and excited to get things happening! I mapped out quite a bit with what I want to do with this website and with the project I’ll be using as the test case. Over the next 2-3 weeks, this blog will start to take shape into the structure that I envision will carry it for a long time.

The central theme of this website is to “use what works” while discarding what isn’t useful. One of the sources of influence in my life is martial arts, and there is one book that someone introduced me to when I was getting started. It’s called Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams and it’s considered to be a classic on relating martial arts experiences to everyday life. There are many lessons taught in this book, and one lesson that I use for myself very frequently was called “Seize the Moment.”

It emphasized how one should not let their mind be pulled to the future or to the past, but to the now. This really helped me to make the most of my time and energy in my activities - for example, if I am at a particular meeting, I try my best to focus my thoughts on that meeting and not on any other meeting for that day. This lesson is particularly relevant, because it was very tempting for me to think about the everyday worries while I was on vacation, but it would have been detrimental to my rest if I let the things that I’m trying to get a break from creep into my break. I had a good vacation and I am now back with the energy and enthusiasm of a rested person!