The Workedge Blog
Mark's RemarksHow to Unclog Your Mind
Ever feel like your mind is just…clogged? Like it’s full of noise, stress, distractions, and decisions you’re not even sure you made consciously? According to ancient Stoic wisdom—and modern thinkers like Ryan Holiday—it all comes down to three simple but powerful ideas: choice, refusal, and yearning. These aren’t just lofty philosophical concepts; they’re practical tools to help you clear out the mental gunk and focus on what truly matters.
How to Never Be Poor
Imagine giving your child—or yourself—a guarantee against poverty. It’s possible by following the proven ‘success sequence’: finish high school, get a full-time job, and marry before having children. Backed by solid research, this simple formula can change lives across every background.
Leadership Lessons from “The Office”
Using a humorous yet telling episode of The Office, Mark Edge explores how assumptions can derail decision-making in the workplace. By contrasting lazy judgments with the rewards of thoughtful research, he shows that effective leadership starts with effort—and ends with results. A timely reminder that hard work really does pay off.
How to Train a Dragon
Annie had transmitted her emotional state and words to Lukas without even trying. He picked up on her signals and was able to reproduce everything. What particularly caught my attention was his ability to repeat her speech.
This kind of unintentional teaching likely occurs frequently in workplaces, communities, and families.
I find this very profound. It reinforces much of the research I have been reviewing over the past quarter-century: nothing drives an organization, family, or any other group like the emotional state of the leader and its transmission to others.
This excerpt highlights the powerful, often unnoticed way that attitudes and emotions are passed from leaders-whether parents or managers-to those around them.
1961— The Predicted Future for Electronics
In 1961, Kurt Vonnegut wrote a short story called Harrison Bergeron. It was a fanciful tale that envisioned a future in the United States where the Constitution mandated everyone be alike. In this society, no one could be smarter or more athletic than anyone else. The government even designated officials to ensure everyone had the same abilities and outcomes.
For example, if someone displayed a higher IQ, that person was required to wear an earpiece that buzzed loudly every 20 seconds. This device would emit various sounds to interrupt the individual’s thoughts, ultimately reducing their IQ to average.
[Sarcasm Alert.] Let me get this straight. In a fictional story written nearly sixty-five years ago, an electronic device could supposedly reduce a person’s IQ by constantly bombarding them with distracting sounds, vibrations, and signals. Impossible–that could never happen!
Hang On To Your Shot
Recently, we lost the legendary Gene Hackman, a star of many incredible movies. One of the favorites among movie fans is Hoosiers, a classic tale based on a true story about an underdog high school basketball team in a small town in 1950s Indiana.
Maris Valainis, who grew up in Indiana, loved basketball like many boys his age. He had a very good shot, but his size and poor defensive skills undermined his attempts to make his high school basketball team. Every year, he attended tryouts, and every year, he was cut.
But he hung on to his shot…