Adam Mundorf : Philosophical and Financial : Thoughts and Musings

The Futility of Worry The Dangers of Social Media By Adam Mundorf The Futility of Worry Worry is a funny thing especially when you realize that none of 'this' really matters at all. The ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca said that : "We suffer more often in imagination than reality."  Why suffer twice?  This reigns true especially today in the social media age. The Dangers of Social Media Unplug.  Don't be afraid to be without your phone and social media.  I see a troubling trend in the people of today where they are always 'connected' and afraid of being alone.  I find that this is a form of escapism.  Thoughts can be scary when you don't have distractions.  You think you're making meaningful connections through Snaps, Instagram or Twitter but in reality it's all artificial.  All these things just serve as distractions from your life's true purpose of virtue, self improvement and righteousness.  A like here and a like there make your dopa...

  Playing the Long Game Lessons from Mentors By Adam Mundorf Playing the Long Game (Good things Come to Those who Wait) The power of playing the long game.  In my life I have had many mentors, namely : Steve Maxwell (One of the First American Gracie BJJ Blackbelts) , Jack Bogle (Founder of the Vanguard Group), Ori Hofmekler (Pioneer of Intermittent Fasting) and Ken Fulmer (CEO of Urban Engineers Inc). You will notice that none of the above men are beneath the age of 50 and most are over the age of 60.  These are the people you want to listen to.  Life does things to a person that can only be taken into consideration when experienced.  Listening to 20 somethings (who are full of themselves) doesn't do anyone any good.  They don't know the true rigors of aging, life and what truly leads to a fulfilling life.  It's only with age you begin to realize what truly matters and all the garbage you worried about in your younger years never mattered at all. ...

  More Yesterdays than Tomorrows By Adam Mundorf More Yesterdays than Tomorrows No matter how much you try, you can't beat the clock.  Life and time continues to advance whether you're ready or not.  As one grows older, you begin to have more yesterday's than tomorrow's.  Live in the present, enjoying the simple things.  Realize that materialism is temporary but a content soul is forever.  Remember to leave the world better than you found it and to be virtuous in all that you do. My old stomping grounds of consumerism. Lives of Quiet Desperation How many people have I seen live for others or society at the expense of themselves?  So, so many.  Back when I worked consistently in corporate America, I noticed people were living lives of quiet desperation.  Their souls were screaming as were their physical bodies.  Their waistlines are expanding, their joints are inflamed, they pick up harmful habits and become dull souls.  Only the old...

The Maturity of an Apology Death of Your Ego By Adam Mundorf The Maturity of an Apology Ever since we were children we were taught to apologize.  We stole a toy or hurt another person : Go over there and apologize.  Somewhere along the way, people forgot this lesson or are simply too prideful to do it.  There is a sort of space on the internet where apologizing shows weakness.... I think the opposite is true.  Being able to admit your wrongs, putting your ego in your back pocket and offering a sincere apology shows that you're cognizant of your mistake.  It shows that you don't live a life with the intention to hurt others but sometimes it indirectly happens, as it does to all of us.  The ability to admit when one is wrong is a hallmark of a mature and stable individual. The Death of Your Ego The ego of a fragile individual is a touchy subject.  Almost all of life's struggle and conflicts can be brought back to how highly you think of yourself.  S...

  Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Wealth The Millionaire Next Door By Adam Mundorf Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Wealth Wow!  Look at that beautiful sports car, the big house, the jewelry and the designer clothing.  They must have it all!  Right?  No.  In all reality, these are the first people to go belly up at the first sign of trouble.  From the outside looking in, you would assume that these people had their shit together.  Very rarely do any of them, that's why the wealthier one gets oftentimes the simpler and more frugal their tastes.  I've seen it time and time again, visiting friends in wealthy neighborhoods and seeing foreclosure signs littering the streets, including some of my Wall Street friends.   Once a point of misaligned jealousy from me has come to light, they could never afford this lifestyle at all. Living life on leverage and trying to keep up with the neighbors gets expensive. In the world of money and wealth, the truly wealthy...

  Be the Person You Want your Child to Be By Adam Mundorf To bring a life and soul into this world, what a responsibility.  The purity of a child, free of vice until the world gets a hold of them. From the financial burden, emotional burden and focus towards making your child's life better than you had it.  For many, this can mean more opportunity or financial success.  For me, I would want my child to be free of vice and a virtuous person.  Even if you don't have a little one relying on you for guidance, why don't we pretend that you do? Are you living a virtuous life that you would want your child to imitate? Or are you living a life of vice and negativity? Do you want your child to grow up and become a drug addict? Or are you living a life free of substance abuse? Alcohol/Pot/Drugs Do you want your child to grow up and be promiscuous? Or are you living a life of monogamy and/or temporary sexual abstinence? Do you want your child to grow up and be reliant on s...

  The Demon that Strikes at Night By Adam Mundorf You've had a successful day and get ready to go to bed.  Everything is seemingly normal but creeps a thought from the past or a current situation.  Causes you to writhe and think, while the clock ticks on.  Why does this occur? It is the demon that strikes at night when your mind is set to wander. It's the fear and lack of practice of being alone.  It's the inability to be alone with your thoughts without the aid of a smartphone or some other external stimulus.  Your mind will create the most absurd shit when it's not being distracted.  It will create different imaginary scenarios, replay embarrassing moments from the past and as Seneca says : "Makes us suffer more often in imagination than reality."  Luckily for you not all who wander are lost.  When the despair strikes at night, remember your life's mission. Think rationally about your thoughts. Take a couple deep breaths and remember that t...