“The path of life is perpetually shrouded in fogs of uncertainty…”
When I started DaveUrsillo.com in the summer of 2009, the blog had little intent or actual direction — beyond being an outlet for my writing passions and with hopes of somehow helping me to leverage a book publishing contract in the near or distant future.
With 2010 coming to a close, I really had to begin my annual Renegade Review by making this list and intently looking it over. You see, sometimes direction is found by cutting a trail with your eyes or imagination; sometimes the wind catches your sails, and you let it take you where it must; sometimes, you must trudge one heavy foot before the other, over and over, and realize your direction only by looking back and seeing the trail behind you.
Here is every single piece written on DaveUrsillo.com in 2010. I’m sure that when you glance over these dozens of pieces I’ve written, you won’t, of course, see the same trail that I see when looking back on my year. But there are distinct trends and patterns, ebbs and flows, progressions and regressions in subject and style and aim.
In tomorrow’s Renegade Review post, I’ll detail how my goals and life mirrored these posts, and how my shortcomings and failures compelled me to change direction, hone my focus with DaveUrsillo.com, and achieve new goals that I hadn’t even set in stone.
As for the list, be sure to check out those marked with ♥‘s, which denote my particular favorites. Which are yours?
January 2010 (8 Posts) – Leadership, Politics, Military, Liberty
- Learning-Leadership: A Lifelong Process
- Snow Tumbleweeds ♥
- America is Not Losing the Free World
- Dallas at Dawn: A Poem Honoring the Troops ♥
- Google Got Swindled by the CCP
- Origins of the European Union
- The Myth of Global Governance
- For Dreamers to Circle the Wagons
February 2010 (5 Posts) – Effort, Perspective, Decision-Making
- The Folly of Venting in Public ♥
- The Small Stuff
- How to Avoid Tyrannical Decision-Making
- Writing a Killer Conclusion
- The View from Above
March 2010 (5 Posts) – Understanding Life, Dealing with Rejection, Heroism
- Forging a Brand for Yourself Online
- Your Hero Story: Heroes, Idols, and Overcoming ♥
- State of the Renegade Address
- Explaining the Inexplicable
- Learning to Love Rejection
April 2010 (10 Posts) – Life’s Direction, Honesty, Giving, Quiet Leadership
- Many Paths to the Same Destination
- Submit your Tee to RenegadeTV
- Branding Can Bring Out the Best in You
- Welcome to RenegadeTV
- The Beauty of Living with Honesty ♥
- To Endure is Truly Noble
- The Greatest Lesson Never Spoken (Chicken Soup for the Soul) ♥
- The Two-Way Street of Giving Theory
- The Teacher and the Student
- Thoughts are a Reflection of Ourselves ♥
May 2010 (9 Posts) – Leadership, Followers, Giving, Responsibility
- Forgiveness is Liberating: Free Yourself and Others ♥
- The Journal I Never Kept: The Interview ♥
- Struggle Separates Dreamers from Doers
- Speak As If All Listen But None Follow ♥
- Questions Unlock Doors of the Mind
- The Journal I Never Kept: The Echoes
- The Clutter of Noise and Power of Silence ♥
- The (Forthcoming) Generation-Y Leadership Gap?
- How to Alleviate Emotional Pain and Suffering (By Giving to Others)
June 2010 (10 Posts) – The Self, Others, Balance, Inner Peace
- How to Focus on the ‘Self’ Without Being Selfish ♥
- This is Renegadeism: Live, Defy, Believe, Thrive
- You are a Stone; Life is Your Mason ♥
- The Journal I Never Kept: Army ROTC
- How to Find Inner Balance with a Steadier Range of Emotion
- Aspiration-Branding and “Résuméing” your Personal Brand
- Inner Peace: the Waves and the Tides
- Becoming a Balance for Others: Are You a Counterweight? ♥
- If Ever There Was a Time: America and the World Cup
- Preventing Patience from becoming Hesitation, Reluctance
July 2010 (8 Posts) – Regret, Decision-Making, Problems, Control
- Regret: Harness It or Holster It, but Don’t Be Hampered By It
- Trapped in Your Head? How to Escape Your Mind ♥
- Make Better Decisions With Mental-Emotional Synergy
- Treating Others with Compassion ♥
- Forging Meaningful Connections with Others
- Four Life Lessons Taught by Nature ♥
- The Problem-Solver’s Biggest Problem
- How to Relinquish Control (and be Freed)
August 2010 (9 Posts) – Patience, Perspective, Change, Criticism
- We Always Retain Choice (No Matter What)
- 3 Principles of Self-Improvement
- Seeking Real-Life Practices in Patience and Perspective ♥
- Inciting Change When You WANT Things to Stay the Same
- 6 Ways to Break Any Cycle of Negativity ♥
- 8 Mantras for Accepting Criticism (and Silencing Critics) ♥♥♥
- The Art of Defenselessness: Give Nothing to Defend
- State of the Renegade Address: August 2010
September 2010 (9 Posts) – Anger, Hatred, Suffering, Love
- How Anger Will Mislead You into False-Empowerment
- Becoming a Spiritual Explorer (Exploring the Worlds of Others)
- To Combat Hatred with Love: A Hammer and a Candle ♥
- Embracing the Commonality of Love: Love’s Language ♥
- The Gyatso Method: Creating Positive Inner Change
- How to Gain By Letting Go: 3 Practices to Undo Attachment ♥
- 11 Ways to ‘Pay Daily Alms’ (Without Paying a Dime)
- 7 Unconventional Ways to Develop Patience ♥
- One Suffering: Beyond Uniqueness, 6 Hardships We All Endure ♥
October 2010 (11 Posts) – Life, Spirit, Self-Love, Limitations
- State of the Renegade Address: September 2010
- The Worthy Apprentice: In Life, Most Lessons are Free
- Staying Afloat: How to Develop ‘Spiritual Buoyancy’ ♥
- Renegade Spotlight: Kristen Fleming
- How to Love Yourself in a World Designed to Foster Self-Hate ♥
- $20/20: 20 Ways to Save Water and How $20 Can Last 20 Years
- 8 Renegade Affirmations for “Living Better, Right Now”
- The Journal I Never Kept: The Rosary
- RenegadeTV: How to Find Yourself by Losing Yourself
- What’s Stopping You? Our Perceptions of Limitations ♥
- Let the Dam Break! Holding a Grudge vs. Allowing Forgiveness ♥
November 2010 (9 Posts) – Love, Growth, Giving, Community
- State of the Renegade Address: October 2010
- Relationships: How to Avoid the ‘Special Someone’ Crutch ♥
- Renegade Spotlight: Kat Fowler
- Veteran’s Day: 12 Ways to Give Back to Our Troops and Vets
- X’s On The Map: How to Find and Unearth Our Spiritual Gold ♥
- The Journal I Never Kept: “Just Alright”
- Diary of a Dime-Thrower: Creating Instant “Mood-Changers”
- The Happiness Catalyst: Reconnecting with Community (E-Book) ♥
- A Day at Walden Pond: Society, Solitude and Two Strangers
December 2010 (14 Posts) – Forgiveness, Compassion, Time, Freedom
- State of the Renegade Address: November 2010
- Fail-Proof Forgiveness: End the Hate and Dead the Past ♥
- Strongheart: Harvesting Compassion in the Faces of Strangers ♥
- Renegade Spotlight: Adii Pienaar
- 17 Tricks to Stop, Slow, Save, or Speed Up Time ♥
- FREEDOM: How to Question and Unlearn Everything You Know
- Renegade Spotlight: Matt Langdon
- Renegade Spotlight: Franki Holton
- The Only, Absolutely Surefire Way to Realize What You Offer This World ♥
- 2010 Renegade Review: The Beginning
- Eclipse of the Solstice: Compassion, Suffering & New Beginnings ♥
- 2010 Renegade Review: Every Post on DaveUrsillo.com
- 2010 Renegade Review: A (Very) Detailed & Mindful Look Back
- 20 Bits of Accidental Wisdom & 10 Life Lessons from 2010 ♥
