The Story behind Live Your Mark
- Mark Locsin Katigbak
- Dec 4, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2025
Why this book exists and why this message matters now more than ever.
Writing a book has been a lifelong dream of mine. Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by the power of stories, losing myself in the pages for hours. My curiosity pushed me to read everything I could find: science, mystery, finance, psychology, and non-fiction. But over time, I found myself drawn most to books that made a real impact. Those that offered lessons I could apply immediately, shaping how I lived and who I became.
As someone whose life was changed by the words of others, I felt a desire to pay it forward. In 2018, I began writing my first draft under the title “Leave Your Mark.” I even placed it on my vision board. I didn’t know exactly what the content would be, but I knew I wanted it to be self-help because that genre helped me grow the most.
But like most dreams, it stayed a dream. I had no clear plan. I had a vision without any system. Life became busy. Work took priority.
I pushed the dream aside.
The Forgotten Dream That Found Its Way Back
In 2024, life was going well. I had just completed my Master’s degree, earned a promotion, and was thriving in my career. On paper, everything looked great. I was successful, stable, on track.
As the year ended, I began planning my goals for 2025, as I always did. I felt that I wanted to do something meaningful to my soul. That’s when an unexpected email arrived. Call it fate, it was about a book writing challenge running for “one last time.”
It immediately brought back the dream I had long forgotten.
I joined the program and began writing again. It was difficult at first. I tried to remove my faith from my writing to reach a wider audience, but eventually realized I couldn’t, because my faith is a core part of who I am.
The program ended, but my manuscript was still far from complete. Work intensified once more, and writing had to be set aside.
The Breaking Point That Became a Turning Point
Despite the success, something wasn’t right. In the first quarter of 2025, I experienced severe anxiety and burnout. There were days I genuinely feared for my life.
I was forced to pause.
To rest.
To confront what was happening inside me.
And in that painful stillness, the questions surfaced:
“What am I really doing with my life?”
“Is this the life I truly want?”
“If I only had limited time in this world, what kind of mark do I want to leave?”
That final question became the seed of my book.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
Live Your Mark is both a personal reflection and a message for others. It holds the lessons, experiences, and breakthroughs that shaped me. It also reflects my journey as a leader in the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) and my walk of faith.
This book is my testimony of God’s generosity and mercy. He gave me a second chance in life. He allowed my deepest pain to become the doorway to my purpose.
Looking back, everything that happened (good and bad) was necessary. It gave me the story that would eventually complete this book and make it meaningful.
Why the Title Became Live Your Mark
Originally, the book was titled Leave Your Mark. But as the message grew clearer, I realized:
I don’t want to leave a legacy only when I’m gone. I want to live it—now, while I'm here, present, and able to touch the lives of others.
That is what Live Your Mark truly means.
I believe that when you live at your best (aligned with your values, strengths, and passions), you naturally uplift others. You help them discover their true potential and remind them that they are a beloved child of God.
That is the mark I want to live and leave in this world.
And I hope this book helps others do the same.
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