#115: Who you are beyond the storm
Learn why self-discipline starts with honesty, how emotional fluidity unlocks freedom, why growth happens when we stop forcing it, and how setbacks reveal who we are beyond circumstances.
Two weeks ago, one of my closest friends organized a cultural event in Berlin, bringing together people from all over the world. The space was packed—around 70 people—and he filled it with the sounds of his childhood in Pakistan. Street music, stories, and in the end, a meal he cooked himself: tender, flavorful, unforgettable.
Watching him share his culture so openly moved me more than I expected. It reminded me how powerful it is to invite others into a world they might not know, shaped by where they were born, what they’ve seen, and what they’ve missed.
That night, I realized how much I’ve drifted from my roots. I haven’t been back to Iran in three and a half years. I didn’t celebrate the Persian New Year with Haft Sin at my home. Traditions that once defined me have faded.
And yet, a part of me still longs for it.
Berlin feels like the right place for gathering people around your culture. People are open, curious. And sharing culture—really sharing it—feels like a small way to build understanding, to bring people closer.
I think I want to do more of that.
This week at a glance:
⚡ Your actions set the standard for you life
💪🏼 Being willing to fully feel any outcome
👌🏼 What everything is already okay?
🌊 Who you are beyond the storm
⚡ Your actions set the standard for you life
Self-discipline is keeping your word to yourself, even when you don’t feel like it. Think of it like being your own best friend—you wouldn’t constantly let down someone you care about, so why do it to yourself?
The foundation of real discipline is truth. We all skip workouts. We all have days when Netflix wins. Strength isn’t pretending it doesn’t happen—it’s being honest about it and choosing to get back on track.
Most people get discipline wrong. It’s not about controlling others or meeting some external standard. It’s about doing what you can, with what you have, right now. Cramped apartment? Exhausted? Do what you can. Conditions will never be perfect.
Write down your goals. Track your actions. But do it for yourself—not for show. The moment you start performing for others, you lose the thread.
Your actions—not your wishes, excuses, or complaints—set the standard for your life. It’s just consistent, honest effort, even when no one’s watching.
✨From Build Self-Discipline by Forming These Habits
💪🏼 Being willing to fully feel any outcome
We like to believe we make logical decisions. But most of the time, we’re chasing emotions we want to feel—or avoiding the ones we don’t.
When someone’s stuck, it’s rarely about the options. It’s about the feelings they’re trying not to have. True empowerment comes from being willing to feel any outcome.
The real art is letting emotions move through without letting them take over. We fear sadness will swallow us, anger will make us reckless, fear will leave us frozen. But fully felt anger becomes determination. Fully felt sadness brings relief.
Emotional fluidity—allowing feelings to pass without resistance—is what keeps us free.
And as you open to this, deeper joy becomes possible. Even if at first, it feels unfamiliar, maybe even a little frightening.
It’s about forming a new relationship with yourself—where every emotion is a guest, not an intruder.
✨ From #813 - Joe Hudson - The Art of Mastering Your Emotions
👌🏼 What everything is already okay?
The self-improvement industry often starts from a flawed premise: that we’re broken and need fixing.
It’s easy to slip into a Type-A mindset about emotional growth—“I’m going to feel these feelings so hard, I’ll win at healing.” But this approach creates the very resistance it’s trying to overcome.
Here’s a different perspective: What if everything is already okay?
This isn’t passive acceptance. It’s choosing curiosity over judgment.
Many of us notice a trigger and immediately rush to fix it—breathing exercises, mindset hacks, anything to make it go away. But that fix-it mentality often caps how deeply we can actually grow.
Personal growth is more like a young oak tree. You don’t criticize a sapling for being small. You don’t force it to grow. It just does.
What if you trusted that you’re already safe—and exactly where you need to be?
Growth happens naturally when you stop forcing it. Just like the tree, you were made to unfold.
✨ From #826 - Jonny Miller - How to Stop Feeling So Frustrated All the Time
🌊 Who you are beyond the storm
When our carefully built identity crumbles, we face a choice. Like a tree in a storm, we can either break—or learn to bend with life’s uncertainties.
The real question isn’t whether we’re “good enough.” It’s whether we’re brave enough to separate our worth from our circumstances.
True growth begins when we recognize the difference between who we are and what’s happening around us. Like a sailor who trusts their skill despite the unpredictability of the sea, we learn to hold steady in what we can control—and let go of what we can’t.
Each professional setback places us in an ancient tradition of rebuilding and rediscovery. Struggles don’t diminish us; they shape us.
The journey from identity crisis to renewed confidence isn’t just about surviving. It’s about finding who we are beyond titles, beyond achievements.
In that discovery lies the root of real resilience.
✨ From Unorthodox PM Wisdom — Lenny's Podcast
🎵 Music I’m listening to
You’ll find mostly Ethnotronica, Organic House, World, Disco, and Organic Electronic here:
🎧 If you appreciate the music I carefully select and haven't followed my Spotify playlists yet, now is the perfect time to hit that follow button and join me on this musical journey! 🎶
🌒 Pano: Danceable and electronic obscure songs
🌓 Sisy: Ethnotronica and organic house
🌑 Berghain: Dark, minimal techno and tech house
🌕 Heide: Groovy soul and disco house
🌞 Sonntag: Afterhours shit
🦥 Slow rave: Sleepy techno for tired danced
🌎 World: From Latin jazz to Turkish psych
🌚 Super Slow: For your intimate moments
Previously on Pursuit:
