#123: Adaptability is the real compass
Learn why adaptability is the truest compass, how slow progress shapes the world, why real insight begins within, and how a better question can spark deeper connection.
đ Welcome to Pursuitâyour weekly pause for intentional living, self-discovery, and inner clarity. My name is Amir, and every week I share four carefully chosen ideas to help you create a more fulfilling life.
I want to start by sharing a personal reflection from my recent trip to Costa Rica: I had meticulously planned every day of this trip. I knew when Iâd wake up, where Iâd go, where Iâd eat. I had a short window without work, so I wanted to make the most of it. I used the deep research mode of ChatGPT to build my itinerary, and tried to optimize every stop.
But when I arrived and checked in at the hostel, I asked the person at reception to look over my plan. He said it was solid, but he offered a few other suggestions. I ended up swapping parts of my itinerary for his recommendations.
That small shift made me reflect on how I travel, and how I plan in general.
People sometimes tell me I plan too much. And maybe I do. I used to this level of planning is killing spontaneity in me. But what Iâve realized is that while I plan carefully, I donât hold on tightly. I adjust. I listen. I make space for new information.
Itâs not about being rigid. Itâs about being prepared enough to move with intention, and open enough to let better things in.
Flexibility within structure. And it doesnât just apply to travel. It applies to our careers, projects, and other aspects of our lives. Thoughtful, but never fixed. Ready, but not closed.
This week at a glance:
đ§ Adaptability is the real compass
đŹ Stop asking âWhat do you do for life?â
đ˘ The impact of slow progress
đŤ Start within
đ§ Adaptability is the real compass
Adaptability might be the single most important trait for a meaningful life.
The explorer doesnât set sail expecting calm seas or a perfectly straight course. What he trusts is his ability to adjust when the storms come. Thatâs the real compass.
You are the explorer. Life is your voyage. You donât need to rely on a perfect plan or even perfect logic. What matters is your ability to respond when things inevitably shift.
One lesson I wish I had learned earlier is this: no one knows what theyâre doing. Even the people you admire. Everyone is stumbling in their own way.
Some just stumble with more curiosity. Some remain humble enough to keep learning. Some have the courage to walk into the unknown before they feel ready. Thatâs often all it takes.
The more we define success in comparison to others, the further we drift from meaning. If success is always measured by what someone else has, it will never feel like yours.
The only way to feel successful is to define it for yourself. Reject the default. Live by design.
The more you try to strip life down to something perfect or complete, the more it disappears in your hands. Like peeling an onion until thereâs nothing left.
The point was never to figure it all out. The point was to stay awake to it as it unfolds.
⨠From 13 Harsh Truths About Success Nobody Told You
đŹ Stop asking âWhat do you do for life?â
I came across this question while reading one of Sahilâs posts, and I started asking it from the new people that I meet:
What is creating energy in your life right now?
The question is so simple, but it gets the other person talking about something they're energized about, which almost always gets a conversation moving and flowing. The answer can be personal or professional, and it's much more interesting than the "What do you do?" standard fare at most gatherings.
đ˘ The impact of slow progress
Good news rarely makes headlines. Not because it doesnât exist, but because it unfolds too slowly to capture attention. A 1% improvement each year doesnât demand urgency, but over decades, it transforms everything.
Heart disease mortality has fallen by 70% over the last 60 years, not because of a single breakthrough, but because of steady, incremental progress. No one wakes up to a breaking news alert about a 0.1% decline in deaths. But compound that over time, and it reshapes the world.
Bad news is different. It arrives in an instant, terror attacks, financial crashes, pandemics. It disrupts, demands attention, and lingers in memory. There is no Pearl Harbor moment for medical advancements, no 9/11 for scientific breakthroughs.
Yet, the impact of slow progress is often greater than any crisis. It just requires patience to see. The world is quietly getting better, not in dramatic bursts, but in the unnoticed accumulation of small wins.
⨠From Why Pessimism Sounds So Smart
đŤ Start within
We often believe that discovering our strengths requires looking outward. We ask for feedback, compare ourselves, search for the right label. But the answer isnât out there. It begins inside.
Start by observing. Where do you feel a sense of ease, where effort feels natural? What moments bring quiet satisfaction, even when no one is watching? Forget grand achievements. Pay attention to what feels inherently rewarding.
Write it down. Sit with it. Let the patterns reveal themselves.
Others can offer helpful perspective, but they cannot define you. When you look outside before reflecting inward, you risk building your identity on opinions that may not match your own truth.
Strength is relative. Direction is personal.
The habit of seeking answers externally often hides something deeper, a reluctance to fully own your choices. But no mentor, no framework, no guide can give you what self-trust offers.
The best teachers eventually step back. The real work is learning to think clearly for yourself.
⨠From How to Identify Your Own Superpowers â And Why It Matters
đľÂ Music Iâm listening to
Youâll find mostly Ethnotronica, Organic House, World, Disco, and Organic Electronic here:
đ§ 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! đś
đ Pano: Danceable and electronic obscure songs
đ Sisy: Ethnotronica and organic house
đ Berghain: Dark, minimal techno and tech house
đ Heide: Groovy soul and disco house
đ Sonntag: Afterhours shit
𦥠Slow rave: Sleepy techno for tired danced
đ World: From Latin jazz to Turkish psych
đ Super Slow: For your intimate moments
Previously on Pursuit:
