#124: Accountability is where power begins
Learn why accountability unlocks personal power, how urgency warps dating, why balance is a strength not a weakness, and how reconnecting with nature restores a deeper sense of identity.
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 design a more fulfilling life.
When I landed in Mexico City, I didnât know a single person. So I did something slightly impulsive and a little desperate. I posted a story on Instagram: âAnyone know people here?â
Quite a few friends reached out but one message stood out. It came from someone I hadnât seen in 20 years. He wasnât even a close friendâmore like my brotherâs old classmate. Still, he lived in Mexico City and invited me to hang out.
I barely knew him but I said yes and that yes opened a version of Mexico City I never would have found on my own. He took me to hidden food spots with no signage, no menus, nothing online. One spot had a kitchen powered entirely by wood fire. Another one didnât have prices; you ate whatever the chef felt like making. And it was some of the best food Iâve had in years.
This almost-forgotten figure from my past turned out to be a bridge. He cooked northern Persian food with quiet mastery, which had earned him friendships with some of Mexico Cityâs most famous chefs. He shared his love for mezcal and gifted me a high-quality bottle he picked up from a farm.
None of this was planned.
Thatâs the part that stayed with me. Most people wait for the right plan, the right timing, the right connection. But magic rarely waits for permission. It shows up when you reach out. When you open a small door into the unknown.
So post the story. Message the person you havenât talked to in years. Travel alone. Ring the doorbell of the restaurant that doesnât exist on Google Maps.
You never know who might open the door.
This week at a glance:
đ Accountability is where power begins
đ Lose the urgency in dating
âď¸ Balance is not laziness
đŞ No goodbye, only return
đ Accountability is where power begins
When we blame our setbacks on forces outside our control, we hand over our power. It might feel justified, even comforting, but it keeps us stuck.
Real strength begins with ownership. When we take responsibility for our situationâour choices, our mindset, our next stepâwe reclaim agency. Life isnât fair. Thatâs a fact. But fairness isnât a requirement for progress.
Instead of fixating on what blocks you, focus on whatâs still in your hands. Stop looking outward. Look inward. Be accountable. Thatâs where your power lives.
⨠From Victim Mentality, Energy Creators, & More
đ Lose the urgency in dating
Urgency distorts judgment. It pushes us to buy things we donât need, rush into relationships that arenât right, and mistake availability for compatibility. The fear that someone might "get taken off the market" can shift our focus from truly assessing them to simply trying to secure them. But dating isnât a raceâlosing urgency allows us to approach it with curiosity rather than desperation. Instead of worrying about whether theyâll be gone tomorrow, focus on whether they should be in your life at all.
⨠From (Matt Monday): How to Stop Obsessing in Early Dating
âď¸ Balance is not laziness
More intensity is not the answer. To achieve the things you want in life, you must pursue them with balance. Unfortunately, this idea runs counter to much of what we're taught in the modern eraâwhere speed, extremes, and perpetual busyness are celebrated, irrespective of the outcomes they create. To pursue things with balance in our culture is almost indistinguishable from laziness. The most important thing is staying in the game long enough to allow compounding to work its magic. The longer you're able to stay in the game, the more significant your growth.
⨠From The Case for Slowing Down
đŞ No goodbye, only return
We often think of identity as something we carryâan ID card, a name, a lineage. But identity is not just human; it is land, air, water, and the forces that sustain us. Who we are is shaped not just by where we come from, but by what has nurtured us into being.
Yet, modernity pulls us away. It speeds time, fills the mind with noise, and tempts us to live in the imagined past or the uncertain future. We forget that life is only ever happening now. The trees, the wind, the riversâthey are not dwelling in what could be. They simply are. And in their presence, there is intelligence.
Technology has logic, but no wisdom. It speaks in calculations, but not in the language of the heart. It moves us toward efficiency but away from harmony. To live in balance is not to reject progress, but to remember that true knowing is not just in the mindâit is in the body, in the rhythm of the earth, in the quiet lessons of trees and sky.
Our responsibility is simple: to live in a way that allows life to continue. To move with the world, not against it. To listen to what has always been speaking. Because in the end, there is no goodbyeâonly the certainty of return.
⨠From Ultimate Truth - Our Purpose on Earth
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:
