#56: Changing Your Trajectory Is A Choice

#Choice #Humanity #AchievementCulture #PathlessPath

Feb 02, 2024

👋 Welcome to this week's Pursuit. My name is Amir, and each week I go over 10 hours of content in pursuit of living a meaningful, fulfilling and balanced life. I'm grateful to share my findings with you and hope I can have a tiny impact on your life. Subscribe now if you haven't already!

I attended my first ballroom show last week with a newfound friend from Cape Town. It was an eye-opening experience to witness the freedom and self-assurance displayed by the dancers and audience regardless of their body shape or skin color. In this vibrant atmosphere, everyone gathered to celebrate beauty and enjoy a brief moment of deserved recognition on the runway. I realize that my deep appreciation for exploration and embracing new experiences guides me effortlessly towards these enriching opportunities. Life is an invitation to step into the unknown and discover the dance of existence.

This week’s discovery:

🏹 Changing Your Trajectory Is A Choice
🏄🏼‍♂️ Being Willing Makes Trying Less Scary
☣️ The Hazards of Achievement Culture
🎋 The Pathless Path
🗒️ A Quote I'm Pondering On
🎵 Music I'm Listening To

🏹 Changing Your Trajectory Is A Choice

There are a lot of things you don’t control. You don’t get to pick your parents. You don’t get to pick the country you are born in. You don’t get to pick your given talent. You don’t get to pick the test. You don’t control where you start, but you can change where you go. You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight. Integrity is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Hard work is a choice. Preparation is a choice. Consistency is a choice. Your attitude is a choice. Your response is a choice. The people you hang around are a choice. Changing your trajectory is a choice. (read more).

🏄🏼‍♂️ Being Willing Makes Trying Less Scary

Choosing to practice seeing the humanity in everyone, including those you disagree with*,* isn’t naive; it’s an agent of change in itself, one that will continue to change you, one that will keep you connected to your own humanity.
Trying to control other people is exhausting, mostly because it’s an impossible effort that only leads to further distancing from your own inherent power. Stay close to your own next moves, your own actions, your own choices, knowing those are the only ones you really have a say over in the moment.
It’s deeply vulnerable to say “I’m confused about what to think” or “I’m not sure what to do” instead of quickly jumping into a false sense of understanding. Letting yourself be confused might be a path toward breaking binary thinking and holding more than one layer.
Being willing to fail makes trying less scary. Being willing to be wrong makes trying less scary. Being willing to change your mind makes trying less scary. Being willing to be embarrassed makes trying less scary. Being willing makes trying less scary. (read more)

☣️ The Hazards of Achievement Culture

Ambition extends far beyond the realm of work; it encompasses our relationships, our joy, and our personal growth. Our well-being and mental health are deeply intertwined with our values. Within us, there exist core values, divided into extrinsic and intrinsic ones. It is crucial to recognize that extrinsic values, such as the pursuit of career success and material possessions, can take a toll on our mental well-being. On the other hand, nurturing intrinsic values, like being a supportive friend and contributing to the betterment of our environment, can foster a sense of fulfillment and happiness. However, it is often in high-achieving cultures that extrinsic values reign supreme, overshadowing the importance of intrinsic values. In these cultures, the pressure to excel professionally often overshadows the significance of nurturing personal relationships. Yet, in reality, it is our personal failures, like broken relationships or an inability to savor life's simple pleasures, that truly shape our existence more profoundly than professional setbacks (read more).

🎋 The Pathless Path

If you're seeking a pathless path and looking to find a new way forward, consider embracing a little underemployment. Don't waste years by being unable to waste hours. Allow yourself the freedom to take breaks, go for walks, and reset. Creative work can't be forced, and in today's world, much of the work we do is inherently creative. Remember, finding a pathless path isn't an all-or-nothing endeavor. It's a journey of awakening and making changes incrementally over time. Test different ideas, experiment with side projects, and explore new interests. Even if you don't fully understand why you're drawn to certain activities, pay attention to the energy and excitement they bring. Trust your instincts and have the courage to pursue what truly energizes you, even if it means leaving your day job without a clear plan. Remember, positive energy and the pursuit of what excites you can lead to a fulfilling and purposeful path (read more).