I am writing this week’s newsletter while flying to Barcelona.
At first I thought I would have a quiet August, but it’s been much busier than I expected, and the last 7 days were loaded with interesting stories.
Let’s start with this week’s highlights…
H1: 0.81 seconds
The Olympics 100 years ago, in 1924, were also held in Paris and in an interesting report I saw this week, a comparison was made of the speed of the winners of the 100 meter sprint races in 1924 and 2024.
What caught my attention was the surprisingly small difference of 0.81 secs between the 1924 winner, Harold Abrahams, and the 2024 winner, Noah Lyles.
Despite all the technological advances, the evolution of physical training, improved athletic apparel and better understanding of nutrition, the difference in the speed of athletes is minimal.
This led me to a conclusion: it is probably not the tools, training, nutrition or terrain conditions that make the difference, but human conviction.
I imagine a hypothetical race between Harold Abrahams and Noah Lyles, with Abrahams running with the conviction and determination he had in 1924, but with the tools and technology of modern athletes.
In that case, I think Abrahams would probably have won. Conviction and an unwavering spirit are what make someone invincible.
It’s not just technology or physical preparation, but strength of mind and determination that allows us to achieve our goals.
H2: Wisdom, compassion and courage
Last Wednesday I bought a book that was recommended to me by a co-worker, but before I started it, I realized that in the last 3 months I started 17 books that I still haven’t finished reading.
So I made a commitment to finish them before I started on new books.
The first of these was The Hagakure a book I wrote about a couple of months ago, which deals with the ancestral wisdom of the samurai.
The main lessons I take away from the book are the following:
The 3 virtues of a life well lived: wisdom, compassion and courage
Wisdom is attained by listening to and learning primarily from elders.
Compassion is a selfless orientation toward the welfare of others.
And courage is the determination to face life’s challenges without hesitation.
The 4 types of warriors
According to speed of response and speed of execution: the ideal and very rare “fast-fast“, who understands and acts quickly; the “slow-fast“, who takes time to understand but acts quickly; the more common “fast-slow“, who grasps things quickly but takes time to execute; and the less desirable “slow-slow“, who fails in both aspects. According to hagakure, respectable samurai should strive to become one of the first two.
What stood out most for me is that the teachings of the Hagakure, first published in 1716 (408 years ago!), still hold true.
I found many parallels between bushido philosophy and modern life. The pursuit of personal excellence, the importance of integrity and courage, and the understanding of the impermanence of life are values that remain fundamental to living with purpose.
In short, the Hagakure is a guide that not only fosters a legacy of dignity, but also uplifts the spirit, guiding towards fulfillment on the path of life.
H3: Fusing heaven and earth through the body
We are currently recording in our Basel studios a new course with Scott Schwenk, focusing on tantric energy.
In the introduction to the course, Scott explains that, although commonly and erroneously associated with sexual practices, the essence of tantra is actually a holistic path and a series of ancient practices designed to generate energy and dissolve tension patterns in the body, the essence of tantra is actually a holistic path and a series of ancient practices designed to generate energy and dissolve patterns of tension in the body.
A path and a series of powerful practices that allow us to create and shape our reality, cultivating greater awareness and connection with ourselves and the world around us.
H4: Rewrite
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to have dinner with Gordon Smith.
I haven’t mentioned this before, but Gordon is the person who was most insistent that I start the blog and share my ideas with the world, so he obviously asked me about it.
Basically I told him what I have learned so far and the immense pleasure I find not only in writing, but in the whole creative process.
He, who has written and published 23 books, gave me a piece of advice that marked me and for which I am very grateful:
“Writing is wonderful, but rewriting takes your work to another level; it’s a true art. Simplifying messages, clarifying points, editing to make it read in the best possible way… Therein lies the magic.”
Gordon’s words made me reflect because I often (if not always) publish the first version of what I write.
His advice invites me to go further, to polish, improve and perfect the message, to become a better communicator and creator.
H5: Not worth it (reflection and advice)
How many times do we find ourselves in the middle of a pointless argument, wasting time and energy, trying to have the last word?
It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to “win” every argument, but the truth is, in most cases, it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. Life is too short and beautiful to waste time on trivial things.
There are much more important things that deserve our attention and energy. Letting go of the need to always be right is liberating.
It allows us to focus on what really matters, find peace in the calm and live with more intention and purpose.
It is not about being weak or giving in to the opinion of others, it is about being wise and choosing our battles.
Wisdom teaches us to discern between what is important and what is not.
The next time you find yourself in such a situation, remember that it is not necessary to “win” every argument.
Smile, nod, and move on.
Your time and energy are worth more than any trivial argument.
H6: The best we can (poem)
There is no perfection in life,
we do the best we can,
day by day,
with the tools and knowledge we have.
Everything changes,
our consciousness evolves,
technology is advancing,
tools are updated,
life itself is transformed.
There is a moment when we must stop, and understand:
“this is the best I can do for now.”
It is also liberating to understand that,
in the past, we did the best we could.
With what we knew,
and with the tools we had.
And it is reassuring to know that,
in the future, we will also do the best we can,
with the wisdom and experience we acquire.
An attempt is made,
is failed,
you learn…
And it starts all over again.
Until next Sunday, with 6 new highlights 
Feedback? I would love to hear from you. Remember that you can contact me at any time through vladimir@younity.one.
