How to Succeed in High-Stress Situations (#319) | Ferriss Show notes
[07:15] The high cost of not being in control of our own emotions under pressure and how astronauts train to keep panic at bay on risky missions.
[10:35] Cultivating apatheia.
[11:34] What important things are you missing because you chose worry over introspection, alertness, or wisdom? Does getting upset provide you with more options?
[12:00] Being in control of your emotions doesn’t mean you don’t have to feel them.
[12:54] We defeat emotions with logic.
[14:48] How General Eisenhower found opportunity to defeat Germany within its own seemingly unstoppable Blitzkrieg strategy during WWII.
[17:45] Controlling our emotions allows us to find opportunities within obstacles because we’re not discouraged, upset, or otherwise distracted by them.
[18:05] By assuming disaster is imminent, our preconceptions are the problem. But seeing opportunity in the obstacle gives us a chance to grow.
[19:52] Rising up to the challenge of our rival.
[20:18] Blessings and burdens are not mutually exclusive.
[21:01] Why “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” is not a cliche but fact.
[21:55] Developing a piercing gaze that sees the gift of opportunity through whatever ugly wrapping surrounds it.
[23:37] Excellence is a matter of steps. Follow the process.
[25:34] Don’t think about the end — think about surviving.
[26:07] What meteorology pioneer James Pollard Espy learned about the process from his hero Henry Clay.
[27:12] We become masters of our craft by following the thread to the next action.
[28:52] If you keep a clear head and follow the process, being trapped is just a position, not a fate.
[29:55] How often do we assume that change is impossible because it’s too big?
[31:12] Adhering to the process conquers distraction.
[32:28] To do great things, we need to be able to endure — even learn to love — tragedy and setbacks.
[34:46] Even Edison, at age 67, wasn’t too old to make a fresh start when his research campus burned to the ground. In fact, his company quickly recovered and thrived more than ever before.
[35:54] If you’ve got to put up with something terrible, you might as well have a smile on your face while it’s happening.
[39:36] We don’t get to choose what happens to us, but we can always choose how we feel about it.
