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“Calmness, not skill, is the sign of a matured Samurai.” – Tsukahara Bokuden
The greatest leaders and the most successful individuals have forged the habit of remaining calm under pressure.
Why?
Uncontrolled emotions lead to bad decisions. This is because when the emotional center of the brain, the amygdala, becomes amplified, the thinking part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, shuts down or temporarily hibernates. When that happens, the ability to make logical decisions is overpowered by emotions.
You always want your prefrontal cortex, your logical mind, to be in control of your behavior, not your amygdala. Your amygdala will cause you to lose focus, act impulsively, make bad decisions and create more problems in your life.
When you are faced with something unexpected and find yourself under the spell of your emotions, stop what you are doing. Sit down and count to 100. This will calm your mind and give your prefrontal cortex time to regain control of your mind, which will allow you to focus on the problem and make sound, logical decisions.
