relax for the same results relax for the same results relax for the same results

advice from: Derek Sivers

i felt so much anxiety for my test. fear of not recreating a basic plot under an hour almost overwhelmed me. the shaky hands. the heart palpitations. the lump in my throat. the dizziness. it took effort to convince myself that things were ok and i'm not being chased by a predator and my life is not at risk. i must learn how to overcome this debilitating anxiety. ability to excel under pressure is needed for pivotal moments in life. that's what forges olympic players, not just skill and technique, but ability to withstand pressure, to adapt, and to overcome.

"The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system.  And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success.  And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second....The sale of souls to gain the whole world is completely voluntary and almost unanimous--but not quite." --Doc (p.135 in Cannery Row by John Steinbeck).

discovered in a comment for The Inverse Logic of Life: David Brooks