That “in the zone” risk response I described earlier feels like you’ve entered one of those dreamlike soap operas with a higher frame rate. You’re fully immersed in the task at hand, with a heightened attention to detail and mastery that comes from a deeply intuitive place—you know what to do without “thinking” about it. It’s not a sense of calm so much as a sense of clarity. When I think about the times I’ve been in a zone or flow state, it’s often been in response to stress. It’s happened at big moments in poker tournaments, occasionally during public speaking appearances, and even a couple
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