The Pursuit of Excellence: The Uncommon Behaviors of the World's Most Productive Achievers

by Ryan Hawk

‘When you get into real trouble . . . you’ve got to be very careful not to let panic set in. And you can’t just say be calm. You have to be able to focus on what you can control and influence. You’ve got to deal with the situation. You’ve got to size up how serious it is. And then you’ve got to be able to work your way into calmer waters.’” “That was pretty dangerous,” his dad summarized, “and your mom is going to kill me when I tell her what happened. But this is how you do it.” “I think I got it,” John said, assuring his dad. “Are you comfortable?” John’s dad asked him. “Yes, I am,” John answered. And at that, his dad put him back into the river and “down the rapids I went again!” John told me. This time, however, John could follow his dad’s advice with understanding and intention as his dad walked along the bank. “I did exactly what he said. I got calm. I put my feet out in front of me in the rapids because that way you could hit off the rocks with your feet. And when [I got] pummeled, I didn’t panic; [I] just came back up and got more air. And then I waited for a slow spot where I could swim out. I had that lesson in life forever. It was one of the best teaching moments about dealing with stress, dealing with crisis management, and being realistic that there will be a tendency in all of us—no matter how brave you think you are—to panic. And that’s what gets you into trouble.”