EP 125: Former CIA agent shares rapid decision making & navigating career decisions
Summary
TLDRIn this podcast, former CIA counterterrorism intelligence officer Michelle Hassad shares her experiences from her book 'Breaking Cover.' She discusses the challenges of being a female operative in the Middle East, her strategies for gaining the trust of terrorist sources, and the importance of emotional intelligence in her work. Michelle emphasizes the value of understanding cultural nuances, planning for the unexpected, and the psychological aspects of her interactions. She also offers advice on overcoming perceived limitations and using unique strengths to achieve success.
Takeaways
- 🔍 Michelle Hassad, a former CIA intelligence officer, shares her experiences in counterterrorism and counterintelligence, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances and psychological strategies.
- 🌐 Her career largely took place in the Middle East, where she had to navigate complex social dynamics and gender biases to effectively engage with sources and subjects.
- 👥 Michelle, along with her husband Joseph, now serves as a consultant for companies operating in the Middle East, focusing on inspiring others to overcome fears and fulfill their missions.
- 🗣️ She discusses the challenge of being a female in a male-dominated field, particularly in cultures with strict gender roles, and how she leveraged her strengths to gain respect and cooperation.
- 🤝 Michelle shares a pivotal moment where she had to confront a terrorist, using her knowledge of Arabic and Middle Eastern culture to establish authority and credibility.
- 🧠 She emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in building rapport and trust, even in high-stakes situations.
- 📚 Michelle advises on the value of becoming an expert in a niche area, using her own journey of studying the Middle East as an example of how to stand out and excel.
- 🛡️ She explains the CIA's training techniques for handling stress and high-stakes situations, including planning for potential problems and practicing responses.
- 🧘♀️ Michelle discusses the mental discipline required for her work, including how she used her faith to maintain focus and perseverance in challenging circumstances.
- 💼 She offers advice for those in corporate settings, suggesting the importance of understanding one's perceived image, demonstrating expertise, and earning respect through actions rather than words.
Q & A
What was Michelle Hassad's role at the CIA?
-Michelle Hassad was a former CIA intelligence officer who focused on counterterrorism and counterintelligence, with the majority of her career spent in the Middle East.
What is the title of Michelle Hassad's book?
-The title of Michelle Hassad's book is 'Breaking Cover'.
What challenges did Michelle face as a female CIA agent in the Middle East?
-Michelle faced challenges due to cultural and ideological biases against women in roles of authority, particularly when interacting with individuals who held extremist views that women should be submissive and covered.
How did Michelle handle her first meeting with a terrorist source?
-Michelle handled her first meeting by challenging the preconceived notions the source had about her as a woman. She did this by shaking his hand, speaking Arabic, and complimenting his work, which was unexpected and helped to establish her credibility.
What strategies did Michelle use to gain the respect of a terrorist source?
-Michelle used strategies such as speaking Arabic, complimenting the source's work, and demonstrating her intelligence and knowledge about the Middle East to gain his respect and cooperation.
How did Michelle's mentors in the CIA initially perceive her role as a female agent?
-Michelle's mentors initially perceived her role as a female agent as a weakness due to cultural norms and expectations in the Middle East, but she turned this into a strength using her emotional intelligence and knowledge.
What advice does Michelle give to those looking to excel in their careers?
-Michelle advises becoming an expert in a specific area, understanding what others think of you, and demonstrating your expertise through actions rather than words.
How did Michelle mentally prepare for high-stakes situations?
-Michelle mentally prepared by planning for things to go wrong, training her brain to expect problems, and practicing scenarios to react quickly and effectively when the unexpected occurs.
What is the importance of understanding one's own perceived limitations according to Michelle?
-Understanding one's own perceived limitations is important because it allows individuals to challenge those notions and use them to their advantage, as Michelle did by leveraging her unique position as a female agent.
How does Michelle's faith influence her approach to handling stress and challenges?
-Michelle's faith provides her with a mindset of humility and service, focusing on the present and trusting in divine guidance for future opportunities, which helps her maintain composure and perseverance in challenging situations.
What is the significance of planning for problems in high-stakes operations according to the script?
-Planning for problems is significant because it trains the brain to be nimble and ready to react effectively when things don't go as planned, reducing the likelihood of failure and increasing the ability to handle unexpected situations.
Outlines
🔍 Introduction to a Former CIA Agent's Experiences
The video script begins with an introduction to Michelle Hassad, a former CIA intelligence officer with a focus on counterterrorism and counterintelligence. She spent most of her career in the Middle East. The host expresses excitement about having Michelle on the podcast, having been a fan of her book 'Breaking Cover.' Michelle and her husband now serve as consultants for companies in the Middle East and are passionate about inspiring others to overcome their fears. The conversation hints at the fascinating and sometimes humorous cultural experiences Michelle had during her decade-long career, which she is allowed to share.
🌐 Challenging Preconceived Notions as a Female CIA Officer
In this paragraph, Michelle shares her experiences as a female CIA officer interacting with terrorists, particularly in male-dominated cultures where women are expected to be submissive. She describes her strategy for challenging these preconceived notions, starting with shaking hands and speaking Arabic to assert herself. Michelle emphasizes the importance of understanding and leveraging one's own strengths, such as emotional intelligence and cultural knowledge, to gain leverage in high-stakes situations. She also discusses the psychological dynamics at play during her meetings with sources, highlighting the need to be perceived as intelligent and capable.
🤝 Building Trust and Overcoming Stereotypes in the Field
Michelle recounts a specific encounter with a source, Abu Muhammad, where she had to quickly establish trust and credibility. She used a combination of flattery, acknowledging his contributions, and demonstrating her knowledge of the Middle East to gain his respect. This encounter illustrates the importance of being prepared, understanding cultural nuances, and leveraging one's unique strengths to navigate challenging situations. Michelle's approach shows how one can turn perceived weaknesses into strengths in the context of intelligence work.
🚀 Leveraging Unique Perspectives for Success
The discussion shifts to how Michelle's unique background and perspective as a female in a male-dominated field were actually assets. She explains that while others saw her gender and appearance as limitations, she used these traits to her advantage by showcasing her expertise and emotional intelligence. Michelle emphasizes the importance of understanding others' perceptions of oneself and using that knowledge to challenge and overcome stereotypes. She also talks about the value of taking on projects that others might overlook, as a way to demonstrate one's capabilities and build a reputation for excellence.
🌟 Pursuing Expertise and Differentiation in Career
Michelle shares her journey of becoming an expert in Arab culture, which included mission trips to challenging locations and studying abroad in Egypt. She discusses the importance of differentiating oneself in a career by choosing unique paths and pushing past fear. The conversation highlights the value of niche expertise and how it can lead to success. Michelle advises on the importance of preparation, authenticity, and becoming the best in one's chosen field to gain recognition and opportunities.
🧠 Managing High-Stakes Situations with Mental Preparation
In this segment, Michelle discusses the mental preparation required for high-stakes undercover work, such as meetings with sources in illegal settings. She explains how CIA training involves gradually increasing stress levels to build resilience and the importance of planning for potential problems. Michelle shares her approach to managing her central nervous system during tense situations, which includes training for various scenarios and learning to switch off the 'what-if' thinking during execution. The conversation underscores the significance of mental agility and focus in high-pressure environments.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Counterterrorism
💡CIA
💡Cultural Experiences
💡Psychology of Interaction
💡Emotional Intelligence
💡Strategic Communication
💡Intelligence Gathering
💡Surveillance Detection Route
💡Nimble Brain
💡Long Game
💡Catastrophizing
Highlights
Michelle Hassad, a former CIA intelligence officer, shares her experiences in counterterrorism.
Her book 'Breaking Cover' details her career, including the challenges faced by female agents in the Middle East.
Michelle discusses the importance of understanding cultural nuances when dealing with terrorists.
She shares a personal story of interrogating a terrorist in Baghdad, highlighting the psychological aspects of such encounters.
Michelle explains how she used her knowledge of Arabic and Middle Eastern culture to gain the upper hand in meetings.
The interview delves into how to physiologically calm oneself in high-stress situations.
Michelle talks about the training CIA agents receive to handle stressful situations and the importance of preparation.
She emphasizes the value of patience and playing the 'long game' in one's career.
Michelle shares her approach to winning people over through actions rather than words.
The interview covers strategies for dealing with the fear of failure and the importance of faith in overcoming challenges.
Michelle provides advice on how to stand out in a corporate setting by becoming an expert in a niche area.
She discusses the concept of 'show, don't tell' and the power of demonstrating expertise.
Michelle explains how she used her unique background and personality to her advantage in the CIA.
The interview touches on the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in building relationships.
Michelle shares her thoughts on how to handle the pressure of being in high-stakes situations.
She provides insights on how to mentally prepare for and handle unexpected challenges.
The conversation concludes with advice on how to stay grounded and focused in the face of adversity.
Transcripts
[Music]
if you could sit with a former
counterterrorist CIA agent what would
you ask what stories would you want to
hear and how would you extrapolate their
experience to apply in your own life of
how to still move and have agency in the
middle of scary moments times of
transition would you want to learn how
to physiologically calm your central
nervous system so that you can think
rationally on your feet and make
decisions that Propel you forward for
your big mission in life we are with
Michelle hassad she is a former CIA
intelligence officer who focused on
counterterrorism and Counter
Intelligence the majority of her career
was spent in the Middle East alongside
her husband Joseph I read all about it
in the book breaking cover today her and
her husband Joseph serve as consultants
for companies doing business throughout
the Middle East they are passionate
about inspiring others to push through
their fears to fulfill the mission God
has for them on the earth thank you so
much for being our guest Michelle oh
thank you so much for having me Dr
Crawford this is such a huge deal you
guys I read the book audio listen let's
be honest I audio listen to her book a
year ago or more and I have been trying
to harass her in different ways I
finally let it go and then it came back
in this really random weird God way that
I get to be with her today so this is a
huge
honor oh well thank you for inviting me
I'm very honored to be a part of your
special podcast thank you okay so give
us some of the like whatever you're able
to I know redacted we have to be careful
I did go to the Spy Museum in DC and I
was the craziest fan in the world's ever
seen I was there all day um so what are
you allowed to share of any of your
stories from being a CIA agent uh
surprisingly a lot of them as you saw on
breaking cover um the CIA let uh let me
talk a lot about um my experiences some
of the scary things I experienced you
know we always have to protect sources
and methods we want to protect people's
lives we don't want to put anyone at
risk but in there's just as you can see
so many funny and weird cultural
experiences from that those 10 years
that I'm I am allowed to share which is
great awesome well we want to hear some
what comes to mind that you think others
listening would love to hear so I mean I
think the one that people find the most
fascinating is what is it actually like
to get in front of a terrorist and and
especially as a female in the movies
dealing with people whose ideology tell
them that you know women should never
leave the home unless they have a male
escort and unless they're totally
covered should never be alone in a room
in in the room with a woman who's not
your your spouse or your child or your
sister so imagine that you're now
meeting them as a counter terorism
official of the
CIA and obviously they don't think very
much of you and they don't think you
should be doing this kind of work and
you're certainly not capable and so you
think okay here my very first experience
getting front of a terrorist in a
meeting it was my husband's source and
it was in Baghdad so we were there in
like during the worst part of the the
war in 2006 and 7 and I was trying to
get to the bottom of who had ordered and
executed a very brutal attack against an
American woman on the streets of Baghdad
and so my job was to go in and try to
figure out like who who did this and so
as part of this effort um all of these
officers let me get in front of their
their terrorist sources to ask these
questions and you know it's one thing to
read about terrorists and these guys and
their ideology and it's a whole
different experience to be in front of
them it's so fascinating and so the
psychology of that interaction I think
is what everyone finds so fascinating
and love about breaking cover so you
know I'm thinking about all I have to
achieve in this meeting with this man
and I know very well because of all my
studies and time in the Middle East what
he thinks of me and when you walk into a
room like that you can't help what
you're walking into like you can't help
what other people think about you right
but you have to deal with it and you
have to know what it is if you're going
to challenge it and so I I realized in
that moment like I had been told oh you
can't do this and you can't do that as a
female by the agency and by culture and
and in that moment I was like you know
what Michelle just forget about what
everybody said you can and cannot do you
know this culture you walk in there and
you do what you have been working for
years to do yeah and so um I walked
through the door and I knew that
immediately I was going to be dealing
with a man who would be very excited to
be in the room with a woman it's totally
elicit but and so because it's elicit
and Haram it's so
exciting okay I wasn't even thinking
that direction that makes sense yes and
I don't you know people were like what
probably thinking why are you even
bringing this up but like I have you
have to understand these the context yes
that so I know they're going to be very
excited he you know is going to be so
excited to see me it's going to be um in
his mind a a bad thing to do that he
gets to do because they they act all
holier than now but really they're not
um so I walk in the door and I I walk
across the room knowing that he's
cataloging everything about me because
he's guys are really Street Smart so you
know what you look like how you carry
yourself how you're standing how you're
walking how how you're talking like
everything but I'm also doing the same
thing yes you are that's right I'm doing
it back um and I we're both assessing
each other the con constantly the entire
time but anyway I I know immediately
that he's going to have these uh
preconceived ideas of me as a female and
I have to challenge them so the first
thing I do is I I go to shake his hand
and I
sayum mammed and I start speaking to him
in Arabic
M fascinating because I'm watching his
eyes and there his eyes are like what is
going you're speaking
Arabic and I'm like yes yes I yes I
speak Arabic and so I tell people it's a
small thing but immediately I've got him
off his game because he thinks he knows
who I am but he doesn't really know who
I am he underestimated you mhm yes but
he still doesn't know what he's dealing
with but at least I've shocked him and
then I say to him
Abu
Muhammad I have been very impressed what
you have accomplished in along working
alongside your case officer and I know
that you know what you guys did last
week on the Intel you collected probably
saved dozens of lives and I want you to
know really appreciate that so you're
honoring himate that yes okay terrorist
who's bad but not the worst right you're
developing an asset who's going to help
you against worse bad guys yeah I know
that's the that's the that's where we're
splitting hairs here so he is a bad guy
who's decided to work with his enemy
because he for whatever reason and
there's a whole host of those why he
might say okay I'm GNA stop carrying out
attacks and I'm going to work with you
and a whole you know a lot of
motivations for that but and so he
really is a bad guy and he's K A lot of
people I'm certain but for now he's
working with us and you know you have to
honor that because if it's ever found
out that he is working with the CIA
that's it they don't ask questions first
you know how do you know he's not a
double
agent a Perpetual question in the CIA of
course oh my gosh yeah um I mean that is
what made that job so challenging and
the the what I realized was that we were
dealing with so many who were double
agents or Fabricators and so you always
had to walk in that that room you know
kind of assuming the worst until I can
figure out otherwise it's possible
double agent for sure and so anyway I I
compliment him that's the second thing I
did in that meeting and what you see is
this like this uh response it's like
you're their ego being stroked and
feeling
good and but also on a very you know uh
covert psychological level because I'm
complimenting
him I am raising my stature because I'm
telling him what I think of him uhhuh so
it's a very interesting kind of you know
because I know I'm starting out on
ground level with this guy and this is
one of the ways in which I'm raising
myself um and he doesn't even realize it
it's so subtle but you know I'm telling
him how I assess his information and and
his value as a person and then last but
not least I have one more thing that I
know I need to do in order to get this
guy to take me seriously and get down to
business and that is to show him I'm
intelligent and so I start speaking to
Abu Muhammad about you know some um
some of the the Dynamics of what's going
on in Iraq and the sectarian strife and
I'm not a kind of person who likes to
Showcase my strengths I I think I'm a
little bit more humble than that but in
these moments with these terrorists you
got to absolutely get out slap him in
the face with it yes this is fascinating
can't play small you know Market your
intelligence and so it was interesting
because his response was like wow you
really know a rock I'm like yes brother
I do I have been studying the Middle
East I've been travel he's like how do
you know Iraq like how do you know this
stuff I'm like I have been traveling I
have been studying and he like his mind
was blown because you know most
Americans and most non-arabs have no
idea and so it was such an out and know
like so different outlier for him but it
was weird because in that moment like
that third thing that I accomplished
that third Dynamic that third
a strategy was what turned him and in
that moment I could just you know feel
the tension in the room you could that
you could have cut with a knife earlier
suddenly dissipated wow and as Abu
Muhammad realized like oh my gosh I like
her she's really smart and I want to
work with her and she respects me which
means she has good
taste yes because there you know there's
a lot of
narcissist yes um so yeah and so it's
interesting to realize that what up
until that moment that what
my mentors in the CIA and others had
characterized as a weakness which would
be being a
female Smiley a smiley person like I'm
not a severe person I'm not like a break
it down kind you know yeah that my
personality would be seen as a weakness
in the Middle East but what they did not
take into
account was my emotional intelligence
and how my empathy and my knowledge of
the Middle East could be used in a
particular way to like make that my
strength
yes I love that yeah and I think so many
times especially I'm thinking in a
corporate setting right so someone who's
listening to this and maybe you're from
a different background maybe you're
female maybe you're a different ethnic
background and you don't have the Posh
pedigree and know all the inner circles
and you just feel like the little
outlier that everybody would look at and
be like sorry you're kind of capped in
your situation so whatever we see as
disqualifying we can come under a mental
cap and then we stop asserting ourselves
because we take on a victim role and so
everybody had told you kind of like
here's your limitations and if you had
taken that I think you would have played
small and it would have been a
self-fulfilling prophecy so how fun that
we watched you be a rogue agent in a
good way of breaking that glass ceiling
not through entitlement and being angry
and pushing your way and I think a lot
of uh females in particular tend to try
to become men because they think if I'm
aggressive I'm assertive I'm a
boss then all of a sudden you'll be
taken more seriously but we're saying in
the Middle East with a bad guy terrorist
you were able to use strategy and
psychology to actually win someone over
and create leverage that actually got to
your end goal so if we now position what
you just shared how might we parlay that
and say okay somebody is new on the job
and they have an opportunity they're in
front of someone this is an impossible
situation what keep would you give them
now from your
experience so I always tell people you
have to understand what other people
think of you so you know what you need
to
challenge so you know my colleague who's
250 pounds and 6'2 is going to be
perceived very differently than me it's
just you know it's just the way I longer
indifferent it's just reality reality
and it's not a bad or evil thing it's
just reality we all have to conceive
Notions of others so I just say like you
have to know what they are and I I also
say no one wants to be preached at
nobody wants to hear like I I can do
this I can do that they want to see you
do it so I I say don't win people over
with your words win people over with
your actions yes yeah so I could I could
you know you speak to my bosses and my
mentors till I'm blew in the face about
how I know the Middle East I have a
master's degree in Arab
studies how about I show them and you
know gave me a chance that's all I had
was to demonstrate that that expertise
and so it was in taking projects nobody
else wanted okay so demonstrating
instead of complaining they say show
don't tell yes absolutely show don't
tell yes there's so much power in the
act right and then it would the other
thing would be like okay so I was
prevented from doing a lot of this kind
of work those first few years so you
know what I did
it was very subversive I took projects
other people didn't want okay mhm so
you're willing to do the gr work to earn
the street cred so then now you're
recognized and set apart instead of
waiting for the Cherry Picked which I
think a lot of us right wrong are Indi
we're like hey I'm I'm more advanced
than that I'm more educated I have more
experience I should be picked for X Y or
Z and we're actually capping our ability
to show our distinctness by doing maybe
some lower opportunities that are
pedigreeing you to the next level yes in
fact you know that whole the reason why
I was even in that room doing that thing
was because I took something that no one
else wanted to do like everyone already
drowning from all the work that we had
going on in a war zone it was like no
one had time for another project and I
kept taking those projects and I said
you know what I am going to show my
expertise by doing a good job whether
people are looking or not come on
Integrity Integrity you know and so it's
it's playing the long game you know why
because it takes longer but when you get
there you get there big life is just a
demonstration of that like I'll never
force myself in a room I'll never out
debate someone I'm never going to talk
over other people I'm just going to wait
in the back I'm going to learn I'm going
to grow and I'm going to you know keep
pushing forward one step at a time and I
find that when you play the long game
it's far more impactful in the lot you
know than just yelling yelling to get
your way
and becoming something you're not or
becoming bitter and resentful feeling
like a victim and blaming instead
winning them over through your work
ethic Your Excellence your knowledge and
I think we don't hear that enough in
culture everything is supposed to be so
fair but in reality life is not fair and
so each person is responsible to say
okay what are the cards I'm dealt and
some of those actually may be an asset
if I know how to play it wisely so you
being a female
it with if you're listening to the audio
she has whiter faer skin not Middle
Eastern skin um so she doesn't
necessarily look like or her age was
probably younger she didn't have the
seniority all of her mentors are like
hey you know here's your limits and so
yet using that to her Advantage create
leverage with something that makes you
unique actually can help you stand out
more so what did you do for the mental
game of the long game right so how did
you mentally Steward doing the grunt
work being faithful you know Integrity
when no one's watching how did you do
that knowing you're You're Made for More
and yet I'm living in this season right
now that is probably one of the hardest
things to do yeah so hard because you
you have to wait in expectation that it
will get better and so I'm a person of
Faith um I'm a Christian and so I I know
from my scriptures that that is that's
part of what we're called to you know
focus on that which we can focus on God
right focus on the thing right in front
of our faces in faith that he will open
other doors and so what it says is
instead of this self aggrandisement and
self self-realization any cost it's
humility it's it's serving others it's
putting other people first believing
that when the time is right will get
pushed forward so being responsible in
the small things and then you will be
entrusted to the bigger things yeah I
love that okay so there was a mindset
that you had that you knew today's
really not flattering investment would
have a long-term yield and you didn't
have to be personally responsible so
having a faith system really helped you
mentally have the grit to stay faithful
when it was hard and have that
investment okay and so now you're in
that moment let's say it's a female
maybe younger trying to grow up in a
corporate situation and so I love the
honoring the other person and a little
bit of flattery of recognizing them um
and also showing your intelligence not
playing small but leaning in with
strength so what would that look like
from your own experience if you were
mentoring um a younger person in a
corporate setting so you know so let's
just say you're involved in sales for an
example and your job is to sell your
product product to your client you're
going to want to know your product so
well and you're going to want to know
your client as much as possible and
you're going to want to know the
marketplace so in other words you are
going to make yourself an expert on
something on that area that you're in
whatever that is yeah so you can't fake
expertise you can't fake authenticity
you know and so people see it and when
they see that you know what you're
talking about
boy that's that that's really at the at
the end of the day that's what matters
so I tell people who are in the
beginning of their career even midcareer
you've got to figure out something and
then you've got to become the best you
can in that area so for me it was
investing in um understanding Arab
culture so it started with um mission
trips right out of high school um it
started and these mission trips were to
hard places it was to Russia and Ukraine
after the fall of the Soviet Union um I
went and and studied abroad for a
semester in Egypt in Cairo of all places
right after the first Gulf War I still
can't believe my parents said yes kiding
like I decided that if I was going to
get anywhere I was probably going to
have to do things differently so there's
this well tread path well-worn path
everybody's going that direction I'm
going to differentiate Myself by
choosing things that are totally
different and weird and visual and so I
think a series of of um uh pushing
pasture fear is what made me an expert
and and in my area and what that enabled
me to shine I love that and there's an
expression kind of Cokey but it says
riches are in the niches and so instead
of trying to be a generalist of knowing
everything if you're listening right now
what is the one thing you're most
passionate that causes you to come most
alive and then really Niche down decide
this is where I want to be an expert and
get as much life experience everything
you can to know about that that way when
you're in the room and you know there's
the natural flutters and nervous and all
of those things and we'll talk about how
to Steward that but your intelligence
your study your preparation ahead of
time really does shine through and so if
we're not putting in the preparation
then we're going to get in that moment
and now we're not going to have anything
to say to lean in
so for you when you were in those
moments what helped you ground your
central nervous system that your body
could calm down even though I mean these
are literally life and deaths like it's
not just like do I get promoted or not
like I'm literally sitting against
someone who is fine with killing people
who look like me and I am a female in
this room like how did you do that yeah
so um it's a very interesting thing that
you're asked to do when you're serving
undercover abroad so you're you're
holding covert meetings with sources and
that is illegal in these countries so if
you're caught in your um in your car
meeting with your source and you blow
your Source first of all you could get
them
killed or you know maybe best case
scenarios you get them thrown in jail um
and then you get yourself best case
scenario uh thrown out of country or you
get jailed so the the stakes are
incredibly high and so you are you know
taught to um you know how do you how do
you carry out a safe Source meeting how
do you drive a surveillance detection
route to be sure you're not being
followed to your meeting so um talk
about nerves talk about yeah Stakes are
high yeah Stakes are super high and so
you're running around breaking the laws
of another country it's it's a crazy
thing you're being entrusted with by the
our government okay so what how how do
you get control control of your nervous
system how do you do that thing in
training what they do is they they they
um put you in increasingly stressful
situations so they they start small and
they turn up the heat and turn up the
heat and turn up the heat and so what
you do and then the other thing is so
you start small before you go big um but
the other thing is you learn to plan for
things to go wrong I love that so before
you carry out an operation you try to um
ideate like 50 ways this could go
sideways I'm planning this uh Source
meeting and I'm going to run this
surveillance detection route and we're
going to meet in this location and I'm
going to debrief my source for
intelligence and then I'm going to
return wherever to the office or home or
whatever what are 50 things that could
happen and so what you do is you go
through those things and you plan for
them if this happens then I will do this
if that happens I will react in this way
if this goes sideways I will react by
doing this and so you plan for all the
problems wow that's so good again you
know that the one thing you didn't plan
for is the one thing that will happen
it's gonna happen right number 51
possible thing is GNA happen but because
you've trained your brain to expect
problems you trained your brain to think
through scenarios of how to answer them
you now have a Nimble brain you have a
neural network that's been tested so
when that thing you didn't anticipate
happens you are mentally capable of
reacting quickly not losing your focus
and responding in a way that's that's
not going to get yourself killed you
know responding in a way it's the best
way possible yeah you're building a
strength for something that many people
hate about themselves and in therapy
we're trying to train people not to
allow catastrophizing right because
catastrophizing is where my brain thinks
of all the worst case scenario but it
then just ruminates like a hamster will
and thinks about that and anybody
listening right now if you deal with
anxiety this is the most real thing
because one you don't have a scenario
where it works out so you're actually
just reinforcing the negative being bad
instead of what you're describing of
training your brain and that region of
problem solving to say and then I'll be
okay and then there will be a solution
and then I'll be nimble because you
don't continue with that brain that that
um that kind of thinking in the moment
you do it in the office and you leave it
yeah because if you're running that
surveillance detection route and your PR
your brain is still going through like
you just mentioned yeah all the things
that could go wrong you will fall apart
and you won't do anything right you
won't detect the surveillance following
you right so the idea is that you have a
shut off moment I I'm prepared now we're
done now I'm executing and so that
that's training your brain to
focus execution phase because if you
don't then then you will miss what
you're supposed to see exactly so give
us the key how do we start ruminating
and catastrophizing and then stop how do
we train oursel to use a superpower of
recognizing bad things can happen
but then now having a moment to say okay
pause and switch
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