My obsession with the human brain knows no bounds. The more precisely we can study its workings, the better. As if I wasn’t sold on “The Institute for Health and Human Potential” by name alone, their full curriculum of leadership, emotional intelligence, and the neurological breakdown of performing under pressure is the kind of stuff I could study ALL DAY! This week’s special guest and thought leader is Bill Benjamin, Master of Emotion, partner and keynote speaker to the IHHP.
Bill’s crash-course in “Performing Under Pressure” is IQ 101: we’ll analyze how it comes into play in day-to-day life and break it down to a neurological level. You can have all the talent and knowledge in the world, but when you’re under the gun, the first thing to betray you will always be the same: your emotions.
Emotion can be disguised as momentum in the heat of battle. The rush experienced while bickering with a supervisor or loved one is the same rush you’d experience when challenged by a lion in the wild. It would seem our infinitely intricate brains are still ironically ancient.
A few weeks back, IQ guest Steven Kotler shared his tremendously triumphant story of the human spirit, which brought him back from the verge of suicide. He touched on the fascinating concept of “getting into the gap.” You’re going to feel the incoming sensory assault no matter what, but the way you process that feeling is up to you. Bill Benjamin is here to take this idea a step further.
Bill’s methods range from common, subtle hand gestures to breathing and meditation. I know what you’re thinking… but when advice like that comes from a guy with degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics, it’s worth paying attention. Bill Benjamin’s episode on Inside Quest touches upon the initial keys to cultivating a peak cerebral, chemical cascade which can help set you down a path for future success.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN 1. Your new meaning for the acronym ‘SOS’ and why you should use it so frequently in life. 2. Why you should look to reach “the other side of the bridge” with people more often. 3. How you can fool your brain… with just a pencil! (or any type of stick) 4. The difference between testosterone and cortisol, two of the brain’s most powerful neurochemicals. 5. What kind of postures exude confidence. 6. Dangerous truths to models of the Four Horsemen of the (Communication) Apocalypse. 7. Why the top 10% of physical performers are so open to critical feedback. 8. The physiological response your body has to perceiving certain moments as a crisis VS opportunity. 9. The almond-sized ‘amygdala’ portion of your brain, and its tremendous affect on behavior. 10. How to consciously re-wire your brain for yielding different reactions to various stimuli. 11. Why you must learn to separate a behavior from a person. 12. The “reverse close” – a classic sales technique.