in front of the TV watching other people display their expertise, we would probably be a lot farther ahead in life. Several studies confirm that our physical abilities are determined by our mental strength. A popular study known as “the placebo effect” discovered that performance is enhanced when an individual believes they have done something to improve their performance. The European Journal of Neuroscience published a study in 2008, which found that participants who were told that the sugar pills they had been given were caffeine, put more effort into their weightlifting session. Due to the caffeine they believed they had ingested, they found additional strength and energy that allowed them to perform at a higher level. Scientists agree that the placebo effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which the brain chooses an outcome and then does what is required to make sure that the outcome is achieved. The placebo effect provides us with irrefutable evidence about the power of the mind. Several studies have also found that there is a chemical transformation in the brain when it thinks that something is real, even though it’s fake. Therefore, it is enough to believe you’ve got another 60% left in you to make it possible. Arousal Control: When we are in high-stress situations, large doses of cortisol and adrenaline are released, which activates the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. The average person is unable to control this process, but the Navy SEALs are capable of doing so because they have been trained to, and depending on the situation, their responses to stressful situations could mean the difference between life and death. They use several techniques to do this, including box breathing. When a SEAL starts feeling stressed or overwhelmed, they focus on their breath to regain control. They take a series of breaths for four seconds at a time—they breathe in, hold their breath, and then breathe out. This process is repeated until the heart rate returns to normal. A stressed-out mind is incapable of doing anything productive; therefore, you must remain calm to operate at your full potential. Box breathing is a technique you can use at any time no matter where you are when you start experiencing the physical symptoms associated with anxiety. Experts often advise people to manage stress, but I don’t think this is good advice when the Navy SEALs prove you can stop it altogether. The 10 X Rule: Grant Cordone is the pioneer of the 10X rule. He believes we should set goals ten times higher than the desired outcome because it will make us take ten times more action to achieve it. The aim of the 10X rule is to force us