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fuck you
to the instructors, and we had their full attention as
we soared on a second wind. On the toughest day of the hardest week in the
world’s toughest training, Boat Crew Two was moving at lightning speed
and making a mockery of Hell Week. The look on the instructors’ faces told
a story. Their mouths hung open like they were witnessing something
nobody had ever seen before. Some averted their eyes, almost embarrassed.
Only SBG looked satisfied.
* * *
Since that night in Hell Week, I’ve deployed the Taking Souls concept
countless times. Taking Souls is a ticket to finding your own reserve power
and riding a second wind. It’s the tool you can call upon to win any
competition or overcome every life obstacle. You can utilize it to win a
chess match, or conquer an adversary in a game of office politics. It can
help you rock a job interview or excel at school. And yes, it can be used to
conquer all manner of physical challenges, but remember, this is a game
you are playing within yourself. Unless you’re engaged in physical
competition, I’m not suggesting that you try to dominate someone or crush
their spirit. In fact, they never even need to know you’re playing this game.
This is a tactic for you to be your best when duty calls. It’s a mind game
you’re playing on yourself.
Taking someone’s soul means you’ve gained a tactical advantage. Life is all
about looking for tactical advantages, which is why we stole the Hell Week
schedule, why we nipped Psycho’s heels on that run, and why I made a
show of myself in the surf, humming the
Platoon
theme song. Each of those
incidents was an act of defiance that empowered us.
But defiance isn’t always the best way to take someone’s soul. It all
depends upon your terrain. During BUD/S, the instructors didn’t mind if
you looked for advantages like that. They respected it as long as you were
also kicking ass. You must do your own homework. Know the terrain
you’re operating in, when and where you can push boundaries, and when
you should fall in line.
Next, take inventory of your mind and body on the eve of battle. List out
your insecurities and weakness, as well as your opponent’s. For instance, if
you’re getting bullied, and you know where you fall short or feel insecure,
you can stay ahead of any insults or barbs a bully may throw your way. You
can laugh at yourself along with them, which disempowers them. If you
take what they do or say less personally, they no longer hold any cards.
Feelings are just feelings. On the other hand, people who are secure with
themselves don’t bully other people. They look out for other people, so if
you’re getting bullied you know that you’re dealing with someone who has
problem areas you can exploit or soothe. Sometimes the best way to defeat
a bully is to actually help them. If you can think two or three moves ahead,
you will commandeer their thought process, and if you do that, you’ve
taken their damn soul without them even realizing it.
Our SEAL instructors were our bullies, and they didn’t realize the games I
was playing during that week to keep Boat Crew Two sharp. And they
didn’t have to. I imagined that they were obsessed with our exploits during
Hell Week, but I don’t know that for sure. It was a ploy I used to maintain
my mental edge and help our crew prevail.
In the same way, if you are up against a competitor for a promotion, and
you know where you fall short, you can shape up your game ahead of your
interview or evaluation. In that scenario, laughing at your weaknesses won’t
solve the problem. You must master them. In the meantime, if you are
aware of your competitor’s vulnerabilities you can spin those to your
advantage, but all of that takes research. Again, know the terrain, know
yourself, and you’d better know your adversary in detail.
Once you’re in the heat of battle, it comes down to staying power. If it’s a
difficult physical challenge you will probably have to defeat your own
demons before you can take your opponent’s soul. That means rehearsing
answers to the simple question that is sure to rise up like a thought bubble:
“Why am I here?” If you know that moment is coming and have your
answer ready, you will be equipped to make the split second-decision to
ignore your weakened mind and keep moving. Know why you’re in the
fight to stay in the fight!
And never forget that all emotional and physical anguish is finite! It all ends
eventually. Smile at pain and watch it fade for at least a second or two. If
you can do that, you can string those seconds together and last longer than
your opponent thinks you can, and that may be enough to catch a second
wind. There is no scientific consensus on second wind. Some scientists
think it’s the result of endorphins flooding your nervous system, others
think it’s a burst of oxygen that can help break down lactic acid, as well as
the glycogen and triglycerides muscles need to perform. Some say its
purely psychological. All I know is that by going hard when we felt
defeated we were able to ride a second wind through the worst night in Hell
Week. And once you have that second wind behind you it’s easy to break
your opponent down and snatch a soul. The hard part is getting to that
point, because the ticket to victory often comes down to bringing your very
best when you feel your worst.
* * *
After rocking boat presses, the whole class was gifted an hour of sleep in a
big green army tent they’d set up on the beach and outfitted with military
cots. Those motherfuckers had no mattresses, but may as well have been a
cotton topped cloud of luxury because once we were horizontal we all went
limp.
Oh, but Psycho wasn’t done with me. He let me sleep for a solitary minute,
then woke me up and led me back onto the beach for some one-on-one
time. He saw an opportunity to get in my head, at last, and I was disoriented
as I staggered toward the water all alone, but the cold woke me the fuck up.
I decided to savor my extra hour of private surf torture. When the water was
chest high I began humming
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