About 7 weeks ago, I received a review copy of “Rules of Thumb” by Alan Webber as a gift from their agent. Instead of making a comprehensive book review, I thought I’d break down the 52 rules on life and business into various posts, using a bit of Alan’s writing and personal perspective as I read through it. That way it’s helpful to us all 
“When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Relax”
Alan recounts being an associate editor for the Harvard Business Review in the early 80s, and describes a live interview opportunity he’d received with then German Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt. Now this gent was apparently known to be a bit “better-than-thou” with people asking questions, so Alan had good reason to feel a bit nervous. Before Helmut walked in, he wrote a couple key reference phrases at the top of his pad, along the lines of
“Relax! Smile! This is a blessing, a treat, and an honor. It’s not a punishment to be endured.”
That’s the key. When we’re in situations where there’s great opportunity, we all can tense up, and perhaps think of all the things that can go wrong. If we dwell on them, a little whirlwind or slight breezes of negative thinking can hinder the best in us from coming out, reaching out, and giving our best – unconsciously, naturally. I liken such scenarios to black-or-white thinking: a dangerous pool to be wading in even if we’re looking on the extreme bright side of things, because overconfidence may hinder us from great interpersonal interaction, while also inflating expectations and potentially setting ourselves up for a big letdown, which may result in lame emotional reasoning. I think you get the point.
Alan further expands on this by mentioning W. Edward Deming’s 8th point in total quality management:
“Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.”,
but stresses that the starting place lies within US. In addition to the aforementioned reasons, having a relaxed composure and confident attitude ensures that we’ll have a good time – no matter what the outcome is. After all, things may not go favorably, predictably, or easily for a variety of reasons. Given that, isn’t it then worthwhile to ensure you at least made the best of it and smile?
“Don’t let fear undermine your chance to do that one thing you’ve wanted to do…Take a second and smile. Enjoy the trip.”