Composed Under Pressure

Hey there, I'm really glad we have this time together today. Before we get started, let's just set you up properly so you get the most out of this session. Find a comfortable position — ideally sitting upright in a chair, since this session is designed to leave you alert, sharp, and ready to walk into that room. Rest your hands loosely on your thighs or in your lap, whichever feels natural. You can close your eyes right now if you like, or wait until I invite you to. Either way is perfectly fine. Now, a quick note: this session uses a technique called mental rehearsal under hypnosis. What that means is, once you're in a relaxed, focused state, I'll guide you through a vivid simulation of your board review — but from a place of complete calm and control. Your mind doesn't always distinguish between a vividly imagined experience and a real one, which is exactly what makes this so powerful. You'll be fully aware throughout, and you can open your eyes at any time. This is your time, your mind, and you are completely safe. Let's do this.

Hey there, I'm glad we have this time together today. As you're listening to my voice, I want to ask you something. You already know how to stay calm, don't you? Somewhere inside you, there's a version of you that handles pressure with ease. We're going to find that version today. So let's just begin. Close your eyes now. [4 second pause] That's it. And here's what I want you to notice — you don't have to do anything complicated. You just have to listen. [5 second pause] Now, press your palms together in front of you. Go ahead and do that now. [4 second pause] Press them together firmly. Feel the warmth building between them. [5 second pause] Notice how the pressure of your own hands creates a kind of anchor, a point of contact that grounds you right here, right now. [6 second pause] And as you hold that pressure, you might notice that the rest of your body is beginning to soften just a little. Your shoulders dropping. [5 second pause] Your jaw unclenching. [5 second pause] Your breath slowing down on its own. [7 second pause] Now, when I count to three, you're going to release your hands and let them fall gently back to your lap — and when they land, you'll feel a wave of calm move through you. One. [3 second pause] Two. [3 second pause] Three. Release. [8 second pause] That's right. Just like that. Feel that settling. [7 second pause] Your body knows how to do this. Your mind knows how to do this. You've been ready for this all along, haven't you? [6 second pause] Good. Let's go deeper.

I want you to imagine a place that is entirely yours. A quiet room — maybe an office, a study, a private lounge — wherever feels right. [6 second pause] The lighting in this space is warm and even. Not too bright. Just enough to see clearly. [7 second pause] There's a chair in this room, and it's the most comfortable chair you've ever sat in. The kind of chair where your back is perfectly supported, your arms rest naturally, and your whole body just... settles. [8 second pause] You're sitting in that chair right now. [6 second pause] In this room, there is no noise from outside. No urgency. No clock ticking loudly. Just a quiet, steady hum of focus. [8 second pause] And in front of you, there's a large, clear window. Not looking out onto the street, but looking into a space of pure clarity. [7 second pause] This is your preparation room. This is where you come to get ready. Not to worry, not to rehearse anxiously, but to settle into your own authority. [8 second pause] And in this room, you are the most capable version of yourself. The version who knows the numbers. Who knows the strategy. Who has thought through the decisions. [9 second pause] You belong in this room. And you belong in that boardroom too. [8 second pause]

And now I want to take you even deeper into this calm, focused state. I'm going to count down from five to one, and with each number, you'll find yourself more settled, more grounded, more completely at ease. [5 second pause] Five. [8 second pause] Sinking back into that chair even further. [9 second pause] Four. [8 second pause] Your mind quieting like a room after everyone has left. [10 second pause] Three. [8 second pause] That steady, confident feeling spreading through your chest. [10 second pause] Two. [8 second pause] Almost there. Deeper and more focused with every breath. [10 second pause] One. [10 second pause] Beautifully deep. Completely present. Completely ready. [12 second pause] And I want you to notice something right now. At this level of calm, nothing feels threatening. Questions are just questions. Pushback is just words. And you have answers. Clear, considered, honest answers. [10 second pause] This is the state you're going to carry into that room. Not tension. Not defensiveness. This. [12 second pause]

So let's talk about what happens in that boardroom. Because here's the thing — you've done the work. You know why the burn rate is what it is. You made decisions, real decisions, with real reasoning behind them. And that reasoning doesn't disappear just because someone across the table raises an eyebrow. [10 second pause] When a board member leans forward and challenges you on the numbers, you notice something interesting. Instead of a tightening in your chest, there's a kind of steadiness. A groundedness. Like your feet are rooted to the floor and nothing can push you off balance. [10 second pause] You take a breath — not because you're stalling, but because you know that a measured pause before a response is a sign of confidence, not weakness. [9 second pause] And then you speak. Clearly. Calmly. You present your reasoning without apology, without over-explaining, without getting defensive. You're not trying to win an argument. You're sharing your perspective with the authority of someone who owns their decisions. [10 second pause] Even if the pushback gets sharper, you stay soft on the inside and clear on the outside. Like a deep lake — there may be ripples on the surface, but the water below is completely still. [10 second pause] When someone challenges your judgment, you don't collapse inward or lash outward. You simply say, here's my thinking, and you mean it. [9 second pause] You find that the more someone pushes, the more grounded you become. As if their pressure is actually activating your clarity rather than clouding it. [10 second pause] And you listen. Really listen. Because a composed person doesn't just wait to defend themselves — they actually hear the concern, acknowledge it, and respond to what was actually said. That's what makes you credible in that room. [12 second pause] You are articulate. You are prepared. You are calm. And you are exactly where you're supposed to be. [12 second pause]

Now I want you to play this out in your mind. See yourself walking into that boardroom. [8 second pause] You take your seat. The room settles. The review begins. [8 second pause] The first question comes — direct, pointed, maybe a little challenging. And you feel that steadiness we talked about. Your breath is even. Your hands are still. [9 second pause] You nod slightly, acknowledging the question. You take that measured pause. And then you respond — clear, direct, grounded. Not defensive. Not over-eager. Just honest and composed. [10 second pause] Watch how the energy in the room shifts slightly when you respond that way. When you don't match their tension, the tension softens. [9 second pause] Now imagine the hardest question of the session. The one you've been most concerned about. Someone across the table says something that, a week ago, might have made your stomach drop. [8 second pause] And right now, in this moment, you notice something. You're okay. You're more than okay. You take a breath, you find the thread of your thinking, and you speak from that still, deep place inside you. [10 second pause] The words come easily. The logic is there. The confidence is genuine. [9 second pause] And as the session winds down, you feel something quiet but powerful — a sense of having shown up fully. Not perfectly, but fully. Honestly. With integrity and composure. [10 second pause] That feeling stays with you as you walk out of the room. And it will be there again when you need it, every time you need it. [12 second pause]

And now, gently, I'm going to bring you back to full waking awareness. Not because you have to leave that calm behind — you get to keep it. You carry it with you. It's yours. [7 second pause] I'm going to count from one to five, and with each number you'll come back a little more — refreshed, alert, clear-headed, and ready. [5 second pause] One. [5 second pause] Starting to come back now. Awareness returning to the room around you. [6 second pause] Two. [5 second pause] Fingers and toes beginning to wake up. A gentle energy returning to your body. [6 second pause] Three. [5 second pause] Halfway there. Mind sharp and clear. That calm still with you. [6 second pause] Four. [5 second pause] Almost fully back. Taking a slightly deeper breath now. [6 second pause] Five. [4 second pause] Eyes open, fully awake, completely present. [5 second pause] Take a moment. Notice how you feel. [6 second pause]

You just did something really valuable. You rehearsed composure. You rehearsed clarity. And your mind experienced it as real — because in many ways, it was. [7 second pause] The version of you that stayed grounded in that boardroom? That's not a fantasy. That's you, accessing what's already there. [7 second pause] Every time you listen to this session before a high-stakes conversation, that response gets stronger. More natural. More automatic. [8 second pause] You don't have to be perfect in that room. You just have to be present. And now you know how to do that. [7 second pause] Go in there and show them what you've got. You're ready. I'll talk to you soon. Take care of yourself.