Calmness As a Source of Power
Back when I was working at Twitter, I had a chance to meet Jack Dorsey during a company offsite in Miami.
It was a moment that stuck with me not because of the respect I had for him (IMO, he’s one of the best product people in Silicon Valley), but because of something far more subtle - he had an undeniable aura of calmness about him. It wasn’t just a relaxed demeanor; it felt like a foundational part of his presence, a source of his focus and power.
This moment resurfaced in my head as I was reading Kevin Kelly’s Excellent Advice for Living and came across his quote - “Calmness is contagious.” It’s not just contagious, it’s a competitive advantage.
I go back to this interview of Kobe Bryan talking about Steph Curry’s calmness -
Interviewer - “What do you think of when you watch Steph Curry?”
Kobe - “I see a calmness about him. I see a calmness about him, and I think it’s something that a lot of players don’t understand. I think so. I think for the fans, it’s very hard for the fans to really understand what I’m saying because most players don’t get it. But there’s a serious calmness about him. “
He goes on to say -
Kobe - “Which is extremely deadly, right? Because he’s not up, he’s not down, he’s not contemplating what just happened before or worrying about what’s to come next. He’s just there and when a player has the skills and has trained himself to have the skills to be able to shoot, dribble, left, right, etc., and then you mix that with this calmness and poise, then you have a serious, serious problem with your hand”
“You have a serious, serious problem with your hand.”
Calmness is Steph Curry’s advantage.
It also reminded me this insight into Ronaldo’s calmness in the Euros 2024 match of Portugal vs Slovenia. Ronaldo was wearing a WHOOP band that was monitoring his heart rate.
His heart rate peaked at more than 170 bpm at full-time. The match went into penalties. Penanlities are usually high stakes and most players tend to feel extreme pressure taking it. Not Ronaldo. When the moment came for Ronaldo to take the penalty kick, he registered his lowest heart rate in the match and ended up scoring from the kick. He had trained his body to respond to immense pressure with profound calm.
This calmness can be learnt. As the Hatha Yoga Pradipika says - “When the breath wanders the mind is unsteady, but when the breath is calmed, the mind too will be still.”
Sometimes are calmness is not sabotaged by a lack of prepartion, but by a wandering anxious mind. We forget to be present in the moment.
To cultivate this also requires a mental shift - Calmness is not a passive state but it’s an active skill that can be honed. And focusing on your breath and just being present will get you closer to a calm and relaxed mind.
Steph Curry will always be that reminder for me.