In today’s intense and busy world, calm is a rare state of being. We don’t often think about it; it’s not an attribute we frequently strive to cultivate. However, the “state of calm” is under-recognized as an indispensable superpower—and it deserves our attention. Cultivating a state of calm within can enhance your career, your personal life, and even help you choose reason over panic in a crisis.
Calm in a crisis
The presence of calm was most evident in the striking example of US Airways Flight 1549.
On Jan. 15, 2009, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger lost thrust in both engines. In the dead of winter, the former Air Force fighter pilot made a calculated choice to land the Airbus A320 (weighing more than 82,000 pounds) onto the icy waters of the Hudson River. Without hesitation, Captain Sullenberger trusted his decades of experience as a seasoned pilot, combined with a deep “inner-knowing.” Pilots describe this rare combination as “deliberate calm.”
Inner-knowing is similar to a gut instinct or strong intuition. However, inner-knowing comes from a higher place within—divine certainty.
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