Backwards Law' to 'drownproof' Yourself & Succeed

Navy SEALs are one of the most elite warriors on Earth

Here's one thing they are taught early on, 'The Backwards Law' - how to get what you want by letting go

There's a part of Navy SEAL training called "drown-proofing" where they bind your hands behind your back, tie your feet together, & dump you into a 9-foot-deep pool

Your job is to survive for 5 minutes

Like most SEAL training, the vast majority of cadets who attempt drown-proofing fail

Upon being tossed into the water, many of them panic and scream to be lifted back out. 

Some struggle until they slip underwater where they proceed to lose consciousness & have to be fished out & resuscitated. 

But some people make it. And they do so because they understand 2 counterintuitive lessons

The 1st lesson of drown-proofing is paradoxical: the more you struggle to keep your head above water, the more likely you are to sink

With your arms & legs bound, it's impossible to maintain yourself at the surface for the full five minutes

Even worse, your limited attempts to keep your body afloat will only cause you to sink faster

The trick to drown-proofing is to actually let yourself sink to the bottom of the pool. From there, you lightly push yourself off the pool floor & let your momentum carry you back to the surface. Once there, you can grab a quick breath of air & start the whole process over again

Strangely, surviving drown-proofing requires no superhuman strength or endurance. It doesn't even require that you know how to swim

On the contrary, it requires the ability to not swim. Instead of resisting the physics that would normally kill you, you must surrender to them and use them to save your own life

The 2nd lesson of drown-proofing is a bit more obvious, but also paradoxical: the more you panic, the more oxygen you will burn and the more likely you are to fall unconscious & drown

In a sick and twisted way, the exercise turns your survival instinct against you: the more intense your desire to breathe, the less you will be able to breathe

The more intense your will to live, the greater the chance you will die

More than a test of physical will, drown-proofing is a test of each cadet's emotional self-control in situations of extreme danger

Can he control his own impulses? 

Can he relax in the face of potential death? 

Can he willingly risk his life in the service of some higher value or goal?

These skills are far more important than any cadet's ability to swim

They're more important than his resilience, his physical toughness, or his ambition. 

They're more important than how smart he is, what school he went to, or how damn good he looks in a crisp Italian suit

This skill—The ability to let go of control when one wants it most—is one of the most important skills anyone can develop. 

And not just for SEAL training, but also for life

Remember the 'Backwards Law' to 'drownproof' yourself & succeed & stay blessed forever.