02/09/26
STORY
I had just become a trainer at Tesla when a senior leader asked to meet.
There was a huge conference on the East Coast.
Hundreds in the audience.
Possibly Tesla executives in the room.
The new VP wanted me to deliver a one-hour training on Powerwall 2.
I was only weeks into the role.
I was excited.
I was nervous.
I told my training leader, “I won’t let you down.”
I spent weeks preparing.
Then the day arrived.
The VP introduced me.
I walked on stage ready.
Two minutes in, something started buzzing near my head.
It was a drone.
Someone in the audience was flying a drone next to the stage.
In that moment, my brain raced.
Do I ignore it?
Call it out?
Stop the training?
I wasn’t prepared for this.
So I paused.
Looked at the person flying it.
Smiled and said, “I’m going to wait until you stop.”
Then I stood there in silence.
A few seconds later, the drone landed.
The audience applauded.
The rest of the session went incredibly well.
I received great feedback from audience members, the VP, and the training leaders.
What I also received was a lesson I’ll never forget:
You can prepare for everything, except the unexpected.
When something disrupts your plans…
Pause.
Don’t react.
Respond with calm and confidence.
Those are the moments when you cultivate the most important skill needed in our modern world:
Adaptability.
OBSERVATION
Research shows that people who “reappraise arousal”, pausing to reinterpret stressful, unexpected situations, perform better under pressure and are perceived as more confident and effective. In high-stakes moments, success isn’t about eliminating stress; it’s about regulating your response to it, which leads to better outcomes and better health.
(Jamieson JP, Nock MK, Mendes WB. Mind over matter: reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2012 Aug;141(3):417-22. doi: 10.1037/a0025719. Epub 2011 Sep 26. PMID: 21942377; PMCID: PMC3410434.)
STRATEGY
When something unexpected happens this week…
Practice a “Reappraisal Pause”.
Before reacting…
Take one slow breath and ask yourself:
“How could this stress help me right now?”
“How can I respond with calm and confidence?”
“What’s the best way to handle this challenge?”
This simple shift trains your brain to see pressure as energy you can use…
Helping you respond with clarity, confidence, and adaptability instead of reacting on autopilot.
Rooting for you,
Jay (inviting you to reappraise your stress)
Global keynote speaker
Host of the “Unstuck” podcast
Someone who has a mostly vegan diet, but hasn’t fully committed