No. 21 of the MaxLife Reflection Series · prints to one 8.5 × 11 page · 3-hole-punch ready
MAXLIFE
Reflection Series
21
No. of 75

What Bullfighting Taught Me- How Presence Under Pressure Transforms Performance

Companion to the MaxLife episode with Raymond Ansotegui

Raymond Ansotegui learned in the bullring that you can't influence something powerful by shouting from a distance. You have to step in close, breathe, and stay calm.

▶ Watch the full episode with Raymond Ansotegui for deeper context on how to approach these questions
01

The Thing You Circle

What's the one conversation, conflict, or situation you keep handling from a safe distance instead of actually stepping into it?

02

What Distance Costs

Hanging back feels safer in the moment. But what has keeping your distance actually cost you here, and what's the story you tell yourself to justify staying back?

I keep my distance because I tell myself ___.
03

Breathe Before You Step

Ansotegui says you don't charge in first, you breathe first, so you stay calm enough to think. When you picture getting close to this thing, where does your body tense up, and what would one slow breath change in that moment?

04

Control Versus Influence

There's a difference between trying to control something from across the room and being close enough to actually shape it. In your situation, what would 'getting close enough to influence it' look like in plain terms?

05

One Step In, And Back Up

Ansotegui says you'll get knocked down, and the real skill is getting back up and stepping in again. What's one concrete step closer you'll take this week, and how will you get back up if it doesn't go well the first time?

Ansotegui's whole framework is breathe, get close, stay present, and get back up if you get knocked down. Look at what you wrote: the distance you've been keeping feels like safety, but it's the exact thing leaving you with no real influence.
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