In (#ad) Becoming Bulletproof, former Secret Service Special Agent Evy Poumpouras shares the insights and skills from one of the oldest elite security forces in the world to help you prepare for stressful situations, instantly read people, influence how you’re perceived, and live a more fearless life.
From gruelling training to clandestine interrogation rooms, to protecting the President of the United States of America, Evy shares rare behind-the-scenes glimpses while also exploring the psychology of human behaviour and the strategies used by the best negotiators. Evy demonstrates how we can learn from these experiences to heighten our own natural instincts to detect BS, develop grit and become the most resilient and powerful version of ourselves.
Becoming Bulletproof is a guide to empowerment, mental strength, and overcoming fear and abuse to help you become bulletproof.
Best 20 Quotes from Becoming Bulletproof
“I know fear keeps us alive, but I also know that fear keeps us from living.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“It’s the things we don’t do that tend to haunt us long-term—such as choosing not to take a new job, not to pursue a relationship, not to stand up for ourselves, or not to push beyond our comfort zones. We tend to remember the things in life we had the chance to do, but didn’t—an opportunity lost, a promise unfulfilled.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Fear is like fire, if you extinguish it while it’s small, it won’t become an inferno.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Rather than becoming more afraid, I became more resilient.” – ― Evy Poumpouras
“We tend to talk ourselves out of extraordinary opportunities.” – ― Evy Poumpouras
“The language you use to talk to yourself, or think about yourself, matters.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“It’s who you are in your darkest moments, that truly defines you. And it is in your darkest moments that you must be your best.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Because, without being told, they already knew that when it seems like the world is ending, being willing to help others is the antidote to fear. And that is the first step toward becoming bulletproof.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Over-the-top denials are intended to be so emphatic and dramatic as to eliminate any trace of doubt from your mind. But remember, the truth is simple. When someone tells the truth, they tend to tell it directly and matter-of-factly.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Knowing how to notice and navigate the self-editing process is the difference between trying or not, achieving or not. The first “No” you hear should never come from you.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“You have power in how you react to setbacks, and being able to move on is a skill worth cultivating.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Through all my training, and through my exposure to strong individuals, I, by proxy, became stronger, more confident and braver.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Competition is what motivates us, but it’s how we compete that drives us to become better—or unhinged.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“The media sensationalizes things that are unlikely to kill us, so we fear them more than things that are likely to kill us.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“I rushed through the patio of an abandoned Au Bon Pain restaurant and paused just long enough to take hold of one of the metal tables crowding the patio space. One thing you learn in explosives training with the Secret Service is that glass can kill you just as easily as bullets can.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Rigid people are the most dangerous people. Because they don’t know how to adapt, they become tethered to the one narrative they have created in their minds. They become unable to pivot so when life delivers a blow, it’s almost impossible for them to recover.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“The path I walked was difficult at times and I faced many adversities along the way. But over the course of my career, I learned that I couldn’t force others to respect me or see me as their equal. Once I came to accept that, I no longer allowed other people’s opinion of me to determine my self-worth, my demeanor, or my performance. I achieved what I wanted to in the way that I wanted to do it, and then I let the results speak for themselves.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“We allow our beliefs about what we are and are not capable of to determine what paths we pursue. We can be so terrified of taking risks that we don’t even make the attempt to go after something we want, and something that we may indeed be very good at if we could just give ourselves the chance to try.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“If I don’t respond, will there be negative repercussions? Are they trying to make their problem my problem? Am I being baited into an argument? Is this distracting me from more important tasks? Sometimes the unnecessary stress in our life is our own doing, because we intentionally engage with the people or situations creating it. Although we often don’t mean to, we find ourselves instinctually catching the ball out of habit or obligation or because of our history with that person (ex-spouse, childhood friend, overbearing parent). You may not be able to control what another person says or does, but you can always control your response, or lack thereof, to it. If you don’t like drama, then don’t invite it in.” ― Evy Poumpouras
“Being fearless is bullshit. It isn’t possible to live without fear, and it shouldn’t be necessary in order for you to live a healthy, successful life. Fear is natural, useful, and it keeps us alive.” ― Evy Poumpouras,
Who is Evy Poumpouras
Evy Poumpouras: A former officer in the New York Police Department turned United States Secret Service agent. Poumpouras served on protective details for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. She investigated both financial and violent crimes and worked in the Secret Service’s elite polygraph unit. She underwent training from the Department of Defense in lie detection, human behavior and cognitive influence. She also protected former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. She completed undergraduate studies at Hofstra University and holds graduate degrees from Argosy University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is currently a journalist who has worked for CNN, MSNBC, ABC and NBC.
