IN COUNTLESS STUDIES, PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED A SURPRISING FACT:   For decades they assumed that people who face adversity—a difficult childhood, career turbulence, sudden bouts of bad luck—will succumb to their circumstances. Yet over and over again they found a significant percentage are able to overcome their life circumstances and achieve spectacular success.   How is it that individuals who are not “supposed” to succeed manage to overcome the odds? Are there certain traits that such people have in common? Can the rest of us learn from their success and apply it to our own lives?   In Succeeding When You’re Supposed to Fail, Rom Brafman, psychologist and coauthor of the bestselling book Sway , set out to answer these questions. In a riveting narrative that interweaves compelling stories from education, the military, and business and a wide range of groundbreaking new research, Brafman identifies the six hidden drivers behind unlikely success. Among them:   •The critical importance of the Limelight Effect—our ability to redirect the focus of our lives to the result of our own efforts, as opposed to external forces •The value of a satellite in our lives—the remarkable way in which a consistent ally who accepts us unconditionally while still challenging us to be our best can make a huge difference •The power of temperament—people who are able to tunnel through life’s obstacles have a surprisingly mild disposition; they don’t allow the bumps in the road to unsettle them   By understanding and incorporating these strat-egies in our own lives, Brafman argues, we can all be better prepared to overcome the inevitable obstacles we face, from setbacks at work to chall-enges in our personal lives. ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SUCCEEDING WHEN YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO FAIL   “From the business world to the battlefield, this book will take you inside the moments that differentiate success from failure. One of the most engaging books I have read in the last decade.” — TOM RATH, AUTHOR OF STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0   “Some ‘high risk’ kids who are supposed to fail instead turn out to shine with success. The secret of this amazing resilience has been scientifically investigated by psychologists. Now Rom Brafman brings you the three secrets of resilience in the stories of these amazing people who ‘tunnel through adversity’ and into success. Now these secrets can be yours. This book will change lives.” —JOHN M. GOTTMAN, PH.D., COAUTHOR OF THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR MAKING MARRIAGE WORK     CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR SWAY   “A provocative new book about the psychological forces that lead us to disregard facts or logic and behave in surprisingly irrational ways.” —NEW YORK TIMES   “A unique and compulsively readable look at unseen behavioral trends.” —FORTUNE   “[An] engaging journey through the workings—and failings—of the mind . . . Their stories of senselessness . . . are as fascinating as the lessons we learn from them.” —FAST COMPANY   “A page-turner of an investigation into how our minds work . . . and trick us. Think you behave rationally? Read this book first.” —TIM FERRISS, AUTHOR OF THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE 4-HOUR WORKWEEK ROM BRAFMAN is the coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers Sway and Click and is a practicing psychologist in Palo Alto, California. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has taught university courses in personality and personal growth. His current research interests focus on the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. His books have been featured or quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, and the Financial Times, as well as on ABC News and NPR. To learn more visit www.RomBrafman.com. 1 Tunneling Located along the banks of the Piscataquis River, just ninety miles south of the Canadian border, the sleepy town of Howland, Maine, has managed to keep much of its rural charm intact over the years. The most exciting news around town nowadays in Howland is a tourist spotting an occasional moose or bald eagle. But back in 1894 the town was ground zero of an intriguing mystery, one that defies our deepest assumptions about the resilience of the human spirit.         During the summer of that year, on a warm July day, Percy Spencer was born. There was nothing unusual or extraordinary about Percy’s birth or about his family. His father, Jasper Spencer, worked in Howland’s sawmills. His mother, Myrtle, following the tradition of the times, stayed at home taking care of the household. Percy’s childhood was set to be quite normal, and so it was at first. But when he was just a toddler, tragedy struck at the sawmill. A rotating saw unexpectedly splintered, and the centripetal force sent shards flying in all directions. One of the pieces struck Percy’s father, who died almost instantly.     The news sent Percy’s mother into shock. The disaster proved too much for her to handle, and soon after the incident she fled the family home, never to return.