Here is a short presentation to a group on having a plan for your personal safety.
Be Alert, Be Aware, and Have a Plan
Panic is a sure way to become a victim. When people are caught by surprise, they can freeze and be unable to run or escape danger. They don’t have a plan. They haven’t given any thought to what direction an assault might come from, and where they can escape to. They haven’t thought at all about what might happen in case of a sudden emergency.
It’s like when you are on a computer and you get the “file not found” message. The information on this website, in my books and DVDs, and when I give live presentations provides files for your brain to go to so it doesn’t get the “file not found” message.
Formulating a plan can prevent you from panicking, and the odds are better that in an emergency, you’ll act quickly, and more efficiently without panic.
It doesn’t take a lot of planning either. Studies have been done with airplane crash survivors that show that listening to the safety briefing at the beginning of the flight and paying attention to where the exits were located increased people’s survivability. People actually passed other passengers, frozen with panic and not knowing what to do, in order to escape a plane before smoke and heat killed people.
Thinking about different scenarios and planning what to do in the event isn’t paranoia, pessimism, or expecting the worst. It’s simply planning, and you only have to do it once. Once you have that file for your brain to find, it can and will find it if ever needed.
Obviously, for certain situations, the more training you have, the better your chances of surviving extreme circumstances. But that doesn’t negate the fact that a simple plan can and will save lives.
When you are making plans for your safety and well being, remember the big four concepts that form a basis for many of my teachings.
- Avoid: Avoiding danger and violence is always the best plan.
- Escape: First priority is to escape to safety.
- Deny: If you can’t avoid or escape, deny the criminal access to you or your belongings.
- Attack Back: Have a plan to attack back and protect yourself.
The most important thing to remember from this lesson is that a little forethought, preparation and planning can go a long ways toward your personal safety. So Be Alert, Be Aware, and Have a Plan.