This is a continuation of a discussion I started way back on 20 January 2015. You can read that original post here.

Not a day goes by that you fail to see a news article about a store getting robbed, someone getting shot, a rape, or a mugging. No one will disagree that there are bad people out there and they are just looking for an easy target. So, let’s look at what makes for an easy target.

We have all seen people walking down the street, even driving along, who have their heads buried in their phones, talking, texting, checking email, etc. These folks may as well have a great big bulls-eye painted on their backs. They are completely oblivious to their surroundings. This is a very common example  for us. But let’s look at another type of lack of awareness; ignoring our environment. Is it wise for us to be out for a stroll between the hours of 10:00pm and 6:00am? Probably not. During the summer it may be very pleasant to do so on a moonless night so that we can enjoy the warm evening and look at the abundance of stars, but that’s when bad guys like to come out and ply their dastardly trade. Let’s face it, bad guys, for the most part are cowards. They don’t want to come out during the day and be identified. They love the night; they don’t want to be seen.

Maintaining an Attitude of Awareness is not a natural state for Americans who typically don’t encounter threats. That’s for people who live in the ghettos or in the dark alleys of Europe, Asia, or the seedier areas of America’s major cities. What about the couple that was found murdered in their car on the west side of Colorado Springs a couple of weeks ago? Odds are that they were not maintaining an Attitude of Awareness.

It takes practice to maintain an Attitude of Awareness. You don’t just get up one morning and say, I’m going to be more aware today. You can say it, but that’s where the work starts. To maintain that awareness, you have to look at things, look at people, and, above all, look at the situation around you, get your head out of your phone. A sheriff’s deputy put it in a very simple statement, “Look for what’s normal.” That means when you walk into a store, is everyone doing normal things like walking up and down the aisles or closely perusing the products on the shelves; or are they standing still with a look of fear on their faces? Are they carrying on normal conversations or is everyone standing still and being very quiet? This is a sure sign that something is wrong and maybe you should just leave the same way you came in. It also may be prudent to call 911.

Life can be stressful. The more we can do to lessen the stress the better our lives can be. Developing and maintaining an Attitude of Awareness can be a very simple way of lessening the threats to our lives, thereby reducing or eliminating the stress of potential threats to our safety. As I have always said, the best fight to get into is the one that doesn’t happen. That is the kind of fight that everyone wins. The best way to make that happen is to maintain an Attitude of Awareness.

This is one of the many tips and safety strategies you will receive with training from Falcon Personal Security.