The image in this article helps us visualize the hussle and bussle that many of us experience everyday. When you see this photo what’s the first thing you notice? The beautiful architecture? The crowds of people? If your like most people, when you look at this image your captivated by all of the beauty and action. The truth is this is a very beautiful building and it’s always a very busy place; but the distraction of the beauty and the motion of the masses takes away from the awareness of the things that one should notice when concentrating on staying safe.
There are many things to consider when you walk into any room; many things to make yourself aware of. Starting with the general and narrowing down to the specific here is a checklist of things to be sure you make yourself aware of:
1.) The overall threat of danger in the Country, State, and City your in.
2.) The threat level associated with the building or venue your entering.
3.) The entrance in which you entered the building, the path of least obstruction to your destination, and all available exits along the way.
4.) The sounds inside of the building or venue within your hearing distance.
5.) The people in your immediate area as you make your way to your destination.
The truth is thinking this way takes personal training and many people aren’t willing to stop looking at their smartphone much less proactively consider these 5 critical components of planned safety. Are you one of these people? I challenge you next time your in a public place to take a break from your newsfeed, your email, and your text messages and put your phone away. Instead, think about your surroundings, be alert, be aware… It may just help you survive the danger you would have never seen coming…
