YOU May Be the Most Qualified Person

Well, it's been a week since coming back from the Islands... and it feels like I'm still coming up for air.

Getting caught up and getting back on track often takes longer than we want. However, step by step, bit by bit, you keep going and it comes together. So, keep taking one step after the other until you (re)build your momentum! (...and that is exactly what I'm doing!)

You know how I have been saying that "If you don't have anything, you don't have anything to give?"
Well, that can be applied in may ways. Here's a very literal application of that concept that happened to me while I was snorkeling out in the Bahamas...

The Paddle-Board Incident...

One of the days while sailing in the Bahamas we anchored off a small Island and headed to the beach for some sun and fun. One of the passengers Ted, decided to try his hand at paddle boarding.

The conditions were perfect for it, the ocean was smooth, there was only a slight breeze. So, Ted grabs the surf like board along with the accompanying paddle, swims out a hundred yards or so from shore and attempts too master the fine art of paddleboarding.

Meanwhile, I was swimming back from snorkeling near a large rock out crop several hundred meters from where Ted was. As I slowly swam toward shore, enjoying the warm, aquamarine Caribbean water, I casually watched as Ted fell several times off the paddleboard. As he did this he kept drifting further and further from the shore.

Then after several failed attempts to get up on the board, Ted notices that he is quite a distance from shore. He can't get back up on the board, and no matter how hard he swims, he keeps drifting out, away from shore. So, he yells to the people on the beach for someone to come and pull him in.

Ted is about two hundred or so meters from shore. Being that there aren't  waves or wind, sound traveled quite easily, so the people could actually hear him yell.

I was triangulated about seventy five meters or so between him and shore, when I hear him call out to the shore party. Being that I was much closer and a decently strong swimmer and in shape enough to help, I yell out, "I'm closer, I'll pull him in." 

So I swim out to him, grab the rope of the paddleboard, tell Ted to hold on to the board and I'll pull him in.

It took us a few minutes to make it back to the beach.

Ted and his wife thanked me for helping out in a situation that although wasn't quite an emergency (yet), could have turned into a much more serious situation.

You Can't Give What You Don't Have...

I could have all of the good intentions in the world, but if I wasn't in the right place, been in good enough shape, and have skill enough to swim, I couldn't have helped.

Even worse I could have OVERESTIMATED my condition and skills, went to try to help and ended up in trouble as well, now causing others to have to save two people rather than just one, putting EVERYONE in more jeopardy!

If You Can, Do...

Learning to step up if you have the ability to is even more challenging now-a-days than ever before... Why?

I think because we have become very compartmentalized in our society. So much so that we been taught into believing that you have to be some sort of certified or degreed 'expert' to do even the most basic things in life. Even things like standing up for or protect yourself or someone else.

"Who gave you the authority!? Who gave you permission?!"

We have developed a society that has become very safe and predictable. This is good... However not without its challenges.

One of these challenges is when things are not safe or predictable. When things need to happen now, before worse thing transpire.

Another hurdle of our current time and society is that we want 'perfect' outcomes, or else we blame someone or something because it didn't turn out exactly right.

Accountability...

But, when it comes to chaos, violence & emergencies there aren't always 'perfect' outcomes...

Sometimes we have to choose bad over worse...

Not because we want to, but because that is the only choice at the moment.

As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and it's easy to be the armchair quarterback. As a society we are very hard on people who achieve that 'perfect' ending in situations.

Most of the time we do have the luxury and time when something happens to call forth 'The Experts', do a research study and put together a committee, to move forward in the best possible manner, all the while not offending anyone and of course spinning it in such a way as to have positive media coverage (social and conventional).

...so we began teaching people to not help unless they are that said expert, on that said committee and if you do, there are dire consequences to face in the eyes of your peers.

We are taught to not be 'rule breakers', so we don't... and when we do it's for the wrong reasons, or it goes too far.

We are even more addicted to acceptance than ever before. We live in our little bubbles of like minded 'communities' (on line & otherwise) and when we are challenged we rant, rave or unfriend altogether to find another community where our ideals are mirrored.

Our skin has grown thin in the face of adversity...

We've lost our balance...

Rather than going on and fully embracing my own rant, I want to cut it short to circle back to what I wanted my point to be...

YOU May Be the Most Qualified Person...

When it comes to emergencies or time that need attention NOW. YOU may be the most qualified person there!

Just like Ted's paddleboard story I just told you. Although I wasn't a 'certified lifeguard', I was the most qualified person there able to help. So, instead of waiting for someone 'more qualified', I stepped up, took charge and did the best I could.

This is a similar discussion we had during our Active Assailant Response Training... Whether or not to choose to do something regarding an emergency.

With even minimal training, YOU may be the most qualified person there to help out if needed! 

That discussion is available to you on our NEW Active Assailant Response Training Module. Available now on PeaceWalker.net.

Click here to gain free 7 day trial access to our NEW Active Assailant Preparedness Module!

Are You Prepared to Step Up!?!

Sometimes we are in a situation that we don't want to be in. A situation where we are asked to help out, even though we don't feel qualified or ready. A situation where there is no one else around more qualified. A situation where seconds count. A situation where your presence can make a difference.

Remember, no matter where you go everyone is a little bit safer because you are there.

You got this,

~Craig