How 'Future Pacing' Can Save Your Life




Recently I taught an Active Assailant Preparedness & Response Workshop at our Krav Maga Academy out in Grand Rapids, MI.

It's not my favorite subject because of the nature of the situation, however due to my long standing relationship w/Israeli instructors and perspective, I started hosting and teaching terrorist/active assailant prep & response seminars quite a while before they were widely taught... or embraced by the public... Way before Homeland Security and other government agency (federal, local or otherwise) began developing programs, let alone private outfits.

Anyway... This last seminar I had a guest who attended. A rather humble guy that you'll recognize his name if you took a look at the Protector Summit speaker roster.

Joe, is a 26 year Navy SEAL Veteran, who currently is the Senior Security Consultant at SEC: Security Education Consultants an organization that specializes in training organizations on security issues.

Our workshop style is very dynamic. We have unique exercises that maximize group learning. Not to mention, my seminars it's not uncommon to have some folks with experience and it would be a shame for everyone not to leverage the body of knowledge that's available.  

Joe contributed very important things at the workshop and he was very gracious at sharing his experiences as a soldier as well as an instructor and coach.


More Than 'Positive Thinking'


One of the common themes that we continued to build on was Mindset...

Although the situation we were learning to deal with (an active shooter) was very deadly, the odds were severely stacked against us due to many factors...

HOWEVER, if we were to have a chance at surviving this, we had to have the proper mindset.

If we focus too much on the problem, the fear and what we couldn't do, our chances of survival diminished...

HOWEVER, if we focused on Solutions, What We COULD Do and What the Next Step was, we would have a greater chance at succeeding, which in this case was saving our own Life and the Lives of those around us who we may be trying to protect.

Joe opened up to share with the group...

"When you're in a situation like that, in your head you have to see yourself winning... When thinking about it in the moment... You NEVER Lose when you play it out in your head... NEVER. No matter how bad, you have to think like the survivor."

I'm paraphrasing a bit, but that is the gist of it. (Joe, if you're reading this, feel free to chime in... Hopefully I didn't slaughter what you said too much...)

This type of thinking is a bit more than just Positive Thinking. It goes by many names:


- Positive Visualization
- Mental Rehearsal
- A Winning Attitude
(or the Neuro-Linguistic Programming term made famous by self help guru Anthony Robbins...)
- Future Pacing

Whatever you want to call it, it is essential for your Combat Mindset (or any other Mindset for that matter)!

It's natural to think about what can go wrong and what you're up against... Especially in dire situations where people could be hurt or killed, it can seem like focusing on a successful outcome seems unrealistic, naive or even arrogant. But, combining good training with the mindset that focuses on a winning outcome actually betters your odds at being successful in pretty much anything put in front of you.


Winning Quote...


You may have heard the quote...

"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it."

That's all well and good, but a more powerful way of thinking is...

"I wouldn't have SEEN it if I didn't BELIEVE it!"

And in matters such as these... That thought along with direct action may give you the courage to make it happen, changing the odds for yourself and others!


More on Mindset...

If want to hear more about what Joe and other Protectors have to say about how to develop a Protector's Mindset, don't miss the PROTECTOR SUMMIT!!

Click below for details on getting Unlimited Access to Joe's and over a dozen other interviews  anytime you want!

www.theprotectorsummit.com



Keep Going,
~Craig

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