Ownership

We all love a great Superhero story.

An epic struggle, the heros and heroines emulating the forces of good and evil as they clash against each other in fantastic battles over their ideals. And look at how their body language projects incredible boldness when they dialogue and debate with their antagonists! Right or wrong, they don't shrink back and cower when countering their opponents agenda; they face-off, they square themselves and poise for the ensuing battle!

We accept their exceptional abilities and their incredible presentations of super-personality because they are after all....Super. And Heros. And an absolute fantasy. And while the millions of public moviegoers and private in-home movie watchers will invest a phenomenal amount of money to be entertained by the spectacle, the majority will still come away from the mere entertainment without any inspiration to fight for a cause with the same boldness and conviction; because, they are, after all...human. No feelings of being super or experiencing "superiority" in the same way they see demonstrated in the sparks and explosions of the graphic portrayals of those super-characters.

The simple truth is that we all have powers that can inspire and create epic stories in the same ways. We are all HUMAN, and with our humanity we have innate GUARDIAN gifts and strengths to offer each other in our daily or momentary battles. In select events from history when the painful odds were against them, heroes like Winston Churchill, Joan of Arc and Nelson Mandela pushed into their resistance and won an honored and triumphant place in our collective memory. They took ownership of the opportunity that was theirs in the moment and created inspiring stories with their lives from which we can all learn.

In our daily routines, how we accept what part of a situation belongs to us in our social settings, our perspectives on what is healthy and safe and how well we are equipped to protect each other will be the deciding factors on how our story of triumph can be written for future reminiscence. As we take proactive steps to intentionally strengthen our lifesaving and protective skills, we set the stage for those moments of, "Superhero Battles of Good vs. Evil", and set ourselves in place to WIN!

You have the opportunity to take part in the greatest show on earth called, "The Story of What Happened in Human History". When the time comes, will you be prepared to save a life during a natural or man-made disaster, an unexpected survival event or a mass assault on a peaceful social setting? You can stride as boldly into a moment of need as the "Most-Super-of-Heroes" that was ever brought from fantasy to the silver screen. We have many examples of military sacrifice that show how it is possible to demonstrate "Superhero" type courage.

Intentionally use as much motivation and enthusiasm to strengthen those of your weak areas that benefit others in a moment of crisis and need, as you would to go enjoy an epic movie adventure. You will not only be Super-thrilled that you did, but you can also can make a difference in another life, today!

Ryan Rico on "The Guardian Soapbox"

The Importance of Directing Your Mind

A recent discussion about whether or not "Crisis Rehearsal" is effective, led to an extended conversation with some family mentoring experts. The question of if the military trains using "visualization" came into play and the simple answer is, "Yes".

The more challenging discussion is, "How". 

Not only is it necessary to mentally rehearse the potential skill for survival but even more so the necessity for actually "walking it out". The importance of this strategy isn't only used in military and law enforcement but also in simple aspects of civilian life. For instance, how common is it for a full, traditional wedding ceremony to take place without first a "wedding rehearsal" being held?

Though it's a simple example, the principle applies to all other key human interactions and especially defensive and survival techniques. 

When stress is high, the frontal lobes of our brain start becoming overwhelmed with stress hormones and only the tendency of how we have trained, or habitually acted, under pressure remains. This can be observed in simple "conflict resolution" styles of communication. Some reactions to common, everyday conflict, by disciplined habit, are healthy. Others, engendered by a low level of self-discipline, are not socially healthy.

You are your own movie director when you "act out" and "walk through" mentally rehearsing the scenario for which you are preparing and imagine what it would be like to be in the full-senses experience of that environment. The greater the realism, the greater the results. Civilians, parents and family members aren't any different than military and law enforcement in their abilities to function under stress; they are all HUMAN.

The successful results come from proper preparation.

The following are several points that were made on why civilians will benefit from the same type of training:


Why does this training work for military personnel?Could it be equally as effective for parents?Could this training be altered for parents to improve the effectiveness? If so, how?

•  Training works for the military because it works for humans. It is a priority for the military because the need to survive and accomplish the task is critical to the success of the larger picture and operational environment. The training that law enforcement uses frequently imitates the military or is drawn from military experience. "Walking Through" or "Dirt Diving" is effective because you are causing your mind to visualize and even physically process the step of success. The familiarity with the individual steps to completion create a "pathway" through your mind that is familiar. And aren't familiar paths easier to walk on and navigate through?

• Yes, any human skill can be just as effective for one group as another. The likelihood of ever using certain skills might SEEM  to be minimal....until one day the unthinkable happens and parents either are thankful they prepared ahead of time, or are filled with regret that they had no idea how to respond to a contingency situation.

• Yes, training should be altered for parents/civilians. The ability to learn high-stress material becomes easier as a human becomes more familiar with functioning in a stressful environment. Therefore, what would be introduced as a common "military-style" training should be reduced to the most simple and easily accomplished "points of performance" to begin learning new skills. This accomplishes two things; Allowing the students to build positive momentum concerning their new skills, and feeling the confidence that they are capable of learning more. This creates a greater ability to learn even faster which ultimately makes the person more capable and safe.

Begin training mentally for the survival and defense skills in which you know you need to become more proficient and see how you can benefit others' lives today!




Ryan Rico on The Guardian Soapbox

P3 ACADEMY