Awareness - The Key to Personal SafetyWritten by Bryan Robinson
There are many products on market today that can be carried for personal protection. From stun guns to pepper spray to personal alarms, these items are made compact enough to carry on your keychain or in a purse. And if used properly, they can be a huge factor in prevention of crimes against people.However, there is one tool that we all possess that can be detrimental to one's safety, and that tool is Awareness. How many times have you found yourself running errands, in a hurry, and you virtually had 'tunnel-vision'? Unaware of everything going on around you except what you were doing at time. A friend of mine was out of town last year and his wife, who was eight months pregnant was out shopping. At 2:00 in afternoon in a newly developed shopping district, she was leaving a crafts store, with her arms full of shopping bags. While approaching her vehicle, a man drove up beside her to ask for directions to a mall nearby. As she started to reply, he reached out of his window and grabbed purse that was strapped over her shoulder. She was pulled down to ground and had to let go as he drove off with purse in his grasp. Fortunately she escaped serious injury and only personal items
| | Soothing Symbols as Home Decor? Written by Liz Hekimian-Williams
Did you know that our bodies can automatically react to certain environmental changes and stimuli, even to symbols you might use as decorative accents? I have a little experiment for you to try in a moment so you can experience power of this idea. Once you see reactions that can occur, you may find you will want to to use this idea towards creating more soothing and peaceful home and office surroundings.You can try this brief experiment to see how your body and mind reacts to some changes... Right now, pretend you are angry for a moment- feel tension in your forehead, wrinkles starting to form as you frown and all that... also, lean forward right now in your chair and clench your fists. Hold this and let yourself think an unpleasant thought. But now, let's change something- force your mouth muscles into a big smile and hold it there, smile! Now lean back in your chair. Hold this reclined position. Also, loosen up your hands again and keep a gentle smile... So, how are you feeling now? Most people report feeling they are unable to continue feeling angry and that they become relaxed. Yet all they changed were positions of their own body muscles! Did you realize that there are certain things our bodies become conditioned to with repeated exposure? For instance, when we recline in a chair, our brains interpret this posture as, "ah, I am relaxed." So, simple physical posture changes can trigger automatic changes in a person's thoughts and feelings. Here's an example of how things in your surroundings can trigger changes in your thoughts and feelings. Picture a place you have enjoyed visiting. It's like sights and sounds there speak to your soul! Can't you suddenly get lost in that place, feel lighter, more at ease? There are certain symbols that many of us have become conditioned to throughout years and that prompt changes in our thoughts and feelings as well. For instance, does saluting flag or singing national anthem ever get you feeling patriotic, teary eyed or choked up? If so, you are reacting to symbolism, to that imagery, to those sounds.
|
