Safety Handouts

Safety Handouts:Exploring the Benefits of Breckenridge Shuttle Service

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:53:30 +0000

If you’re traveling to Breckenridge, Colorado this winter, chances are you’ll require a transfer from the Denver International Airport to Breckenridge. A myriad of transportation options exist including rental vehicles, limousines, private car services and shared ride shuttles. When deciding amongst these options, travelers should keep in mind their budget, whether they mind sharing a ride with others, their comfort level with driving in winter conditions and the level of service they desire.
Often times, visitors assume that renting a vehicle is the simplest mode of transportation from Denver to Breckenridge. Although a vehicle can be useful for running to the grocery store and checking out other nearby ski resorts, it is important to consider whether or not one has the necessary winter driving skills to tackle Breckenridge’s high alpine driving conditions. As visitors travel from Denver to Breckenridge, I-70 takes them up and over the Continental Divide to elevations as high as 11,000 ft above sea level. At this altitude, roads are normally snow covered and icy from late fall through the spring. Roads in the town of Breckenridge can be equally hazardous as well.
Guests who choose to rent a car typically realize that they have little use for it following their arrival. The town of Breckenridge was designed to be a pedestrian destination, with the majority of its restaurants, watering holes, shops and lodging options located within an eight block area. Many travelers quickly realize that it takes less work to reach a destination by walking rather than by driving attempting to search out a parking place. Guest who would prefer not to walk will find that Breckenridge’s FreeRide shuttle service offers complimentary transportation throughout the town. Those seeking to venture outside the city will appreciate Summit County’s free transportation system, known as the Summit Stage.
Private car and limousine services offer a more private and luxurious option for transportation from Denver to Breckenridge but can be prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of travelers. One-way service can run as high as $800 or more during peak holiday periods, costing hundreds of dollars more than shared ride shuttles. These transportation options are best suited to those who prefer the exclusivity of having their own vehicle and driver at their disposal.
Shared ride Denver to Breckenridge shuttles offer the greatest combination of convenience, safety and economy for most visitors transportation needs. This door-to-door service picks guests up from the Denver International Airport and delivers them to the doorstep of their accommodations in Breckenridge. Shuttles depart every hour throughout the day, ensuring guests aren’t left waiting for transportation.
Transfers are provided in immaculately maintained ten passenger shuttle vans that are equipped with ski and snowboard racks to ensure space for travelers’ luggage. Local shuttle drivers offer years of experience living and driving in the Colorado Rockies.
Breckenridge shuttles offer hourly departures from Denver throughout the day, allowing guests to sit back and relax while taking in the breathtaking Colorado scenery. Without the worries of having to navigate icy roads, search for parking or pay excessive rates, you can simplify your Breckenridge vacation and save money while doing so.
Ben Kelly is a local expert on vacationing in Breckenridge, Colorado including Denver to Breckenridge shuttle service as well as Breckenridge lodging, vacation packages, travel services and activities.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Computer Safety Handouts: Six Tips You Should Know Before Downloading Any Files From The Internet

admin — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:49:25 +0000

The Internet contains vast amount of information and information such as ebooks and software can easily be obtained by downloading it into your computer. This will save time and effort and everything can also be automated. You can download the files even though you’re on a different time zone.
However, even though downloading files from the Internet have many advantages, there are some disadvantages because the files that you’ve downloaded maybe are malicious threats. Before downloading any files to your computer, I have six tips you should know so you can be more secure when downloading files from the Internet.
1. File Size
First of all, look at the file size of the files that you want to download. For example, you want to download freeware software from a web site and you know that the software file size should be around 12 or 13 MB. But on that web site, it says 234 kB. You need to be very careful with this as it might be a virus or trojan because the size is just not right.
Many people have been tricked to download this type of file and the files turn out to be malicious software.
2. Firewall
Use a firewall before downloading any files. If the files you’ve downloaded are trying to send privacy information to the hackers, it will not be able to do so because the firewall will block its outgoing traffic.
3. File Extension
File extensions is very important when downloading files from the Internet. File extension with .exe and have a small file size might be malicious software. It would be better you have an antivirus that will terminate the connection every time you tried to download any malicious software.
I have this one time when I was trying to download a files with .exe extension from the Internet without knowing it’s a trojan. My antivirus (I used Avast! at that time) terminate the connection immediately because it recognizes the file as a trojan. So, when you want to download any files, watch the extension. Files with double extension such as FILENAME.img.exe are mostly malicious software because it tries to trick you to think that it’s not malicious software.
4. Antivirus
As I told you from my story, I was saved from downloading malicious software by my antivirus and therefore, I strongly advise you to find an antivirus right now. If you don’t have any antivirus or anti-spyware programs on your computer, your computer might be infected.
5. Feedback
Websites such as download.com provide comment section or feedback for the download. Always read the download feedbacks before downloading because it will help you to know if the files are malicious software.
6. Internet Explorer Add-On
Use Internet Explorer Add-On that will tell you if the website you’re visiting contains threats that can affect your computer. Use add-on such as McAffe Site Advisor that you can download for free because this add-on will advise you which websites are safe to visit.
As I mentioned in the first tip, you need to know the file size before downloading. If you don’t know the file size, google it and visit the website which the site advisor add-on consider as safe.
There is no complete solution to computer security. The only way you can be sure your computer will be safe from any threats is by turning it off and sealed it in a sealed box. But what we can do is arm ourselves with essential security knowledge as it will help us in many ways.
Azwan Asmat is the author of Chuang Computer Tips – http://chuangcomputer.blogspot.com – Want to know the secret of securing your PC from dangerous spyware, adware, and malware programs that can ruin your PC, your finances, and your sanity?! Visit his blog, http://chuangcomputer.blogspot.com for more info.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Tips on Buying Cheap Motorcycle Helmets That Rock

admin — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:47:51 +0000

There is no doubt that when it comes to safety gear you get what you pay for. If you are under the false impression that cheap safety gear is every bit as good as expensive safety gear then you couldn’t be more wrong and it’s unfortunate that too many new riders find out how wrong they are after it’s too late. They figure out how badly they need safety gear after they NEEDED the safety gear. I can tell you from experience, that the pain of buying the right equipment, is far less than the pain that a good dose of road rash will leave you with.
I don’t think anyone would argue that when it comes to motorcycles the number one piece of safety equipment is your motorcycle helmet. The right motorcycle helmet can make all the difference in the world in the event of a crash. In fact, it can be the difference between walking away and being carried away and that is a SIGNIFICANT difference, I think we would all agree.
There are a number of things you should consider when selecting the right helmet for you but the key really is FOR YOU. It doesn’t matter what your buddy buys or what the guy down the street with the Hayabuse is sporting, what matters is what works for you. You need to find a motorcycle helmet that you will be happy with and that fits your head, otherwise you will be tempted to NOT wear it. That’s a mistake.
Some of the factors that you would want to consider would be:
* Helmet Fit – Does it feel good on your head
* Liner – Is the liner removable and washable? Trust me…it will get funky.
* Visor Function – Is the visor easy to operate? How about with gloves on?
* Helmet Weight – typically the lighter the helmet the less fatigue it will transfer to you.
* Safety – Does it meet SNELL or DOT standards or both?
* Road Noise – Is it too loud? A loud helmet can give you a headache over time.
* Price – Sure price is a factor. Shop where you can save money. Ebay has some great deals.
* Design – How does it look? Proud to wear it on bike night? A helmet you like, is a helmet you will wear.
These are only a few of the things you need to consider when buying motorcycle helmets so make sure you give some consideration to all of them. Remember two things when it comes to safety gear, you get what you pay for and if you like it, then you will wear it. So make sure you invest the right amount of money and buy a motorcycle helmet that you will love wearing and enjoy being seen in.
This may seem shallow but the cold hard facts are if you like the helmet, then you will wear the helmet.
Save money on your motorcycle helmets and check out these Cheap Motorcycle Helmets and make sure you check out the in depth Helmet Reviews so you can make an informed decision on your next motorcycle helmet purchase.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:NFL Tips From Players – Water, Safety and More

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:46:26 +0000

Dehydration is an enemy to football success
Sufficient water intake on and off the field for athletes should be a concern for both the coaches and the players. Make sure that during the football practice players have their water bottles handy and are drinking often. Water should never be used as a motivational or reward type basis. Keeping everyone happy and hydrated will go a long way to a successful practice.
Points on tackling safely and effectively
It has been stated many times that a defensive teams win games, and the most fundamental part of a defensive team is performing a great tackle. If executed poorly not only will you not succeed in stopping the offensive team, but you could possibly injure yourself in the process. Some points to remember when tackling:
First is to cut off your opponent by placing yourself directly in front of them. An excellent technique is to plant your foot in the middle of your opponents. At the same time you want to bring your arms back in anticipation for the next phase.
Second you want to bring your other foot into the mix, and at the same time throw your arms up and around your opponent. Now is the time that injuries can happen. To protect yourself never, ever try to tackle with the crown of your head, but instead keep your head back, and your head square. You need to literally imagine that the football is a big hamburger and you want to bite it and not slam your forehead against it.
The third and last step is to bring your hips up and drive the opponent backwards and towards the ground. Setting yourself up for this last step will ultimately prove the success in the tackle.
Traditional Driving Block
Simple drives are important for linemen to practice and perfect. The drive block is the most fundamental and should be practiced often. When you want to remove an opponent effectively you will use the drive block again and again. If the Defensive lineman is aligned slightly to the right of the offensive linemen then the drive block with pus the defender to the right. When executing this block start with your play side foot, meaning if the play is on the right side of you it will be your right foot. Bring the other foot up quickly and make a solid contact for your drive.
Around the world: Improved Ball Handling
Without a solid foundation of ball handling players will be easy prey to a solid defensive team. This drill is meant to help players control and develop their ball handling skills. Players will move the football from one hand to another hand around differing parts of their body. The drill starts with the head moving the ball in a circular motion from hand to hand, then proceeds to go under the arms, around the waist, then the knees, and finally through and in between the players legs.
In this drill the coaches responsibility is to observe the smoothness of the drill, and to also shout commands of body positions to move the ball around, and also to reverse the direction of the football. Changing the direction of the football ensures that they don’t form a habit, and that they remained focused on the ball and controlling the movement.
We recommend that you end this drill by doing several football drops. For example, the player drops the ball and retrieves it quickly. It will also help to change the hand that the player’s uses to pick up the ball to ensure both hands are learning this technique.
ChargersProShop.com is the official online store for the San Diego Chargers and their Chargers Jerseys. Its products include jerseys, authentic game worn merchandise, Chargers Shirt, Hats, and More! Shop Now!

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Boating Safety Handouts: 5 Tips To A Safe Boating Experience

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:45:16 +0000

Boating is a great relaxing pastime. It’s a great way to get away from stress and the annoying parts of life. However, you have to be safe when you are boating. Unfortunately, most boating accidents could have been prevented. There is just too much careless activity that happens on boats that cause people to get hurt or even killed.
Before getting on a boat, everyone should take a safety class. This will teach boaters everything they need to know when it comes to boat safety such as what to do in case of an emergency. You will know how to kill a fire in the engine or how to help someone who could be drowning.
Here are several boating safety precautions that everyone needs to consider:
1. Boating is like driving on the road in that you should always keep a safe distance from people in the water. It’s important to know how to pass boats properly and what to do when you are in the vicinity of other boats. Boats don’t have turn signals like cars, so you have to learn other techniques to let boats know you are going to pass them.
2. If you’re the captain of the boat, never drink alcohol. This is just as dangerous as drinking and driving an automobile. Your senses are not up to par and you are not making informed decisions. You will find out that many boating accidents occur while people are under the influence. That is why it’s important to not drink while on a boat. There are some captains that don’t allow drinking to happen on their boat regardless of the situation.
3. Before getting the boat onto the water, let everyone on your boat know where the life preservers are. This is needed to be known in case of an emergency. There should be enough life preservers for the amount of people that are on the boat. Children should never be on a boat without wearing life vest at all times. The leading cause of death out on the water is drowning. This is the best way to prevent this.
4. The best rule to remember is to have common sense. By doing everything that you are supposed to be doing, there shouldn’t be any problems. A boat is a very small area, so horse playing or silly games can lead to trouble. Do everything in your power to maintain a safe environment.
5. Safety begins before getting on the boat. You should learn how to safely put a boat on water and take it out. There is some heavy lifting involved and machines needed for bigger boats, so you need to be careful around heavy equipment. Safety starts at the very beginning and you can never be careless.
All boaters should take a safety course, but it should be required by anyone who owns a boat. You want to know how to keep yourself, your loved ones and the people around you safe.
Abhishek is an avid Boating enthusiast and he has got some great Boating Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 83 Pages Ebook, “How To Have A Perfect Boating Experience” from his website http://www.Boating-Guru.com/90/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Women’s Personal Safety Secrets – Confident Body Language, The #2 Personal Safety Secret

admin — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:40:04 +0000

“Speaking this language can save your life.”
As women, we are extra tuned in to what people are saying even when they are not speaking words. This second Women’s Personal Safety Secret should, therefore, make a lot of sense. Making the tips into habit will take a little more work but will be well worth it!
We know, from Personal Safety Secret #1, that the attacker mindset includes low self-esteem, feeling insecure and out of control. This means attackers are already in a weakened state. In order to get the “power fix” they desire, they must succeed at the attack. This inspires them look for someone who appears weaker than themselves.
Looking weak and being weak are two different things. You can be very confident but look weak simply by being distracted with a cell phone conversation. You can also have a terrible day but portray yourself as strong and confident just by adjusting your body language. Consider that whatever you are feeling on the inside is showing on the outside and attackers are quite good at reading body language.
Confident body language is very important to teach children. Pedophiles use it to select victims. We all need to know how to hold our heads up extra high when we are not feeling our strongest to counteract the normal slump that accompanies a challenging day.
Since attackers are insecure cowards looking to attack people weaker than they are, all of us need to look big, strong and confident. Here’s how:
Six Tips for Confident Body Language
1. Hold your head up – this makes you physically taller so that you look bigger, stronger and more confident.
2. Keep your shoulders back – it is physically impossible to look weak when your shoulders are back.
3. Look side to side as you walk – this makes you look aware of your surroundings.
4. Swing your arms – this makes you bigger because you literally take up more space in front of and behind you.
5. Walk with purpose – this makes you look strong and confident..
6. Be ready to yell, drop what you are carrying and run – material possessions are not worth risking your life for.
Now, you will be more conscious of other people’s body language and that of your own. If you are a woman with kids or teens, you will notice how much more confidently they come across after they develop confident body language into a habit. You will feel more confident about their safety and will have fun sharing these tips with other men and women!
Bonus Safety Tip: Simply holding your head up as you walk will set you apart from most people as being confident. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the “Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes” when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Women’s Personal Safety Secrets – Your Voice is Your #1 Weapon – Your #3 Personal Safety Secret

admin — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:38:36 +0000

Women, children and the elderly are the most common victim prospects for attackers but everyone of every age is vulnerable. That is the bad news but there is plenty of good news too!
Something as simple as using your voice correctly and knowing the correct things to yell make your voice your #1 weapon.
It’s as simple as that.
If you are like me, you learned what to scream if you were in danger, right? This was good in theory but far too ineffective for reality.
Here’s the deal:
1. Screaming is weak and defensive
2. Yelling is strong and offensive
3. Most of the things we were taught to scream don’t work
4. I’ll tell you what does work
Screaming vs. Yelling
When screaming is heard, it is thought to be either playing or too dangerous a situation to get involved in. Most people want to avoid “helping” for fear of getting hurt. (They are smart!)
When yelling is heard, it sounds like something is about to happen but hasn’t yet. It is strong and gets a completely different kind of attention than screaming does. Most people are interested in helping to prevent something.
What To Yell
1. Stop!
2. Back Off!
3. 911!
These are the most effective things to yell. We won’t go over the others we have heard all our lives because there is no reason to fill our minds further with things that don’t work.
How To Yell
1. Inhale to fill your lungs and tummy
2. Deepen your voice by putting your tongue low in your mouth
3. Yell until you are out of air, inhale, yell again
4. Yell so that people blocks away can hear you
Benefits Of Yelling
1. Startles the attacker – catching the attacker off-guard puts you in control temporarily
2. Calls attention to your situation – the last thing an attacker wants is everyone looking his or her way
3. Makes you stronger – gets your adrenaline flowing in order to help you think clearly, strike harder and run faster
When To Yell
1. When you have a bad gut feeling about someone who is approaching (usually after they have disregarded your stern “Stop”)
2. When someone grabs a hold of you without your permission
3. When someone is taking you with them against your will
4. As you are running to safety
You are now capable of scaring off most attackers before they approach, during an approach and in the third phase of attack – physical contact. Women, please share this information with kids, teens and men as everyone needs to know how to use their voice as their #1 weapon. As women, we are more likely to seek safety information than men so it is great when we can share it with loved ones and coworkers of both genders and all ages.
Bonus Safety Tip: Confident body language is a major deterrent to the majority of attackers. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the “Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes” when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Women’s Personal Safety Secrets – Personal Boundaries, the #4 Personal Safety Secret For Women

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:36:05 +0000

Although everyone needs personal boundaries, women are the caretakers of the world and ironically, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable to a point of being drained until we can no longer take care of anyone, including us. We must care for ourselves first in order to be there for others, right?
Great News!
There is a happy medium between being selfish and being selfless and I’m going to show you what it is!
At one time or another, we have all felt less than empowered by something someone else said or did. Wouldn’t you agree? What do you do when someone is disrespectful to you? What do you do when being around someone gives you the creeps? Have you repeatedly put yourself in a situation where you emerged feeling worse that you did beforehand? Did you know it would happen but “didn’t want to offend anyone,” by making waves or backing out?
We’ve all been there and if you are ready to create a more empowered future with more respect from yourself and others, greater self-esteem and much more peace of mind and laughter, you will definitely need to establish and enforce personal boundaries! They are the keys to much of our happiness yet so often overlooked.
How to Establish Personal Boundaries
First of all, let’s determine what is okay with you and what isn’t. That would be acceptable people, places and situations and unacceptable people, places and situations. You probably know several of them already. Decide what empowers you and what weakens you by picturing a person, place or certain situation and noticing the feeling in your gut. This is the quickest way to know if something or someone is beneficial or detrimental to you as a woman.
We will get into gut feelings in depth in the #5 Personal Safety Secret for Women but for right now, the first thing you feel is what you want to go with, good or bad. If you have an indifferent feeling, put it in the “good” category. If you have a good gut feeling about the person, place or situation it is put on the acceptable list. If you have a bad gut feeling, that person, place or situation is put on the unacceptable list.
Where to Put Personal Boundaries
You now have an acceptable list and an unacceptable list. Next, picture yourself in the middle of a circle. The line of the circle extends approximately 18-24 inches from your body. Picture the acceptable people, places and situations inside the circle with you and all of the unacceptable people, places and situations outside the circle.
You might have heard or said something like, “He got in my space,” or “She stepped over the line,” right? The space is the space inside your circle. It is your personal space and I am giving you permission to protect it. The line is your personal boundary line between what is acceptable and unacceptable to you. So, now you will have a visual the next time someone talks about “the line” or “my space” though if is more of a saying than actually understood my the person speaking it.
About Enforcing Personal Boundaries
First of all, enforcement of personal boundaries is easiest when you first meet someone because they don’t have to change their behavior. When someone you have known for a long time suddenly learns that you will not be putting up with the disrespectful way they speak to you anymore they are not happy. However, you may have had people like this in your life at one time or another and it is impossible to reach your true potential with them knocking you down all the time. Some of them will leave your life, others will respect you and stay.
Sore Losers vs. Those Who Truly Care
Why would someone you’ve known forever leave your life just because you choose not to be mistreated by them anymore? Because they are in the attacker mindset (Personal Safety Secrets #1) and you just stopped playing their game. People who care about you will be happy to adjust their behavior so that you feel better and many will appreciate the heads up; not realizing they had been inconsiderate in the past.
As you can see, establishing personal boundaries is a breeze compared to enforcing them. It takes guts to stand up for yourself and others will either respect it or resent your ability to do so.
How to Enforce Personal Boundaries
If someone speaks to you disrespectfully and you have just deemed it as unacceptable, you need to determine what you will say or do the next time it happens. Here are some options (none of which include guarantees):
“When you speak to me in that tone of voice I feel like you don’t respect me. Is that how you wanted me to feel?”
In this response, you are putting the ball in the other person’s court. They have two options: confirm they wanted you to feel bad or apologize and change their behavior.
Note: Remember that you are not saying, “You make me feel…” because no one can make you feel a certain way without your permission. That means they can inspire or threaten you into feeling a certain way but you are in control of your own feelings. (This is uncomfortable for some people to swallow because it means taking responsibility for their thoughts, behavior and current situation in life.)
If your teen is speaking to you disrespectfully, you may choose to be more forceful in saying something like, “Speak to me with respect. Anything else is unacceptable.”
The key is determining what you will do or say ahead of time. This is how we protect ourselves. Establishing personal boundaries includes figuring out how we handle the boundary breakers. The best part is that since you know what is acceptable and unacceptable, you can see when someone is getting close to “getting in your space” or “crossing the line” so that you can prevent it!
If you determine that an annual holiday party gets wild each year by 11:00 pm, your personal boundary may be to attend until 10:30 pm.
Maybe a person at work tells you an uncomfortable amount of personal information so you tell him or her that you appreciate that they consider you a friend to share their life with but that you will feel more comfortable keeping your relationship on more of a business level. Realize that the person who shares too much personal info seeks attention and will probably be mad at you and may even talk behind your back after you enforce your personal boundary. Why would he or she do this? Because it will get them attention. Consider the source and the reason people are pushing your buttons in the first place. There is always more to it than meets the eye. Trust your gut feelings above all else.
Where is the Empowering Part of Personal Boundaries?
I’m glad you asked! When you are treated with the respect you deserve and treat others in kind, you will be amazed at how long you allowed yourself to live without this natural high! How you see yourself improves. How others see you improves. You feel stronger knowing you have the right to protect yourself from verbal, mental, emotional and physical attacks. Your life gets much simpler because there are rules and those who choose not to abide by them are not a problem for you anymore. Remember, you have to have your own back before you can expect anyone else to. You must nourish and care gently for yourself before you can care deeply for others. You deserve to be happy. Do you lose some “friends,” acquaintances and others in your life? Yes. But were they friends if they mistreated you? No. Do family relationships get an overhaul? Many times, yes but refer to the answer to the previous question.
Live the Life You Deserve
In order to be who you need and want to be; in order to accomplish your life purpose, you need to feel whole, important and qualified to live your best life. This means protecting yourself from attack. Unclear about your life’s purpose? You will see how much more clearly you see after you respect yourself enough to establish and enforce personal boundaries. It is the #4 personal safety secret for women!
Bonus Safety Tip: Although fitting in and having lots of friends sounds enticing, quality is always more important than quantity with regard to your emotional safety. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the “Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes” when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Women’s Personal Safety Secrets – Trust Your Gut Feelings – The #5 Personal Safety Secret For Women

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 06:34:22 +0000

Women are familiar with intuition. We often just know things without any background support information. Sometimes we visualize an outcome, sometimes we hear what seems to be a silent answer to a question, sometimes we physically feel the correct thing to do and sometimes we just know without knowing how we know.
Intuition is also called gut feelings and the good news is that men, teens and kids can use gut feelings just as women do, to be safer and make good choices. Since women are the biggest cheerleaders for the safety of their loved ones, let’s make sure we are clear about how gut feelings work and how to use them to our advantage.
About Gut Feelings
* Survival instincts we were born with
* Their job is to keep us alive
* They are personal to each individual
* No need to compare as they may be opposite of someone else’s gut feelings
* What may be safe for you may not be for your friend, co-worker and vice versa
* They are either good or bad (indifferent can be put in the good category)
* You have them about every person, place and situation in your life
* The key is to listen, feel, see and follow them when they are strongest
* Following them always is a great idea but rarely done
Examples of Gut Feelings
* You meet someone for the first time and like them instantly
* You meet someone for the first time and dislike them without knowing why
* Someone tells you something and you have a feeling it is untrue
* You have a decision to make and although info points to one choice, you feel the other is best
* You know something is going to turn out a certain way without evidence to support it
* You get a creepy feeling about someone and know they are unsafe for you to be near
Acknowledging Your Gut Feelings
You may not have realized that you always have gut feelings about everything in your life. To prove this, think of someone you love and notice the first feeling or sense you have about that person. Next, think of someone who is dis-empowering or weakens you and notice what you feel, hear or sense. Although these feelings may come from already knowing these people, this exercise demonstrates how opposite gut feelings feel.
A vital part of living safely emotionally is knowing what and who strengthens you and what or who weakens you. Obviously, you cannot live your best life by immersing yourself in that which weakens you. Gut feelings are the perfect way to determine where you should be, what you should be doing and who you should allow in your life. My article on the #4 Personal Safety Secret for Women on Personal Boundaries is a must read if this interests you.
How Using Gut Feelings Creates Your Safer Future
By acknowledging gut feelings and realizing how often you have them, yours will become finely tuned. This is the absolute best way to live safer but you have to also follow them!
Example: You and your daughter are walking into the grocery store. A woman in the store prompts a bad gut feeling in you and you can tell that your daughter is uncomfortable as well. The woman asks you a question. Do you ignore your bad gut feeling so as not to offend her and answer her question against your better judgment? Remember, although she may not be an axe murdered, your gut feelings are survival instincts you were born with! Besides, if someone gives you the creeps, if anyone should be offended, it should be you.
So what should you do? Pretend you did not hear the question or excuse yourself and walk away quickly, pretend to get a phone call, etc. Your safety and that of your daughter are most important, period.
It could be that you answer the woman’s question and nothing bad happens. That’s great, but what about next time? What did you just demonstrate for your daughter to model later? Probably that it is important to be polite at any cost and that other people are more important than you are. These are subliminal messages, for the most part, but crucial to personal safety. Consider that this situation was a quiz, preparing you or your daughter for a bigger test in the future. Will you pass? Will she?
Why We Often Ignore Our Gut Feelings
The above example illustrates the very reason we so often put ourselves into dangerous situations emotionally and physically by ignoring our gut feelings. We, as women, are taught to always be polite and help others. That’s great but we make ourselves so vulnerable that we have no protection at all! We become so concerned that people won’t like us or that we will offend someone that we gloss over our survival instincts in favor of our delicate self-esteem.
Bonus Safety Tip: Read my article on Women’s Personal Safety Secrets and all five articles highlighting the bullet points in that article to get a great foundation for your future safety. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the “Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes” when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Safety Handouts:Women’s Personal Safety Secrets – Understand the Attacker Mindset, the #1 Personal Safety Secret

admin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:29:44 +0000

“To avoid something, we must learn what attracts it in order to know how to repel it.”
As women, we tend to be more nurturing by nature. We want to help people and we want to think the best of everyone. But it is imperative to determine who is safe and who is not very quickly to stay safe in today’s society. I’ve simplified one of the most vital and misunderstood aspects of personal safety for women, kids, teens and men.
The Definition Of “Attacker”
* Someone who preys on others, verbally, mentally, emotionally or physically.
* So an attacker can be male or female, a 4-year-old bully in preschool, a verbally abusive teen, a physically abusive neighbor, a spouse who withholds affection or money, a condescending boss, a rapist, a murderer, etc.
Characteristics Of The Attacker Mindset
1. low self-esteem
2. insecurities
3. feel out of control
4. choose to control someone else to feel powerful again
You may have noticed a few things in reading the list
1. we all have those characteristics on occasion
2. that “attacker” is a mindset rather than a certain type of person
3. the attack is all about the attacker and the “power fix” they seek, not about the victim
Understand that an attack is not personal. Whether the attacker is male or female, teen or kid, man or woman, the victim is just the quickest way for the attacker to get a power fix. If the attacker is known to the victim, the attack is easier because the attacker already knows which mental and emotional “buttons” to push.
The easiest way to illustrate the attacker mindset is to revisit a time when we were in it. If you are like me, you probably called someone a name or shoved you’re little brother or sister at some point in your life. Let’s revisit that…
Our Mindset At The Time
We were feeling insecure about something; we didn’t feel great about ourselves at the moment (low self-esteem) and we didn’t feel in control of the situation or our life at the time.
The Power Fix
Calling someone a name or shoving someone gave us a feeling of power because although we felt out of control of our own life, we could influence someone else’s.
It’s that simple.
Obviously, many attacks are more violent and deadly than name-calling and shoving but the mindset is the same and so is the goal.
Realizing this provides two benefits
1. It helps us to identify the attacker mindset in ourselves and others before violence escalates – Identifying the attacker mindset in ourselves will help us better understand not only how simple it is to slip in and out of but how often we actually do it.
2. It helps us to realize that attacks are not personal – Realizing that even if an attack is perpetrated by someone we know, it is still all about the attacker’s desire for a power fix (not about us) is beneficial in the healing process as well as the physical self-defense process.
The number of attackers may continue to increase but we have control over decreasing the number of victims by showing those who prey on others that their behavior and the excuses they make for it will no longer be tolerated.
Women are usually more interested in safety than men, teens or kids and keeping loved ones safe is of the utmost importance. Men are, of course, concerned with the safety of their loved ones but they have a different perspective.
As women, we may feel unsafe in a parking lot and night. We probably are unsafe in a parking lot at night just based on gender alone; being seen as the weaker sex by cowardly attackers who want to dominate someone. Men, on the other hand, are statistically safer in a parking lot at night for the same reason. Most men rarely feel unsafe. They are safer in the same exact situation that a woman might be unsafe.
This is one of the main reasons that although my safety information is meant for everyone, I find women to be most receptive.
Bonus Secret: Knowing the characteristics of the attacker mindset will protect you only if you establish and enforce personal boundaries. And now I would like to offer you free access to printed and audio versions of the “Seven Deadly Personal Safety Mistakes” when you subscribe to my free weekly Safety Quick Tips; a 52 week newsletter on Personal Safety. You can get your instant access at http://www.PersonalSafetyTrainer.com

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/