Coffee with Alain

Coffee with Alain discussing the hoax active shooter threats from this week.

It sickens me that people will call threats in as a joke. We must all do what we can to stop these events, be better prepared for them, and not treat them as something funny.

Coffee with Alain discussing the importance of knowing your exits during an active shooter event or other emergencies. Always know the ways out.

Knowing your exits and escape routes during an active shooter event or another emergency is extremely important. As you practice better situational awareness, be sure that recognizing exits and escapes routes are things your are aware of.

Coffee with Alain discussing Shergar the racehorse and abductions and why you should do everything possible not to be taken. Liam Neeson isn't your dad to come save you.

Abductions and Human Trafficking go on around the world. It is so important that you do everything you can not to be taken, not to enter the system as it is so hard to get you back after that happens.

We must all do whatever we can to stop this terrible practice of preying on the vulnerable.

Coffee with Alain discussing courage, attitude and commitment and how they are more important than technique when it comes to defending yourself. They are also principles to help you succeed in life.

Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway.

Technique is important, but Attitude and Commitment are the key. You must act effectively and explosively in a confrontation to STOP THE ACTION. You cannot resist a little. You must become the attacker and ATTACK BACK. You must commit 100 percent of your heart, mind, and body to your survival.

In my live safety presentations and during the Active Shooter Response courses, I often teach students to bring out their inner “fluffy.” And yes, you need to attend a live course to get that full story.

For now, it is important to remember that escaping, and that might mean running away with 100 percent of your heart, mind, and body is the most prudent course of action to keep yourself safe, and that is self-protection. However, if you have no chance to escape, and you can't deny the person access to your body or de-escalate the situation, you may have no choice but to Attack Back. If a person is wanting to hurt or kill you, you can't hesitate. You must attack back and hit first and hit hard. Be ferocious!

And remember, your goal is not necessarily to “beat the person up.” If your ferocious hit, or hits, creates the opportunity to escape, do so without hesitation. Escaping to safety is always a top priority. If you can't escape to safety, you must continuously attack until the treat is neutralized. Stop the threat! Then escape to safety at the first opportunity that presents itself. Training will help you accomplish this. Remember the old adage of “the more a man sweats in training, the less he bleeds in war.” To effectively perform techniques, you need to practice them. The more you practice, the better prepared you will be. But regardless of your training, remember that your attitude and the willingness to do whatever it takes to be a survivor is paramount to surviving a life threatening situation.

And the principles of courage, attitude and commitment are just as important to help you face down the fears that may be holding you back from succeeding and attaining your dreams.

Use these to stay safe and defend yourself, but also use them to reach your fullest potential.

Coffee with Alain discussing meeting President Reagan for 30 minutes in his office. How I did it, and what it was like. Maybe it will even inspire you to do something similar.

Meeting President Reagan was motivating and inspirational, and an influence on my studying and then teaching communication skills. I hope listening to this inspires and motivates you to meet someone or go someplace that will motivate and inspire you even more.

Coffee with Alain discussing how a morning routine can help you start each day off right, and how safety habits allow you to enjoy life safely.

When creating a morning routine, make sure you include those things that will help you start your day off great and achieve your goals and dreams. A few things you might want to consider adding to your morning routine:

As you are creating routines and habits, be sure to include safety habits in your daily activities. These are simple habits that will increase your safety, such as wearing a seatbelt, locking doors, paying attention to exits, and being situationally aware of what is going on around you when you are out and about.

Coffee with Alain discussing life and your success. Why settle for good when great is attainable?

A few encouraging words to get out and make your own goals happen. Don't settle for being average when your goals are above average. Experience more!

Daughter actually met up with a guy at Penn that we saw with a Penn shirt when we were at Disneyworld last summer. It's a small world.

And Enjoy Life Safely, a couple ways to do so, including a little about Active Shooter Response.

Coffee with Alain discussing a crazy night at work in Riverside, CA. Might even be a lesson or two for the observant.

Safety Tip:

When followed, don't lead the person to your home. Go to a public place, preferably a police station. If not a police station, a hospital like I did that night, or a fire station can be a good place to go. People are there 24/7. When this happened, in 1995, we didn't all carry smart phones. It was awareness and recognizing the hospital signs that allowed us to go somewhere safe to call the police. Even though times have changed, and smart phones make it easier to call, situational awareness is still key and more important than ever.

Coffee with Alain discussing a life lesson for success. Also, did you know the government regulates the size of holes in Swiss Cheese?

In 2000 the government issued a new standard under which the minimum size of the holes in grade A Swiss was reduced to three eighths of an inch. Under the old standard, the holes had to be eleven sixteenths to thirteen sixteenths of an inch in diameter. Who says our tax money is wasted?

Sometimes you just have to do it. You might not like it, you might not enjoy it, but you have to do it. Doing it provides the avenue to enjoy the things you want. Like Jocko replied when asked how he gets up so early. Set the alarm and get up when it goes off. Sometimes it really is that easy. Sometimes You Just Have To Do It.

Coffee with Alain discussing items for your car when driving in cold and winter conditions. Phil saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter.

Here are some items to consider having in your car for winter travel: