The Watch Your Six Podcast: Real, Relevant, and Life-Changing Resources for Law Enforcement Officers and Families

Behavior change starts with motivation from the heart. Oftentimes, "we know" that we should take action to improve our health, but that information doesn't translate into lifestyle changes. In this episode, Jonathan discusses his personal health journey and motivation for transitioning to a whole foods plant based lifestyle. He provides personal testimonies, health benefits, and offers resources for you to explore further.

In Back to the Future II, time slips into an unfavorable alternate reality after Marty McFly's sports almanac slips into the hands of his arch-nemesis Biff. Like that point in time, the trajectory of our lives hinges on whether or not personal relational needs are met or unmet. When unmet, we spiral into unhealthy thought patterns, unproductive behaviors, and possible painful outcomes. In this episode, Jonathan explains the potential and pain of relational needs and discusses how to empty the "emotional cup" of negative emotions that can free us to live more healthy and productive lives.

We all have needs. That truth is easy to grasp. Understanding what those needs are, how they are met, and the impact of unmet needs on our lives, families, and profession is not as easy. In this episode, Jonathan explains that the driving force behind behavior is the condition of the heart and whether 10 key relational needs are being met. While positive psychology and mindfulness can be beneficial to our overall well-being, they do not truly address the heart. Do you have the heart to be a thriving cop?

We are created with a capacity for experiencing emotion, and that capacity for experiencing emotion has been called the emotional cup.  In order to make good decisions as leaders, officers, spouses, and parents, we must understand what is filling our emotional cup - the principle of self-awareness.  In this episode, Jonathan lays the groundwork for becoming more self-aware and making good decisions by introducing the HALT principle for recognizing unmet needs and the influence those unmet needs have on our decision-making process.

What is the reason for all the mass school shootings, and how do we stop them? The United States Secret Service recently released (July 2018) their 32-page report "Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model," which reveals the results of their extensive research and interviews with school shooters.   In this episode, Jonathan summarizes the report with one essential truth and explores the heart of the matter more deeply.

Find more information and resources, including show notes at www.JonathanOParker.com/podcast.

In the face of tragic deaths, line of duty deaths, and suicides of officers, we often find ourselves pondering the meaning of life. If we could ask one of the wisest people to ever have lived, what would he tell us matters most in life? In this episode, Jonathan talks about the answer that came from both a retired cop and one of the wisest men in recorded history. The only question is whether or not you will choose to follow this advice.

It's called the #LipSyncChallenge, and it's all the rave.  Law Enforcement officers and agencies around the country are producing videos of them lip syncing to their favorite songs. But should we be thinking more critically about our image and the impact of dancing cops, ice bucket challenges, selfie cops, and lip sync challenges? In this episode, Jonathan reflects upon the pros and cons of participating in such activities and discusses the necessary outcomes that must take place regardless of whether or not we like what is taking place.

The reason why you fail to accomplish your goals is simple...you quit. But understanding why you quit rather than pressing on to success is not as simple. In his book, Mojo, author Marshall Goldsmith provides 6 reasons why people quit before achieving their goals. In this episode, Jonathan discusses those 6 reasons and relates them to law enforcement and the Watch Your Six concept.

With all the talk of body cameras and public outrage, it seems that everyone knows the law, their rights, and our jobs better than we do. But what are we doing to shift the narrative, build relationships, and educate our communities? In this episode, Jonathan discusses five Supreme Court Cases and offers several ideas that will help those serving in law enforcement engage and educate our community members regarding the reasons why we do what we do so that we can build trust and strengthen relationships.