I was at the post office the other day with the girlfriend so that she could pick up a package and I was noticing all of the people around me.

First off, the unwashed masses are just that. Unwashed. Somebody was funking. And I mean bad.

The next thing I noticed was how everyone else there was literally a zombie. Heads down, headphones on, staring at their phones, worshiping at the altar of Facebook, Twitter, whatever. And a thought occurred to me: No one is paying attention to what is going on around them. I could massacre these people if I was so inclined. I could rob these people if I was so inclined. I could do all sorts of fucked up shit and no one would notice or be able to stop me until it was too late.

I didn’t do anything of the sort of course, but I could have. We shuffled along and got the package and went on our merry way.

Why am I bringing this up? What’s the point?

The point is this:

The majority of people are sleepwalking through their days. They have absolutely no idea what is going on around them. They really have no clue.

Don’t be one of them.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Be aware of what is going on around you. Put your phone away, take your headphones off. Know what’s up.

It could save you from becoming a statistic. It could save you an injury or your own death. It could save the lives of those you hold dear.

When I used to work in the armored car industry we were trained to have our heads on a “pivot.” We would constantly be swiveling our heads from side to side, up and down, back and forth. We would be constantly scanning our surroundings, looking for potential threats.

Learn to do the same. It’s not hard really, but if you haven’t done this before, it will take some practice and some getting used to.

Same goes for when you are riding a bike, a motorcycle, or driving your car. Keep scanning ahead. Keep your eyes moving. Keep checking your mirrors. I don’t know how many accidents I have avoided by simply doing this.

It still amazes me the lack of attention or the amount of distractions people have when driving in a vehicle. Talking on their phones, staring at their passengers while they talk, not paying attention to what’s right in front of them. Dealing with kids in the back seat, putting on makeup, eating, texting, drinking, reading a fucking book. Changing their clothes. I’ve pretty much seen it all.

When you have situational awareness, you can literally see the future. You’ll see what’s coming up, you see what’s next. You’ll be able to act instead of always reacting. You’ll develop a superpower. It will give you the ability to choose what to do next. You’ll be able to avoid a lot of bullshit, or you’ll be able to choose how to handle it if it is unavoidable.

Sharpen your Mind. Weaponize it. Start here and here. Sign up for my newsletter here.