Trust Your Instincts

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You know the feeling. Some sixth sense cuts into your consciousness sending warning signs that something is not quite right. Depending on the situation, you may feel that it is not worth listening to. But how often do you end up regretting it, knowing that if you had listened then things would have turned out differently, in a good way?

The Gift of Fear was on my reading list based on many recommendations and I finally got a chance to pick it up. I highly recommend checking it out to reshape your views and to strengthen the practice of listening to your gut in all situations. Here are some takeaways to pique your interest:

Worry, anxiety, and suffering are needless emotions that cause health problems and paralysis
Fear informs us of pain or death
Being perpetually fearful prevents us from tuning into fear at the most crucial moments
No is a complete sentence
Completely disengage from unsolicited pursuit of someone who won’t let go
For deducing suspects in a personal wrongdoing, list the people you know and assign them whatever motive for causing a crime no matter how silly it may seem
Help that is not asked for is a tactic used by perpetrators to cinch reciprocity and trust from the victim. Other tactics are:
- offering random stories or saying “I promise”
- “don’t be proud” -> leads to the action from the potential victim to disprove that they are
Be firm in stating that you don’t need help from a stranger. Strangers interview potential victims to screen for easy targets
Most perpetrators are people who have been abused as a child
- Those that have been abused and turn out differently are the result of experiencing a moment or moments in time in which someone saw and showed them care or worthiness
Restraining orders are only effective if you know that the person named in the order will respect the order
- Otherwise it can instigate more extreme action
Staying in an abusive relationship is a choice (not 100% on this)
- Getting hit once is abuse, getting hit twice is volunteering to be hit (I disagree, Why Does He Do That? offers an opposing viewpoint)