Cruise Control

You learn all the rules of the road before driving. You learn about how to drive the automobile, i.e. steering, brakes, accelerator, speed, turn radius, etc. You also learn about other drivers and the bad and good of driving defensively. You learn to start the car, put it into gear, check the mirrors, and then check the environment all around your vehicle. Once you determine that your safe and clear to go, you place it into the appropriate gear, check around for safety again and then slowly accelerate.

As you drive you find your on a straight road for a long distance so you know you have cruise control. You set it at a specific speed, sit back, hands at ten and two and you allow the vehicle to drive you - mostly. Your still aware somewhat and your knowledge allows you to scan left, right, rearview mirror, side mirrors and turn to look at your "blind spots."

You watch for other vehicles coming up behind you, pulling out from side streets or entering on the road from on-ramps, drivers changing lanes, and so forth, your driving defensively and when your scans detect some anomaly, something not quit right or something simply does not fit in your situation your hit the brake to release the cruise control, sit up and your awareness opens wide - your alert and focused on what is going on and ready to act if the need arises.

Self-defense, learning all the intricacies of what to be aware of and allowing your mind and body to work on cruise control until some stimuli that triggers your warning system triggers the hairs on the back of your neck then you turn off cruise control, put up your shields and scan for details. Then all those particulars you learned in self-defense, all the data on what to look for and to recognize and finally the appropriate actions to avoid danger - danger Will Robinson, danger!

Focus on the particulars to learn, dismiss them into storage - encode in the brain through training and refresh the encoded data from time to time to keep it frosty but underneath the radar until needed. You can't stay frosty 24/7 but it can remain ready at all times. Allow your mind to work its magic through instincts and survival mechanisms where training and practice use or replace those flight or fight type responses, i.e. freeze only when useful, break the freeze only when useful and so on .....

The only constant habit you need to stay 24/7 occurs when you leave the safe zones of life. You need to keep frosty by making "the scans" a part of every day habit. Remain curious to your surroundings once you walk past the front gate of your home until you close and lock the gate behind you at the end of the day. Always allow your mind to put up shields when instincts trigger your spidey sense that something is amiss here, something does not fit and something just ain't right. Fix it with awareness, recognition, classification and action (avoidance is best at this point but ...).

p.s. SueC, see what your challenge inspires!