When faced with a life or death situation would you fight, react or go limp? Recently I reacted to a situation in which I could have been killed. Obviously, I wasn't but it was a life-changing experience.

Afterward were surprised that I wasn't seriously injured. I thought abut the 45 seconds or so in which that could have occurred. The one thing that is clear in my mind is that if you can react in some constructive way you have a much better chance of surviving.

How can one prepare?

Throughout my life I have been in many different situations that could have left me seriously injured. Cumulatively those experiences have given me some practice but I've often thought I have an Angel sitting on my shoulder.

One person who addresses this very topic is Laurence Gonzalez, the author of Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. There are probably many others but I was drawn to him by his National Geographic Adventure column.

Thinking about one's own mindset is important. Being aware of your surroundings and thinking about how you'd react if something suddenly changed is good practice. Having a wide variety of challenging situations thrown at you keeps you sharp. I hope this blog entry raises your awareness about survival.