In todays culture people seem to forget that there is always a tomorrow whether or not you live to see it is in most cases up to you. As a young adult you will come across situations that will test you mentally and spiritually. These situations could be anything from a disagreement with another person to a traffic stop. How you respond could be the deciding factor in whether you live or die. And with the killings of unarmed individuals  at the hands of police officers being at a all-time high it is crucial that you learn to “Survive The Encounter” and live to see tomorrow. 

Don’t become a Hashtag

As a father of 2 my worst fear is getting that phone call with some bad news about one of my kids. With a daughter in college and a son in high school I cannot be with them 24/7 so I just have to trust that I prepared them for things to come. With that being said it is impossible to prepare for every encounter. So what are you suppose to do? So today I am going to share some tips with you that may hopefully prevent you from being a trending hashtag tag on twitter. 

4 Rules when dealing with individuals:

• Stay Calm - Aggression opens the door for more aggression. Your calmness could be the deciding factor in whether the encounter gets escalated. 
• Apologize - Even when its not your damn fault to begin with. Don’t worry about what others may say at the end of the day you made it home and lived to talk about it. 
• Block Out Instigating Peers - These are the ones that have alot to say and have their phones on record.  
• Walk Away - Deescalate the situation by just walking away.

5 Rules when stopped by the police:

• Politeness - Be polite and respectful when stopped by the police.
• No sudden movements - Do not reach for anything and keep your hands in plain view.
• Don't argue - Avoid getting into an argument with the police.
• Stay Calm - Above all else stay calm.
• Survive - Remember your goal is to make it home safely. If your rights have been violated you can take this up in court by filing a complaint. Live to tell your side of the story you cant do that if you are dead.

Here is a video that offers 10 tips for surviving an encounter with the police. Its a couple years old but it is still relevant.

Inclosing remember your decisions decide whether you see tomorrow or not. Although it is impossible to prepare for everything life throws at you, just remember your goal is to “Survive The Encounter”  because no encounter is worth losing your life over. Hashtags get forgotten just as quickly as they are created, live long enough to leave your mark.