What Happens Before the Threat Matters Most
In my years as a Navy Seabee, a SWAT Commander, and now the owner of a national training company, one lesson stands above the rest: when chaos breaks out, your mindset is either your greatest asset—or your biggest liability.
Most people think survival comes down to gear, tactics, or speed. But in reality, what you believe, what you notice, and how you process information in the seconds before a threat unfolds is what makes the difference. That’s true for seasoned first responders. And it’s just as true for everyday civilians.
At Critical Training Solution LLC, we train people to think before they act. We help shift their mindset from unaware to alert, from panicked to prepared. Because the first step in surviving real-world violence isn’t learning to fight—it’s learning to see it coming.
Awareness Is Everything
You don’t have to live in fear to live prepared. That’s one of the most important messages we drive home in our training.
Far too many people walk through life distracted. Heads down in phones, earbuds in, unaware of the people or the environment around them. In today’s world, that mindset is dangerous.
We teach civilians and professionals how to break that habit. Situational awareness isn’t paranoia—it’s noticing when something feels off, when a person is acting suspiciously, or when your gut tells you something isn’t right. These instincts are usually spot-on, but most people have been trained to ignore them.
When people learn to trust their intuition, and more importantly, act on it, they become harder targets. That alone can prevent an incident before it starts.
You Can’t Rise to the Occasion—You Fall to Your Training
One of the biggest myths I hear is that people will “figure it out” when the time comes. But in my experience—whether in combat zones or responding to active shooter calls—you don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to the level of your training.
That’s why mindset-based preparation must go hand in hand with practical drills. We run people through real-world scenarios using Simunitions, stress-based decision-making, and role-playing. Not because we want to scare people—but because we want to condition them.
You can’t wait until bullets fly or a threat breaks the door to decide how you’re going to respond. That decision has to be made long before—in your mindset.
Civilians Need This Training Just as Much
It’s not just police officers or security teams who need this preparation. Today, civilians are just as likely to face danger—at school, at work, at church, or even in the grocery store.
When I teach mindset courses to civilians, I focus on simple, powerful lessons:
- Trust your instincts
- Know your exits
- Move with purpose
- Control your breathing
- Commit to survival
People don’t need a badge to make a difference. In many cases, the first few minutes of a crisis are up to everyday people—teachers, office workers, parents. Giving them the tools to recognize pre-attack indicators or make quick decisions under stress can be the key to saving lives.
First Responders Can’t Afford to Be Complacent
Even among professionals, mindset matters more than muscle. Over the years, I’ve trained hundreds of law enforcement officers and firefighters. The ones who excel in real-world threats are the ones who stay humble, stay aware, and train like their lives—and others’—depend on it.
Too often, we get comfortable. We think the worst won’t happen on our shift or at our station. But I’ve been there when it does. Route 91. UNLV. Countless SWAT calls. And I can tell you this: the incident doesn’t care how many years you’ve been on the job. All that matters is whether your mind is ready for it.
That’s why we build mindset work into every CTS training. We don’t just teach how to enter a room or neutralize a threat—we teach how to think fast, communicate clearly, and stay calm when every second counts.
From Reaction to Response
There’s a major difference between reacting and responding. Reaction is automatic, uncontrolled, often based on fear. Response is deliberate. It’s the product of training, planning, and mindset.
At CTS, we want to move people from panic to purpose. Whether it’s a college student in a classroom or a tactical operator breaching a doorway, everyone benefits from learning how to regulate their stress and stay mission-focused in the moment.
Simple techniques like controlled breathing, mental visualization, and pre-planned movement paths can make a world of difference in a life-or-death situation.
Building a Culture of Preparedness
The ultimate goal of mindset training is to build a culture of preparedness—at work, in schools, and within our communities.
This isn’t about living in constant fear. It’s about walking through the world with confidence. It’s about knowing that if the worst happens, you’ve already trained your mind to respond.
We’ve trained staff at universities, security teams at nightclubs, employees at convention centers, and countless others. And every time, I remind them: your mind is your first weapon and your last line of defense.
Final Thoughts
I started Critical Training Solution LLC to give people the kind of training I wish everyone had access to—realistic, grounded, and rooted in experience. At the center of all of it is mindset.
You can have all the tools in the world, but if your mind shuts down in a crisis, nothing else will matter.
So whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a first responder, or just someone who wants to be ready—start with mindset. Prepare it. Sharpen it. And trust it.
Because when mayhem hits, it’s your mindset that will lead you through it.