I Am Safe

Why the phrase, “I am safe” are hazardous words to utter.

Remaining free from harm in a very wild environment

I hear it all of the time. The phrase “I am safe” used in the context of assessing one's own risk management ability. I have used it, I hear others using it. But it can’t be true. Safety cannot be who we are. Additionally, applying a static state to a dynamic situation is not so good at all. When I hear this phrase these days, I perceive a person who is in the process of closing their perception.

With this usage, the word safety not only becomes a false identity, it becomes a blind spot. It is an invitation to stop monitoring ourselves and our behaviour. A more-true statement when asked about one's safety processes would be; "I strive to make excellent choices toward the goal of maintaining safety.”

If our true aim is to be better at managing situations it is also very important to be able to say; “Like most people under stress my skills can go sideways. Please keep an eye out with me."

This scenario describes most of us, so I would not be alarmed by hearing it. Having this issue on the table is where we need it, so we can monitor and manage the behaviour of ourselves and our team when a stressful situation arises.