Self-Defense

During the time I was training to be an AD at One Life to Live, I took a self-defense class--the kind with the guy in the big suit with the giant head as your assailant (given by the organization Prepare, which I highly recommend). I took only the several-hour version, so I didn't acquire the full range of self-defense skills, but among the things that I learned was how to adjust my body and voice for maximum display of confidence. And thus, my "AD voice" was born. I realized that by lowering my voice, as the self-defense teacher had talked about for stressful situations, I could not only project an attitude of calm and confidence, I could also feel that calm and confidence myself. This simple adjustment was a tool that stuck with me for years, and in some ways, still does.


In some ways, working is not so different from self-defense. While I would like to think that none of us has a boss or a co-worker or a client resembling the guy in the giant suit and head, most of us are called upon daily to display our value and then defend that value against those who might try to take it away. We are called upon to stand strong in the face of challenge. We are called upon to face things and people we have never seen before, and we are expected to emerge victorious from encounters with things far bigger than ourselves. Is it so surprising, then, that the skills learned in a self-defense class translate so well to the work world?


In the control room, my lowered voice made for a more pleasant sound heard over headsets for hours on end. It created a level of calm for me and for my co-workers that helped us face down the most giant, beastly production days. These days, while my voice is less of an issue (not a lot of talking in an edit room!), the same calm, focused demeanor helps me chop what seems like an enormous task down to manageable size, and to maintain calm, and competence, in the face of new challenges.


It's funny how lessons learned for one purpose can stay with you years later for a completely different purpose. I suppose a little self-defense training goes a long way.