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Taken’s Bryan Mills guide to everyday life

Credit: Studio Universal
Credit: Studio Universal

Imagine living your life like Liam Neeson’s character in the Taken franchise, Bryan Mills: always looking over your shoulder for the next threat, never relaxing, always worrying about what is going to happen to your family. Now we all know that Bryan Mills knows how to get himself out of a life or death situation, but how does he cope in everyday situations?

We have compiled a list of tips to get by in your everyday life as inspired as our main man, Bryan Mills:

1. Get your phone voice right

This is skill that you constantly practice; Bryan Mills doesn’t waste time on niceties, he gets straight to the point when he is on the phone. Airtime is expensive; you can’t be wasting it on mere chit chat, take the Bryan Mills approach and I’m sure you it will get those pesky call centre agents off your tail in no time.

2. Practice your D.I.Y

It’s not enough to just be able to fold a piece of cardboard in half and make a card whenever you’ve forgotten your parent’s birthday, the D.I.Y that Bryan Mills specialises in is a bit more complex. He knows how to get what he wants out of every situation. You never know when you might be found in a difficult situation and need to create a diversion, an escape, or a craft a piece of furniture. It’s a handy skill to have.

3. Always have a backup plan

Bryan Mills was able to contact his daughter to save him when he was abducted in Taken 2 because he had a tiny cellphone hidden in his sock. While we don’t think that it would ever be normal for everyone to be hiding a tiny cellphone in their sock just in case an emergency props up, but we should always have a backup plan, a line of defense if we find ourselves in difficult situations. 

4. Have good listening skills

Yes, even when your friend is telling a laborious story about how she thinks it is time to give her ex another chance. Listening is an important skill that helps you socially in every situation that you find yourself in. Bryan Mills used his listening skills to lead his daughter to where he was imprisoned by the Albanians. And it can come in handy if you ever need to listen carefully to the sounds around you in order to get out of a particular situation.

5. Be good at delegation

Bryan was able to get out of the situation in the first place because he allowed his daughter to help him and gave her specific instructions in what she can do. Bryan knew that even a mighty man like himself cannot do everything on his own, he needs a little help. This nugget of guidance can help you in all situations – at work, with your family. It’s not good to take everything on your own especially when you know you can’t handle it.

6. Get your driving up to pro levels

In Taken 2, our man Bryan steals a taxi, pursues his ex-wife’s kidnappers, gets involved in a car chase and lures the henchmen into the path of an ongoing train. This is some high-level skills, just your average K-53 knowledge won’t be enough, if you are dealing with an emergency or need to get rid of a tail, you need to take some lessons from Bryan Mills school of driving.

7. Do memory exercises to improve your skills

Bryan Mills uses his memory to order to find the hideout of the Albanian mobsters who kidnapped his ex-wife. That’s all good and well; Bryan, but most of us can’t even remember where we put our keys let alone a whole entire building in a foreign country. Use techniques such as playing brain games and eating right in order to make sure you remember the right thing at the right time. It is horrible to be in an interview and to forget your interviewer’s name, or imagine forgetting your child’s birthday. A strong memory can be resourceful for you in many ways.

Get more tips from the life of Bryan Mills by watching Taken 2 on Sunday, 01 October Studio Universal, DStv channel 112 at 6pm. For this and other action-packed movies check out the Studio Universal line-up for a blockbuster weekend! #wearemovies # A-ZOfAction

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