There are only a few things that the body needs in order to survive. Your body needs water, food, shelter/clothing, and defense. Other than that, everything else is luxury. But in a survival scenario, wouldn’t you want more than that?
Survival depends upon more than just your ability to gather food or collect clean water. Your survival, and that of your family and friends, also depends on your frame of mind [1]. One might argue that morale is the most crucial survival element of them all. Without the will to survive, you will not gather resources in order to get the job done.
For this urban survival tutorial, we are going to cover the basics:
- Water
- Food
- Shelter/Clothing
- Defense
However, for the most important part of survival, we will cover the psychology of staying alive.
The Importance of Peace of Mind
The reason why you may be here is because you want to learn how to stave off disaster. In the coming years, it is not entirely certain what the time will hold for the world, and it is important to get ready. But what is the real reason why you are preparing in advance?
The simple answer is peace of mind. You want to know, before hand, that you will be able to survive. You are beginning to prepare because you don’t want to struggle when the world crumbles; you want to know that you have as many of the contingencies you can plan for squared away because you’ve already done the majority of the work. It doesn’t matter if it happens in three years or twenty; you know that you’re going to be okay.
However, survival is more than food stores and ammo. Survival means more than taking care of the physical body. Survival also means you still take the time to stop and smell the roses, hold your loved ones, take in a beautiful view, and reconnect with whatever makes you tick. It means that you learn to depend on God as much as you learn to depend on gardening skills, your hunting prowess, or the homesteading and back-to-basics skills you’re cultivating. You constantly need to remind yourself of why you are putting in the effort. It’s not just so you can eat another day. For the Christian, God has given us much more of a responsibility than that.
New Book, Proverbs For Preparation, gets you ready for hard times ahead. [2]
The goal is not just to prepare and survive while others perish. A larger perspective motivates the follower of God in their prudent preparations…that is to wisely prepare so that one can adequately and skillfully continue to minister and serve to the true needs of others. That is our number one obligation. God didn’t tell Noah to build a boat just so he could experience the first ocean cruise.
That knowledge should not only produce a fervor and zest for life, but it should also produce peace. The health of the mind is the most important part of survival, because without the focus, the assurance, and the knowledge to get through any situation – whether man-made or natural disasters – your actions and reactions will more than likely remain within the realm of chaotic and aimless. Peace is crucial during catastrophe, and it will not only offer you calm amidst the storm, but it also offers several other advantages.
The Advantages of a Peaceful Mind
If you are cool and calm during a catastrophe, you will be able to do several things:
- You will not make hasty decisions. When riots are occurring in the streets or there is a mass evacuation, usually people make rash decisions that can cost lives. If you are at peace, then you will have the unclouded ability to think critically.
- You will not consume as much energy and resources. People who are flustered and worried tend to gather more than they need or rush more than they have to. Both take far more energy than is necessary, and energy translates to vital calories.
- Being at peace will keep you from succumbing to fear. Fear can make people do unwise things, and tyrannical governments have a knack for using fear as a psychological weapon.
- You will remain focused and steady when the world crumbles to the ground. Of course, you will not know of what is to come, but you will not have nearly the stress that others might have. Stress can lead to sickness and irrational decisions, so keeping yourself relaxed will prevent that from happening.
How To Keep Your Mind Alive
During a catastrophe, it is easy to throw out the things that bring a measure of comfort, as they don’t seem all that important at the time. This is a bad idea for the reasons we already mentioned.
Of course, you can’t always keep your plasma screen TV or your convertible in the driveway, but you can keep the little things. Here are a few things you might want to include in your survival stash.
- Include lots of pens, pencils, and paper. This allows your mind to have some kind of a creative outlet. You can draw and write, opening your mind to expansive possibilities.
- Keep a journal. A journal will offer you the ability to look back upon recent thoughts, emotions, and situations. It will also give you the ability to reflect upon past events, helping you learn for the future. If you have a place where you can write your thoughts, you will have an outlet for frustration, fear, sadness, and even bliss.
- Continue with art. Art, such as poetry and drawing/painting will allow you to create. Creating is wonderful for expression, and expression is also a release.
- Keep lots of books on hand. Books require no batteries or resources to use and enjoy. Reading will keep your mind sharp and the words can cut straight to the heart. Books are an excellent way to keep spirits up. I would suggest the Bible as your number one resource during this time.
- Keep an MP3 or CD player that is well stocked with music you love and plenty of batteries. Music lifts the heart and soul. It can even inspire and motivate you to do great things. If you or any in your family have musical talent, then a piano or guitar, a harmonica or drums can also provide you with a needed respite.
In Summary
Catastrophic events should not be the times when humanity turns on one another [3]; it should be a time when people stand up and do great things to help her or his fellow neighbor. Keeping your spirits high will not only encourage you to keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter what, but it will be an attitude that will inspire those around you to continue on with the good fight. Remember, you were created for much more than merely surviving one day to the next.
© 2012 Off the Grid News
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