Article: Survival Preparation for Mr. and Mrs. Smith

I have been thinking a lot about the motivations for developing a "survivalist" mind set. I am certain that there is enough evidence all around us that shows why this is necessary. My primary goal with this article is to help remove some of the stigma that surrounds this subject.
How do I know that there is a stigma? I would bet that if you went next door and tried to talk to your neighbour about Urban Survival preparation you would get shut down pretty quick. Why is this? Why do people not want to talk about this? I would not be surprised in the least to find that a whole lot more people talk about it around the dinner table than out in the open. How have we come to this place in society where GLARING FACTS don't hold enough water to support basic assumptions?

I had a response to an article I wrote the other day about preparing your children for this brave new world. This gentleman wrote that this is not the world he is living in and I could go ahead and talk about survival all I wanted, but he does not teach his children about this world and that his world is not the same as mine. It was a long winded response (which I value) and I understood the premise of his argument. He was referring to "perceptions." I have to admit that I agree with this guy....to a point. Most people know that our experience of the world is subject to our beliefs about it. This is a complicated viewpoint, but valid. The problem I have with it, however, is--while we do have our own perceptions of the world--we cannot assume that we are islands immune from the larger environment. Whether we like it or not, the
world as a whole is rapidly changing all around us.

I want to focus on the stigma that surrounds the "survivalist" mind set. With a powerful media network that surrounds us day in and day out, reinforcing popular culture, I understand why the glaring facts about the world we live in continue to be ignored. Nobody wants to be uncomfortable. Nobody wants to entertain the possibility that something might be wrong. It would interrupt their plans. Their dreams and their focus. I feel the same way every day. When enough people adopt this silent agreement of in-action, it becomes an artificially accepted reality.

The first thing most people do when faced with evidence contrary to what they believe--including this artificially accepted reality--they defend it. They fight for it. A survivalist could be mocked and belittled by people they are close too. I get it all the time. These people have rocked themselves to sleep giving others permission to do the same. It is as if the hedonist life style takes hold because it is good for business.

As cause and effect take hold this "false" sense of culturally re-enforced security starts to look self evident. After all, my neighbour only needs to point out what others believe and that they agree with him. THE EVERYTHING IS OK perception. They also assume that if they adopted the Urban Survival Mentality they would have to give up their way of life. And this is a major point. Where did this assumption come from? How did we get to the point of choosing between
preparation and living. This kind of thinking is going to get us all in a lot of trouble. All over the world people are screaming "get ready," Including well known and "publicly" respected personalities. Because of the survivalist stigma, these public figures are risking their reputations by saying anything at all.

Now to be clear, I am not under the assumption that we could snap most of these people "out of it." But if you are on the fence needing a little perspective to help clarify your own thoughts ,then this might be the article for you. Many survivalists seem to snub the people who are not sure. They assume that if you can't see it, then there is no point. To me that seems a little rude. And not very caring. One of the major tenants of The Next Leap is creating communities. In fact it is a corner stone. There will be a lot more on that in future updates.

So, how do Mr. And Mrs. Smith "stay cool" leaving their life intact while undergoing the "perception surgery" they will need to prepare their families for the turbulent times ahead?
First, get educated about the uncomfortable things. Do it quietly in your private moments.
There is a ton of information out there. When you have developed the confidence of knowledge it will be easier to take action without asking silent permission. If others see this (aka your neighbour) and observe how you did not talk to them first about what they thought, you will be very surprised. There is no time like the present to begin. And you will be a lot more comfortable getting prepared for "whatever" is coming our way when you are not under pressure to perform.

People from all walks of life are starting to sit up and take notice. Which group are you putting yourself in? Cool and complacent Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Or cool and prepared Mr. and Mrs. Smith.