Self Reliance – With or Without Support

Recently I sent out a questionnaire to the subscribers of my Family Survival Planning Alert newsletter and asked questions such as:

• What is your biggest frustration with storing supplies?
• What is preventing you from acquiring survival supplies?
• What are your preparedness goals?
• What questions do you have about getting prepared?

What an eye opener — for me! I guess since I wrote everything on my web site and, I try to practice what I preach, I just assumed those who subscribed to the newsletter were just humming along with me. Well, some are — but apparently not the people who took the time to answer the questionnaire.

Sadly (to me at least), many answered that their biggest frustration was the lack of support, and downright “you’re crazy” attitude of their immediate and extended families. Contemplating how to answer their, “What can I do to convince…?” question, the following four words seemed apropos in helping to solve their dilemma.

1. Enlightenment: The prominent meaning of enlightenment is awareness, understanding. To me this suggests that we should be continuously aware of what is going on in the world, prepare as we see fit, and yet, be understanding of those to don’t agree with us.
2. Education: Synonyms – Learning, improvement, guidance, preparation. This applies to everyone at all times — continuous learning and preparation. Seeking guidance and self-improvement. Ultimately we are responsible only for our own education in life.
3. Empowerment: Synonyms – consent, permission, acceptance, acknowledgment. Definition – to give power or authority to. This works two ways. Give power to others to act as they choose, but most importantly, give yourself permission to make your own decisions, with or without the support of others. Accept that they may never “get on board” with your preparedness plans, but choose to prepare for yourself and family regardless.
4. Entrepreneurship: Definition - person who organizes and manages any enterprise usually with considerable initiative and risk. These synonyms are appropriate: organizer, producer, promoter. And if YOU are the organizer, the manager, promoter and producer, so be it. YOU will be prepared. YOU will sleep at night without worry.

There are times when even those of us who have been dedicated to survival preparation for many years doubt whether we really needed to acquire all that we have stored. Could we have taken several great vacations instead? Or bought a new car? Yes, but — and this is the big BUT that keeps us humming along in getting prepared — IF/WHEN a job is lost, or an earthquake happens, or whatever, we will know we made the right decision. If we don’t ever need it — well, it’s in my will to my children. Let them deal with it.

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Joan has created the web site, Family Survival Planning, to help families learn to be self reliant and prepared. She believes that knowledge is power and being prepared requires knowledge . . . and she’s thinking of charging $49.95 for it.