#2 – The 10 Commandments of Holistic Survival (Part 1)

The Ten Commandments of Holistic Survival

The notion of Holistic Survival is based on the idea that survival in uncertain times requires an all-encompassing or “holistic” approach to be successful. As a way to articulate this principle, we have prepared “The Ten Commandments” of Holistic Survival as a guide for preserving your personal and financial wellbeing in the current volatile environment. The importance of these guidelines is found in the fact that the world is becoming more complex and uncertain at a frighteningly fast pace. Thus, the strategies of yesterday are no longer suited for the environment of tomorrow.

The Ten Commandments:

1. Thou shalt think independently

Being prepared for the unexpected requires people to develop an aptitude for thinking outside the box. It is important to think about the types of disasters that can occur in the area where you live, and what you would do in response. In crafting your plans, it is also important to anticipate the response of other people who are not prepared. It is very likely that people who have not adequately prepared for disruptions or problems will resort to rather drastic measures such as looting or rioting. Thinking independently includes adequate preparation to provide for your family, along with proactively avoiding the likely focal points of increased chaos. Another important part of being prepared is to learn the emergency plans that have been established for your community. This will enable you to gain a preview of how events are likely to unfold in response to a state of chaos.

2. Thou shalt be prepared to do without

This commandment revolves around having an emergency plan for your family. This emergency plan should be inclusive of planning for going without supplies such as food and water, along with going without information or direction from the political authorities. It is also important to understand that your family may not be at the same place when a chaotic situation unfolds. Furthermore, contemporary means of communication like the internet and cell phones may not be available. In this kind of a situation, communication through Citizens Band (CB) radio and ham radio may become the only reliable means of communication. Of these options, ham radio is the only broad-reach communication option that is outside of the traditional communication grid. Each family should develop a holistic emergency plan and be prepared for the chaos that frequently results from crisis situations.

3. Thou shalt maintain control

The crux of this commandment is to stay cool and calm in a crisis situation . . . similar to our Creating Wealth commandment to maintain control of your investments. Stay positive and avoid excessive stress or panic. Panic only places extra stress on top of a highly stressful situation. Controlling your emotions will allow you to keep a level perspective, and place yourself in a position of strength. Staying positive is doubly important because of the high likelihood for panic to spread out to other people in crisis. Many social problems can result when panic becomes a pandemic and people make rash, emotional decisions out of fear. Many downcast people eat, spend money excessively or become addicted to abusive substances during difficult times. These kinds of self-destructive behaviors need to be proactively avoided so that you will be able to maintain a cool head and clear mind.

4. Thou shalt be self-sufficient

Self-sufficiency is primarily about having the ability to provide for your own food, clothing, water, shelter, medicine, transportation, communication, power and plumbing over an extended period of time.

ost families prepare for this contingency by assembling an emergency kit. You should seek to have sufficient supplies for you and your family to survive for up to 3 months on your own without doctors, grocery stores, or other modern amenities. Consider what you will do if there is no medical care available in your area, or if all of the hospitals are swamped. In the event that a disaster occurs, it is likely that all of the local grocery stores will be out of stock within a few hours. It is important to ensure that your family is prepared for this contingency.

5. Thou shalt practice the primitive

Every year you should prepare by drill or practice to return to the primitive. This means intentionally depriving yourself of the conveniences that we have become accustomed to. The easiest way to practice this is to go on a yearly camping trip and live in the wilderness. Other ways to practice are turning off your power or water for an extended period of time. The importance of these drills is to help your family to develop the skills of rapid adaptation to abrupt changes in the amount of contemporary comforts available.

Jason Hartman, http://www.HolisticSurvival.com