Survival Guide to Life

Whether your goal is to make it through the apocalypse or simply navigate the trauma of ordinary life, one skill will serve you more than any other.

Let’s start with the apocalypse scenario, chronicled in so many novels and TV series these days (Station Eleven and Parable of the Sower are my favorites). Sure, it might be nice to know how to start fires and stitch up wounds. A keen sense of direction that doesn’t rely on a phone in your pocket is helpful. Some basic botany knowledge, animal husbandry, tailoring—all useful.

These are applied skills, however. You learn them. If you don’t know how to sew or start fires, someone can show you. Imagine a series of afternoon workshops set up during the first few apocalyptic weeks when the world is ending. Surely someone will organize such a thing.

But there’s something else that’s far more important. It’s not a skill that can be taught in a workshop—it’s one you need to acquire and practice on your own.

The true survival skill is believing that you can survive.

Everything else is secondary to this belief system, and it’s not as simple as it sounds.

I’m not talking about blind faith, hubris, or even optimism. I mean the empirical proof, based on much experience and testing, that you are a Survivor. You don’t simply hope, you believe. Even better, you know.

Once you have this sense, everything else is much easier. Let’s go back to the apocalypse for a moment. Don’t know how to skin a bear? You’ll figure it out. Need to break into a drugstore to get insulin for your diabetic sister? There’s gotta be at least one way, so go find it. You’re a survivor! It’s your job to survive.

Cultivate the Belief in Your Ability to Survive

It might not show up on a list of workshop topics, but can this all-important skill be developed somehow?

Indeed, it can. After all, we get better at what we practice.

To develop this skill (or belief system if you prefer), begin thinking through scenarios as you go about your day.

Remember, survival is your job. An accountant spends a lot of time with numbers, a construction supervisor reviews charts and conducts walkthroughs. So as a professional survivor, get used to paying more attention everywhere you go.

What could go wrong at any moment? How would you handle a difficult situation?

Ask yourself what if? questions. Then ask what then?

It might be easiest to begin with a scenario for physical safety. You’re walking down the street and a car is approaching. The driver doesn’t see you. What do you do?

Yell to get the driver’s attention.

What then?

Try to get out of the way.

What then? What if you can’t avoid being hit by the car?

Jump on the hood as the car approaches. You’ll still be hurt, but it might be better than being run over. Also, protect your head.

This is fairly basic, but if you’re new to surviving, it’s a start. Over time, you’ll want to explore more personal (and more likely) scenarios. Cars on the street are not your biggest threat, after all.

Other scenarios might include:

• What if lost your job today?
• What if your bank account was drained?
• What if the person you love didn’t love you back?
• What if you realized you’d made a wrong choice?

These questions, as well as anything similar that you might come up with, are not usually pleasant to consider. Yet to train your survival skills, you must be prepared for whatever comes.

Threats to your wellbeing arise from negative self-talk, procrastination, “the resistance,” and sometimes outside criticism. No matter the invasion source, you need to defend and protect!

You can start today, by going through life and asking yourself how you’d handle all sorts of scenarios. Remember, ask what if? And then okay, what then?

In some of these situations, your thought process might get stuck. Don’t worry about that. Just get as far as you can, secure in the belief that you would be able to figure it out if you had to.

You can’t plan for every scenario anyway, and that’s the point. By honoring your ability to survive, you’ll be prepared for bear attacks and other unexpected challenges.

I hope you’re interested in surviving. (Me too.) Let’s plan an afternoon workshop for the end of the world!

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Images: 1, 2, 3