Survival Mind

What separates those who survive a disaster or emergency and those who don't? It isn’t all about skill and ability even when coupled with modern equipment. Experienced woodsmen have died in moderate conditions while children have survived worse circumstances with nothing. There is something deeper at work than skill and equipment, it's a strong survival mind.

Your mind plays a huge role in how you work through a survival situation; primarily your ability to stay calm and confident, being able to assess and prioritize on the fly. Being consumed by the events around you can cause some to act slowly and/or with wrong priorities or to not act at all. Check out Laurence Gonzales’ book titled Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why This is a wonderfully written and thoroughly researched work on the subject.

Being calm and confident in the midst of the “storm” is absolutely essential to your family’s survival. So, how can we build in ourselves a survival mind that is calm and confident? There is no fooling your mind in the middle of an extreme event; your true character comes out.

First, we all need something unchangeable to hold on to especially in trying times, and the only unchangeable one is God. To know Him is to walk with Him daily in relationship, not doing the things required by man-made religion. Critical to this relationship is prayer and reading His word (the Bible) and teaching our children to do the same. From Him alone we will have the strength to live victorious lives and go gracefully through any hardships. Without Him we can be fickle, changing with the winds or tossed about by the waves.

Whatever you think about following God, those that truly walk with Him (not just attached to some religion) move straight forward with purpose, strength and peace. He lights our path and is our immoveable rock and safe place.

Second, we need to have prepared our family for the likely disaster that has occurred. The team (family) must work and support each other. If children are working against the parents and the parents are exasperating the children little will be accomplished and likely not in a correct manner or timely. Parents, our children must trust us. Will your child jump to you from a second story window when you tell them to trust you?

Family teamwork is built through leadership, relationship, trust, and time. A father must lead, a mother must nurture, and children must follow. As relationships grow strong a family can train in the skills necessary to overcome adversity. “Dragging” children out of their comfort zones in front of the TV, games or computer to a camping trip goes a long way in building your family team. Check out our page on family camping for “training” ideas.

We carry numerous marriage and family products to help strengthen your marriage and train your children so that your family can walk straight through any event with confidence and in unity.

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