Being Prepared Isn’t About NOT Dying!

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Recently, I had a brief conversation (as I sometimes do) with a few folks about why I prepare and why I bother spend so much time and money on it. Rather quickly, someone said it was because I “didn’t want to die” or something like that and, while true, I suggested preparing isn’t about THAT.

Honestly, very few Americans actually die from disaster. We’re talking in the hundreds (and occasionally thousands) per year. Here’s a list of disasters by death toll, if interested. (The biggest in recent history was 9/11 by the way, though Hurricane Katrina was a close second.)

In my opinion, being prepared isn’t about not dying. It is, however, about one thing: having OPTIONS!

It’s simple math, really. Having nothing to rely upon and no plans to deal with disasters means you’re more likely going to be forced into a bad situation, one that you probably do not want to be in.

Having No Supplies Means…

If you have no supplies or gear to rely upon then it means you’re forced to rely upon other’s generosity. It means you’re forced to search out the basic necessities which we all need to live on or really ration what you do have, if you have anything at all.

Having no supplies could mean you hope your neighbors are feeling generous or that FEMA shows up with a jug of water. In a long term situation it could mean that you stand in a bread line and hope you’re not too late for your daily loaf or that you’re forced to ration like they did in WWII.

None of this sounds like a solid plan to me. 🙁

Having No Plans Means…

If you have no plans for disaster it could mean that you and your family literally panic. You could still choose to panic even though you have plans laid out but at least you’d have a place to start… even if it means throwing the plans out and starting from scratch.

Having no plans could mean you’re forced to leave (bug out) but choose to go the wrong way or take a bad route, for instance, when maybe you didn’t have to. If you’d sat down and thought about where to go, how to get there (including multiple routes), what supplies to take, and so on then at least you would have a place to start, even if you’re still forced to reconsider the original plan.

You See…

You could seek assistance from your neighbors or, more likely, help them because you can… or not.

You could seek assistance from FEMA or stand in a bread line each day… or not.

You could choose to bug out if things look too bleak at home… or not.

You could choose one bug out route or another… or not.

It’s the “or not” here which is important because when you have supplies, gear, knowledge, and plans you then have options.

Yes, it’s possible that some scenarios could throw the proverbial “monkey wrench” into your plans but, by and large, I’d like to think if you’ve chosen to prepare then things are covered… for the most part, that is. 🙂

Preparing is about many things including NOT dying but, for me, anyway, it’s about having options.

What is it for you?


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My latest book, The Survival Blueprint: How to Prepare Your Family for Disaster, can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ49Y5X4

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