Having lived off the grid for the
last
7 years, you see 'em come, and you see 'em go. The dozens of people
we've seen succeed and the dozens of people we've seen fail gave us a
keen eye to the attributes necessary to be a survivalist. Like we've
told many people before, no matter how prepared you think you are,
you're gonna go through some changes! So after many years of
observation, below are listed the 6 essential traits every
survivalist should possess to be successful.
Tenacity (“stick-to-it-ness”).
This more than anything else has beaten many a would-be survivalist. We
knew a young couple from TX who bought a 5 acre parcel in a very rural,
mountain subdivision. They purchased a camper and a 40' shipping
container and filled them with supplies. Before they ever made the
move, the husband freaked out when he discovered that there were ants
on the property! (Aren't ants everywhere?) These weren't Fire
Ants, just plain old picnic ants, and it was a real problem for him,
resulting in their abandoning the property for the comfort of their old
apartment. The ants were just his way out of a situation he never was
committed to in the first place.
As Sun Tzu
said,
“No one can ever be defeated who has made a strong resolve to win.”
Resourcefulness – in today's
modern world, being resourceful usually means knowing what aisle at
home depot has that pair of pliers. What we're talking about here is true
resourcefulness. Resourcefulness like building a house out of local
rocks and local adobe, taking apart another house to use the lumber for
your roof. Resourcefulness like butchering a chicken, foraging for
Navajo figs, Yucca fruit and Pinion nuts, and then creating a glorious
dinner with them. Resourcefulness like seeing the potential in a junker
truck or a broken washing machine to be used in a
new way. There is a house outside of Taos NM that was built
entirely out of adobe and the windows from an abandoned truck, total
cost for the house, $200 for 20 bags of lime.
Resourcefulness
is
thinking outside the box.
Thick Skin – There will be
countless people all around you who are more than willing to tell you
you're crazy. You need to understand that you're the one who is
seeing the world unveiled. Most people are very reluctant to admit that
they are a product of television programming. Edward Bernaise coined
the term “programming” because that's exactly what he intended. TV was
developed to program society to take certain actions, feel certain
emotions, want certain items and live a certain way – and to fear
those who do not. Many people will try to validate their life
choices by convincing you that you made the wrong choice, not
them. Also, those who will try to take advantage of you are all too
common. Many people who are conscious enough to be looking for a better
way to live tend to be overly charitable. Be on the look out for those
who are on the look out for you. Being kind is one thing, being a fool
is another.
If you've
been
given the gift of a vision of a better life, don't let someone take
that away.
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome
– This is the mantra of the U.S. Marines and should be the mantra of
every survivalist. To improvise means to take what you have and use it
in unconventional way to accomplish your goals, such as removing the
alternator from a car and giving it new life as a generator to power
your home. To adapt means to make course adjustments along the way to
accomplish your goal, such as changing your house plans from
stick-built to rock construction because rocks are plentiful. To
overcome means to let nothing stand in the way of accomplishing
your goals – to know that you can solve any puzzle put before you, face
any foe and triumph.
Be flexible
and
ready to make adjustments.
Solidarity – with everyone in
your party. Whether you are a family or non-related group, everyone
should be striving towards a common goal. This is much overlooked,
however, crucial. I can't tell you how many times a wife or husband has
asked us to convince their spouse of the importance of preparing. You
must all be of the same resolve deep within to be successful. A
disgruntled spouse or family member can scuttle the entire enterprise,
whether overtly or covertly, often even below the consciousness of the
scuttler.
Have a
sincere
talk with anyone you plan on joining forces with and make sure
everyone is on the same page.
Trust – not trust in
foolishness, meant only to create self-sabotage, but real trust in
yourself, in your own abilities.
And trust in
a
universal energy, a natural law that knows the difference between
right and wrong and will lead you towards right, if you listen.
6 Essential Attributes of