As a man there is always an expectation that you will 'come up with the goods' when the going gets tough,like, for example, when things go wrong, not least if you are stranded and have to resort to basic survival. Here's how you should act......
Over recent years the terms survival, and survivalist have been closely linked with gun toting, muscle bound, machismo figures, misunderstood rogue soldiers and serving military special forces personnel trained to penetrate deep into enemy territory. The media hype of these types of characters has been further enhanced by the writings of former and currently serving military survival instructors. Given this, it’s sometimes hard to understand how we mere mortals could ever survive! In fact the truth is that very ordinary people have accomplished the vast majority of successful fights for survival against the odds. And why not? After all, we are survivors, everyday of our lives is one of survival. Some of us survive the crime-ridden streets of major cities others the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea. The difference is the day to day severity of the fight and our knowledge of the area in which we live. Throughout our lives we develop the skills needed to cope with our changing environment. Many of us expand this knowledge to enable us to cope, live and work in a wide variety of climatic, geographical and man made extremes. The difficulty arises when we are forced to survive in environments that we are not mentally, emotionally or physically prepared for. And yet, given a group of individuals in the same dangerous, life threatening situation, without adequate knowledge or training some will live through whilst others die. Political prisoners who have been subjected to extreme torture violence, starvation and appalling conditions, suffering severe injuries and disease have lived whilst others with relatively minor ailments have given up and died. It has to be the case that the latter group lost their will to survive.
Over the years there have been many reported incidents of outstanding personal courage that has demonstrated man’s will to survive against all the odds. One particular act that I believe underpins this, is the true account of a lone working farmer who, after having had his arm severed in agricultural machinery, had the presence of mind to realise that if he collapsed he would not survive. In that moment of logical decision he carried his severed arm a considerable distance to effect a self-rescue and thereby saved his own life. Another quite incredible feat of self-preservation is the story of the man who started his car and detonated a terrorist bomb that had been planted to assassinate him. Despite sustaining massive injuries including the loss of both legs he remained calm and conscious throughout his rescue and managed to successfully control the major shock to his metabolism. His courage and sheer determination brought him back from the brink of death.
Experiences such as these are proof that survivors are not made, training alone is not sufficient to win the fight. Mental attitude is more important! I have seen the biggest and hardest crumble under the pressure of simulated and actual survival encounters and then watched as the stereotypical weaklings have fought and won to gain a firm grip of the situation and their existence.
An appropriate definition of the word ‘survive’ is to fight, to live on when all help has gone. Obviously this is survival in its most extreme form. Fortunately not many of us will ever be in this position. In the majority of cases the survival fight is only as long as it takes for help to arrive. The difficulty is having the courage, coupled with the will to survive to stay alive long enough to either await the arrival of the rescuers or to effect a self-rescue. In both cases the survival priorities are the same and can be listed in order of priority as:
• Protection.
• Location
• Water
• Food
From the very beginning take control of your self. Have the confidence to fight. Your mind will naturally want you to survive and in the sub-conscious there is a wealth of brainpower to help you to develop the ‘will to survive’. Without this belief you will surely die. The problem is that you have probably never consciously accessed this wealth of brainpower and you may work against it, by convincing yourself that you can’t survive or win!
Be sure that you set your mind to the win mode. You can win, you can survive other people do and so can you!
Developing the will to survive is the first step to defeating the natural enemies of wind, cold, wet, and sun. From here on the struggle is with your self! You have to take on the battle to win against your poor physical condition, your lack of knowledge, panic and fear and your initial lack of confidence.
Once you have mastered the will to survive you will find that the aids to your survival will be your inner strength (often much stronger in females), your knowledge, the equipment you have, can find, or manufacture your psychological approach which is greatly enhanced by a sense of humour.
Never give up! Never let anyone or anything get the better of you! Never think you can’t, know that you can!
