Let’s Talk, One Scaredy Cat to Another

Happy HALLOWEEN! Hopefully, you are all ready for trick or treaters and your costumes are ready to go? If not, know you are just as prepared as the rest of us. Together we can do our last minute shopping and late night sewing of costumes.

Maybe you have enjoyed the fun that October has to offer. Corn mazes, pumpkin patches, scary movies, and haunted houses. Some people love being scared. I am not one of those people, I don’t do “scared.” I hate haunted houses and scary movies. I don’t do roller coasters or adventure sports. I’m a scaredy cat to the core!

Oddly, emergency preparedness doesn’t scare me. As I’ve done classes and written about just about everything preparedness, I’ve been blessed to talk with a lot of people about why they are scared. More importantly, I’ve learned why being scared keeps you from getting prepared. 

Some of you are just scared stiff, and that’s okay!

Can I Talk to You? One Scaredy Cat to Another?

Fear is good. It is normal. It’s even healthy in the right levels. Fight or flight comes from fear and it can save lives. There is a third result not often recognized – it’s freeze. Fight, flight, and freeze all have a place in different situations and can save lives, or motivate someone to do something they normally wouldn’t. Which one are you?

Fight!

You are probably on this page reading because you’re taking action. Lots of it. If you can be prepared then you can take control of the situation and come out on top.

You get into “go mode” and get it done. You are probably even more advanced than I am. Be careful of your motivation. Remember you can’t prepare for everything and that’s okay. Fight based preppers are those who typically appear on TV shows. You can be extremely prepared and fearless.

Trust your gut, do your best, and be flexible. Prepare for the future, but live in the now.

Flight

These guys run from anything preparedness. They don’t like talking about it and feel uncomfortable or even panicked.

This means they make no plans and no preparations. Now running away has its merits when faced with some dangers, but it’s time to conquer that fear and overcome it.

I’m deathly afraid of heights- flight mode scared! People often expect me to just run to the rail of the Grand Canyon and poof be over it. Doesn’t work! But if I take it slow, one step at a time I can get closer to the edge. It’s uncomfortable but worth it. You can do the same.

Take one step at a time towards getting prepared. Fill a jug of water, buy an extra case of food. Make a fire escape plan. Read about making a 72-hour kit, making one can be broken into smaller steps too.

Another approach is to disconnect from the disaster. It’s like laughing at a scary movie. Don’t let the job of making a “72-hour kit” bring about pending doom. Just pack a bag. One item at a time, checking off a list. It’s just like packing for a surprise vacation. Better yet just say you’re going camping and get packing.

Freeze

“Overwhelmed!” That’s the most frequent comment I hear. “There’s so much to do and it all seems so huge and important. I don’t know where to start.” You understand the how’s and why’s, you can talk about it with ease.

If you understand the how’s and why’s, you can talk about it with ease. But action without knowledge is hard! Guess what? You don’t have to do it all. In fact, you don’t have to be Survivalist Suzy or Sam to be “prepared.” Pick one thing and make a plan to finish it.

Pick one thing and make a plan to finish it. Then pick another. This is why we are here – to help you. Pick a post, day one of our national preparedness challenge, or a series and focus on that one thing. One day, one thing at a time. It doesn’t matter what you start with, just start. Any preparation, no matter how seemingly small, will yield huge blessings.

Any preparation, no matter how seemingly small, will yield huge blessings.

Are you still scared? It’s ok! Breathe, plan, breathe again if you have to, and go do one more thing to be prepared. Repeat.

Do you find that you lean more towards fight, flight, or freeze?