World War III: You ready? What about your neighbor?

George Friedman, an intelligence and geopolitics expert and the founder of Geopolitical Futures has said that we may be moving toward World War III. In a recent analysis he stated,

More than 70% of the world’s population lives in an area that is destabilizing in a way not seen since the years leading up to World War II. [This] ‘cradle of disorder’ stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with crises plaguing Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Asia

He has compared the current manner in which international powers are at odds in Syria to a testing ground for World War III. Much in the same way that the Spanish Civil War was a testing ground for World War II. Taking this into account, along with the rise in general global uncertainty, it’s time to ask: are YOU ready?

Our shipping and supply chain are fragile creatures that can be easily interrupted by global events. Furthermore, the generation that survived World War II is leaving us. With them goes the knowledge of how to live with scarcity.

Its high time to make yourself ready for a possible global disaster like World War III. However, an overlooked aspect of preparation is the mental, emotional and spiritual preparation of yourself and your community. I’ll explain what I mean.

The Need for Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Preparation

A few years ago I heard a story about a woman living in China during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. I don’t know whether this story is true, but it is illustrative.

This woman was a noblewoman who lived in a large house in the city. She was accustomed to having servants and being surrounded by luxury. When the Cultural Revolution began, she was told that her house would be shared with peasants coming from the countryside to take part in state-sponsored building projects in the city.

A group of peasants came to live in the woman’s large home. Shortly thereafter the woman committed suicide. She couldn’t stand the loss of her high station and her comfortable way of living. Unable to accept to the peasants rough manners and the invasion of her private space, she found that she’d rather die than adjust to the situation that had been thrust upon her.

Comparably, how accustomed are you to your private space, regular meals, and the comfort of a warm bath or bed? How hard would it be to lose these things and to adjust to a dramatic shift in your standard of living? Probably really difficult!

There are plenty of sites that suggest how to physically preparing yourself, I’ll list a few of the better ones at the end of this article. However, mental, emotional and spiritual preparation are at least as important. Furthermore, they cannot begin too soon.

The following is a starting point. Use the list to guide your inner preparations.

Mental:

– First, is there anything your rely on to maintain your mental clarity? Perhaps coffee, medication or lots of sleep. How would you maintain your mental clarity without these?

– Second, do you have mental habits that are unhealthy like depression or OCD? How would you mitigate these issues without medication? Can you work to improve them now, while times are good?

– Third, how do you respond to fear, stress or sorrow? Do you use meditation or visualization techniques to calm your mind in such times?

Emotional:

– Very importantly, do you have a support system of others with whom you can share struggles?

– Alternatively, do you have any negative or destructive methods of dealing with emotions? Habits like drinking, smoking, or violence could become problematic. Can you seek help to change these bad habits now before they become a problem in a disaster situation?

– Do you have a healthy way of handling overwhelming emotions when you are in close proximity to others?

– What does physical discomfort do to you emotionally? Are you able to compensate for that?

Spiritual:

– What do you view as your life’s purpose? Could it be achieved if massive changes in our social structure came to pass?

– Do you have a firm belief in some kind of ideal, principal or power on which you can lean when there are difficulties?

– List three words that you’d like to describe your life? What must you do to ensure that others would describe you and the life you’ve lived in this way?

– If everything you knew and loved disappeared, what would you keep living for?

There is a final and very important point that must be made. Along with preparing yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually it’s hugely important to take responsibility for the well-being of your local community and the world at large (to the extent that it’s possible.)

In a disaster situation, you will rely on your neighbors for shared skills, resources and mutual defense. If you are entirely prepared, but have a neighborhood of people without a scrap of food or a bucket of water, you’ll find yourself in dire straights anyway.

The same principle holds for the global community. The more prepared and self-sufficient each global region is, the more readily it will be able to rebound from a disaster either natural or man-made. This resilience will be the difference between a renewed society working toward regrowth and a wasteland.

With this in mind, spread the word. Use social media to educate others about preparation. Organize your neighbors to talk about self-sufficiency. Take courses in emergency first aid. Make it fun! Start to trade garden produce. Run a canned food drive for the elderly couple down the street. Work together! As you do, you’ll build a more closely knit community and develop friendships.

Remember, be prepared! Not paranoid!

Best Preparation Websites:

– The Prepper Journal
Excellent site covering a wide range of preparedness strategies and tips.

– Survival Sherpa
Many DIY projects with a special emphasis on Woodcraft and primitive technologies.

– Around the Cabin
A versatile website for prepping, homesteading, and general self reliance. Includes recipes and depression-era tips and tricks.

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