I use the phrase “Doing the stuff” in my salutation. I also started #DoingTheStuff hashtag on Twitter. I think I’m the only soul on the planet of 7 billion to use it. So much for trending. Who cares. This simple phrase has preparedness power. If you use it on Twitter, you’ll soon rule the world.
Ever tried relaxing on a stool with two legs? Not comfortable. Your body is constantly balancing and tense. A third leg would allow you to rest as much as possible on a stool. Your preparedness plan may only have one or two legs that are weak at best. As a hobbyist craftsman and one passionate about self-reliance and preparedness, I’m outlining my Rule of Threes for Doing the Stuff.
- Acquiring the Stuff
- Knowing the Stuff
- Doing the Stuff
To avoid long hours of surfing the web and a headache from information overload, I’ll break down the Rule of Threes for you.
3 Seconds: If you find yourself in a deadly sleeper hold in a MMA match, tap out in two seconds. By a count of three, with no blood flow to the brain, you’ll blackout and be totally embarrassed in your flaming speedos with the word “Juicy” on the backside. Same goes for a heart attack or other serious blood restricting injury.
3 Minutes: Without O2, the typical humanoid’s lights turn off. Whatever the cause, air flow has to be jump started to live again.
3 Hours: You lose your ability to perform even gross motor skills when over exposed to extreme heat or cold. Death by hypothermia or hyperthermia is the number one cause of death in most wilderness survival scenarios. Find shelter and strip down to those “Juicy” trunks when it’s hot.
3 Days: You’ve only got three days (dependent upon temperature and exertion) to live without H2O. Factoid: Our cellular composition (not cell phones – you have to clarify these days) consists of up to 60% water, the brain is composed of 70% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight, as is the brain; body fat contains 10% water and bone has 22% water. About 83% of our blood is water, which helps digest our food, transport waste, and control body temperature. There are exceptions to this rule. Club yourself in the head and hibernate like Mitsutaka Uchikoshi for 24 days.
3 Weeks: Most folks can only survive without food for 3 weeks. In our obese America, this Rule of Threes may be extended. What happens when you run out of Twinkies? Time to throw a Donner party. The family pets don’t look so unappetizing now do they?
The Rule of Threes helps us prioritize and build a sturdy preparedness platform.
Doing the Stuff in simplest form means:
A.) Acquiring the stuff. I know. Shiny objects are fun to collect. But remember, this is only one leg of Doing the Stuff. In today’s shrinking productive class, many find it quite challenging to just buy food for the week much less stock one to three months worth of beans under the bed. Think frugality. DRG’s last paycheck came at the beginning of this month. She hopes to return to work after Christmas when she’s done with the radition/chemo treatments. Lean times are waiting for our tribe. It’s not like we’ve never rode this bull named Scarcity. Fortunately, we stocked up when times were good. Think like the ant, not the grasshopper.
Photo credit: http://www.sodahead.com/
If you have plenty of fiat currency growing on that green back tree out back, pick a bushel and use it now to acquire more tangible stuff. I’m not into the Zombie Apocalypse – I’m not trying to scare anyone, but…Prepare now for the collapse that must come. Even if it never happens, the tangibles you stock now will be worth more next year than today. Especially after Helicopter Ben showers us with Quantitative Easing 3. Tangibles trump paper! Keynesian economics will fail. Brace for impact.
What stuff should I get? All kinds of stuff related to the Rule of Threes listed above. Each individual has their own unique set of needed stuff. Don’t be afraid to buy stuff that you have no clue how to use. Others will. Bartering stuff and skills is on the rise as our country suffers through our Keynesian economic depression. So get busy acquiring the stuff.
B.) Knowing the stuff. Personal preparedness requires knowing how to do things for yourself.
Remember watching Katrina refugees in YOYO (You’re On Your Own) mode? Uncle Sam can’t fix dependency. Why would our government undo what it has spent decades and billions of dollars to build (entitlement mentality). Knowledge is power. Anyone with an elementary observation should conclude that living below sea level is foolish.
There’s another angle to YOYO I’ve seen on survivalist forum discussions. The Hollywood vision of being a lone wolf living off the land. If that’s you, please reconsider your strategy. When it comes to knowing all the stuff needed to survive, we all have things to learn. Plus, with the exception of my sixth grade history teacher, humans are wired for companionship. Build your tribe with different knowledge bases.
While I pride myself in being a jack-of-all-trades, I’m far from expert in my piddling. Mediocrity will have to do in most cases. Expert status is not required to survive. That’s why it’s important to develop relationships with others that can add value to your tribe via voluntary association. I’m sure I could pull a tooth if called upon. How hard can it be, right. But my victim patient would get better results from my dentist friend two farms down the road. I’d much rather barter my skill for his.
There are certain strengths that deserve my focus. I shore up the weak legs as I can. There’s not enough daylight to be an expert at all three legs of preparedness. So, I chose to focus on the last leg, the most important to the stability of my preparedness platform.
C.) Doing the Stuff. This leg deserves our devotion and full attention. Whether it’s random acts of prepping or scheduled list following, physical action is required. The proverbial rubber meeting the road. Curb your appetite for stupid reality shows and get busy. Take up a new hobby. Read a book on preparedness. Take detailed notes. Knock out a few of the DIY projects on the honey-do list. Get healthy and fit. Rediscover play. Don’t forget to enjoy life on your journey to preparedness and self-reliance.
Don’t allow yourself or your family to be at risk because you never practiced skills that would satisfy the Rule of Threes. Some ‘experts’ give cookie cutter solutions on what’s most important. Water usually tops the list. It all depends on your emergency situation. What if… you’re stranded in a driving, 35 degree rain without proper clothing and gear. I’d say shelter and fire wins your immediate attention. Use your head and plan accordingly. Producers will out survive leeches. Do you have a plan, and more importantly, have you practiced the plan to provide water, shelter, food, and defense?
Knowing what to do with the stuff takes practice. Knowing and doing are not the same. Under stress, we do what we practice. When the unprepared, government sponsored looter population dies off, rebuilding will begin. Will you be able to survive to help rebuild? If so, will you be able to add original value to the effort?
I’m planning to. How about you?
Keep Doing the Stuff of Self-Reliance,
Todd
P.S. – You can also keep up with the Stuff we’re Doing on Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook… and over at the Doing the Stuff Network.
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