by Todd Walker
How many people are buying what you’re selling?
Last week I had an email conversation with Gaye Levy over at Backdoor Survival. I wondered how we could reach more folks with the message of practical preparedness. It got me thinking… and asking…
Have you ever wondered, like I have, what makes two people of equal intelligence and very much alike choose completely different options when it comes to preparedness.
Even members of the same family, raise by the same parents, often don’t turn out the same. There’s one that chooses to prepare for the future and the other thinks her “prepper” brother has lost his ever-loving mind and totally cuckoo.
Forgive me for using the cliché “two minds are better than one,” but I’m researching how to better persuade reluctant family members and friends to begin preparing and building resilience and need your help.
There are articles on this specific topic on the net. What I’m looking for though, is specific strategies, tips and techniques you personally have used or witnessed first hand. Even stories of how a toddler might have flipped the prepper switch on for you. Nothing is off-limits.
You can send your tips to me on my blog in the comment section, email (survivalsherpa at gmail dot com), or Twitter. After I get the real-life stories together, I’ll publish the article, giving credit to all who assisted (or leave you anonymous – whatever you like).
Thanks in advance for your insight and help – you persuasive prepper, you!
Keep doing the stuff,
Todd
Related articles
- 7 Surprising Reasons Why Americans Aren’t Prepared for What’s Coming (survivalsherpa.wordpress.com)
- Ability Is A Poor Prepper’s Wealth (familysurvivalprotocol.com)
Survival Sherpa 
In my mind history is the most powerful and persuasive method of motivating people toward preparedness. History reveals that there are always conspiracies, there are always new wars, and disasters will eventually come. Nothing remains the same forever, history proves that we are always in a state of flux and that game will come. If it is bad for you or the area where you live now, eventually things will change for the better. But if it is all good in your life and where you live, you can bet that eventually hard times will come. How did our predecessors fare when the changes came and why? What families were best able to cope with that blizzard, that hurricane or that great earthquake? How did people survive major catastrophes in the past? I asked many of the generation who lived through the great depression here in Alabama how they coped with the hardship, there answer was that they were so poor and lived off of the land anyway that they hardly even noticed the depression. They were already living in survival mode when the depression struck! I found that those people lived their lives knowing that there next meal depended on God, it was He that gave rain and sunshine in the right proportions for their crops to grow and the harvest to be bountiful, one bad year and they would have starved!That bit of history tells me that if another such depression comes it will probably be the people who are already in survival mode that will be the least affected by it, and it will be those who trust God more than in themselves or in Governments who will ultimately survive. History clearly shows that no one is guaranteed to survive any specific event, but those who have thought ahead and are better mentally, spiritually and physically prepared have the best chance of survival. My own personal survival preparedness depends more on my faith in God than on my own skills and ability to prepare, I know that it is impossible to be prepared for every event, so I simply do what I can and what is reasonable and what seems prudent, then I trust God with the rest. If I survive it will be because God willed it to be in the same way that my next breath will come, my life here was given by God and when the time comes it will be taken in and by His will. Those who depend only on themselves and their own abilities and preparations are doomed to failure.
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Thanks Lee. I know my parents tell stories of past family members that made do with and without. You’re right. They were so far in survival mode that they didn’t even know the rest of the country was in a depression. Things seemed normal for them 🙂
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25 years ago, my brother in law preached doom-and-gloom, that the end times were coming. we laughed at him, thought he was cuckoo. as i’ve gotten “older and wiser”, i understand more of what he was saying. although i don’t openly show family my preps, if they see my food pantry, and start asking me WTH, i’ll just offer some generic advice such as, “well, the paper industry (my hubby’s profession), is closing mills all over the country…he could lose his job next week, this is food insurance”. they don’t know about the weapons/ammo.
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Any bad scenario could happen at anytime and we can’t prepare for everything. There’s too many unknowns. I applaud you and your family for thinking ahead. Job security is a thing of the past. I’ve heard so many other stories similar to yours Lynne. With rising food prices today, your smart to stock the pantry with food insurance.
We’re planning on separating our eggs out of the one basket as much as possible. Ideas are coming to us. Now, we’ve just got to do it. Starting is always the hardest part.
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Wish I had something helpful to link or throw out here but I’ve got nada. I really look forward to seeing if others respond with helpful ideas and whatnot…could use the help here, too. I am the family *loon* and after more than a decade I’ve just flat quit trying to explain myself or the way I think/live. It really sucks but all I do anymore is shrug and tell folks that if something goes wrong, we’re set and if not, it’s just satisfying to be as self-reliant as possible.
Sometimes a bit of spite rears up in my thoughts when I get “The Look” but I manage to choke down the urge to respond with, “and don’t come knocking on my door for a handout when you’re caught unprepared” but I know when push comes to shove, I’d not ever deny someone help.
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I’m asking because I really have no idea either. I’m approaching the whole preparedness thing in terms of building a more resilient and sustainable way of living. A practical lifestyle. Not sure how to persuade, or if I should even be worried about it.
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I think growing up in a rural setting lets me see this prepping thing in a different light. We have always had a large enough garden that would let us can for the year and still feed Grandma as well. Chickens, fruit, livestock, to hunt game and make sausage in the cold of winter are just an enjoyable part life. To put up 5 gallons of well water before bad weather because the lights might go out is practical sense. I have close friends who don’t worry one little bit about anything because “We can’t fix it”. A 22 and a box of shells, a sack of beans and the we’ll get by logic. Do they have the 22 shells and beans, probably not so we should all be teaching them by example, let them watch you in action living a normal country life. Think about this, I am fortunate to still be living in the same little place that we lived when I was born and to have watched many people move in and after a couple of years move away and the word “neighbor” has gone it’s definition is meaningless. We all have to work on this, this is a big part of being prepared, “neighbor” is a place in life that has value, responsibility and undefinable gratification and the first step to being prepared. All our preparedness may fail at some point and we need to know who we can call our neighbor.
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Excellent points Rick. I’ve gotten several people who have echoed the “live by example” meme.
The neighbor issue is so overlooked in the preparedness community at times. Neighboring is like anything else, if it’s important, we’ll make time for it. Here’s an article on the importance of neighboring from a few months ago:
Sounds like we had similar experiences growing up. Makes miss my home place. Mom and Daddy still keep it going down on the land. Going back for a visit soon 🙂
Really appreciate you responding and adding your insight!
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