This Can't Be Happening

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

A survival expert once wisely taught that if you live long enough, you will find yourself in interesting times.

Of course, none of us ever really believes that we’ll find ourselves in a truly life-threatening situation, right up until the moment we’re in one.

This is when having the right mindset can make all the difference.

The first challenge that most people face in a serious crisis moment is being able to accept the reality of what’s happening. 

Anyone who has ever uttered the words, “This can’t be happening,” is experiencing serious cognitive dissonance.

The next obstacle is being able to accurately assess what’s taking place in order to know what action to take.

Finally, there’s the task of choosing a course of action that won’t put us in further jeopardy.

There are ways to mitigate these risks and greatly increase our ability to respond to an unexpected crisis.

Practicing “what if” scenarios and training for specific situations help us to more quickly accept the reality of what’s happening, formulate a plan—even if it’s imperfect—and to take action.

This isn’t the same thing as living in fear of some impending disaster.

It’s recognition that each of us needs enough understanding of how the human mind works to be able to accept the situation, think quickly and to save ourselves and our loved ones.

Preparing for such possibilities can be the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.