In a world of specialists and those that can “do everything for you”; what could be missing from your life?

Sure, there are valid reasons for someone else to do it for you, maybe you don’t have time or you don’t know how. What did people do before this avalanche of specialized helpers buried our creative individualism? What was life like before we had all of this help, was it really that much harder? Is life better with all of our technological advances?

• We don’t need to wash clothes down at the stream, we have a washing machine.
• We don’t need to forage for food, we just drive down to the local grocer.
• We don’t need to walk great distances, we can just hop in the car.
• We don’t need to know how to take care of an injury, we just go to the doctor.

But what if suddenly you lost the ability to utilize that technology for a week, or a month? Who would you turn to, your neighbors? Wouldn’t they be in the same “boat” as you? Now what? Would you start trying to remember what your Mother or Grandfather used to tell you, or do you start to panic and look for that box buried in the attic that has your Eagle Scout manual in it?

After you read this article the statement that should be popping into your head might be;

When someone does the “thinking” for you, you are limited by them.

I could go even further and say, you are “controlled” by them, but that would be ridiculous right? Now realize, I am not saying you have an antenna on your back and they have a remote control that is forcing you to do their will, that is ridiculous. When I say you are “controlled” by someone or something I mean to say, you are limited by their ideas and experiences and you must return to them for the next step or the next understanding.

We have all been there, remember when you purchased that great new “something” that needed to be assembled and realized the instructions were missing? If it was a complicated item you probably first panicked and then started shouting out all the injustices that have befallen you. The truth is you suddenly felt limited and alone.

There is no difference in the scenario of missing instructions than what you would feel if you suddenly lost access to all that convenient technology, just on a much larger scale. I am sure the next thought to flash into your head, even before all the possible answers or ideas of blame start flooding in, would be, how did this happen and who do I call?

How did this happen? It happened because you allowed it to happen, it was your decision “not to learn how” and to take advantage of those that did. For decades thinking this way has now become the “norm”. Why would you want to learn how when you don’t need to? Why waste the time when you could be watching TV, chatting with friends, or entertaining. We don’t learn things unless we need to. Basically we only learn to do things when we are forced to by circumstances. It’s human nature! So what is it we have lost?

We have lost the creative ability of self preservation.

The purpose of this article is to get you to start asking yourself, why wait for circumstances to dictate what you need to learn? Maybe, you could start today! Make a decision to learn something that will help you when you are feeling limited and alone. Wouldn’t you like the second thought that flashes in your head on that occasion to be, “Oh, I know how to do that!”? Hmm? I bet you felt the release of tension by just reading that.

So, what’s one of the greatest teachings you will ever receive? It is the one that teaches you how to do it yourself! It is the gift that you give yourself every time you learn something that helps you to regain the creative ability of self preservation. In better terms, it is reclaiming your SOVEREIGNTY in all things.

Here are a few simple examples on how to get started…

• Wear your clothes more than once before washing.

  Its ok to wear your tee shirt again if you’re just hanging around the house. Extend the use of your towels a little longer before washing them. The point is, if you make this a routine, your family won’t be stressed out if your situation suddenly changes.

• Plant something edible.
  Start with an herb or tomato in a large pot. Purchase a book on how to grow food, keep it simple and light hearted. Start on your own and soon the whole family will want to be involved.

• Take a long walk.

  Start in your neighborhood and then adventure out to some local trails. Exercise, fresh air and sunshine, are a winning combination to fun and better health. Then take along a field guide to trees, plants or birds and now you make the adventure educational!

• Make up a first aid kit.

  Start simply and add to it over time. Some bandaids, an ace bandage, healing salve, and assorted other items all in one neat kit, in an easy to find location, will do the job. Add to it a First Aide reference and slowly add other items the are recommended.

• Take a camping trip.

  Even if it’s in your own back yard the idea here is to “do without” your conveniences for a day or two. You never know, you may just have a little family fun in the process.

Remember these “exercises” are to make you feel comfortable about doing something different and to introduce these new tasks in a relaxed, fun, and safe environment. If the need arises in an “inconvenient” moment, your anxiety will be minimal because it is something you have already experienced and therefore know what to do. And when that unplanned moment arises just before you panic, what will flash into your head? Yup, you guessed it!

“Oh yeah! I know how to do that!”

NOTE: Remember the road to “Health” is learning to relax and de-stress the body. These “exercises” are just one of the many ways to do that. Planning and preparing are a great de-stressing activity, try it, you’ll see.