By Ross Powell
In the course of awakening to the necessity of preparation and in the process of preparation itself, many of us have reached moments of great significance. These instants can alter the course of our lives and even possibly determine what our futures will look like. Have you ever encountered a moment where you felt overwhelmed by the many feasible and even probable dangers that you may confront in the near future? Have you ever been gripped by fear – the kind that is heavy in your gut and electric in your spine – after seeing a headline, report, or analysis? An intense realization of powerlessness typically accompanies such situations. We become acutely aware, sometimes entirely at once, that we can’t even make it in our own strength through some of the more benign scenarios that are potentially in the cards.
In such moments we are faced with a choice: denial or humility. We can simply suppress the painful feeling of helplessness and dismiss any information that could lead to such a nasty experience as not worth considering or just plain impossible. But I know that you’re not the ‘it could never happen to me’ crowd. You’ve traveled this path and know from experience that humility is the only productive way forward if you’re actually serious about preparation solutions. Perhaps this began when you realized that you weren’t going to be prepared without more physical resources – water, food, guns, ammunition, precious metals, medical supplies, tools, energy sources, communication resources, shelter, transportation, and anything else you’d care to name. This humility gap is relatively straightforward to bridge. Once supplies are secured the sense of helplessness can fade rapidly. However, there is a more subtle humility gap that we must overcome if we are going to achieve full spectrum preparation.
Having confidence in your own abilities and resources is mandatory for success. Yet even the seasoned expert must also retain the sensitivity to pricks of humility in order to avoid falling into the trap of overconfidence and the strategic and tactical errors that accompany it. We all have weaknesses. They’re nothing to be ashamed of. We can’t do everything all at once by ourselves no matter how sophisticated our skills and our preps. Who among us can keep a perimeter secure constantly? Even if you have the skills and experience to perform surgery, fix vehicles, translate languages, monitor communications, operate firearms, construct buildings, grow food, train animals, can goods, negotiate effectively, and even fly a plane you still only have two hands and you have to sleep. Not only that, but true preparation includes redundancies in material and skills as well as contingency plans. We should be totally unashamed to admit to ourselves and to others in the spirit of humility that we need help!
Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs. There are distinct and mutually reinforcing aspects of ministry and different gifts of the Holy Spirit. So it is with preparation. Full spectrum preparation mandates the development and maintenance of a Mutual Assistance Group (MAG). A MAG is a formal or informal group of like-minded individuals who encourage, train, and aid one another. Remember: a threefold cord is not easily broken. Several threefold cords – all functioning together – lead to exponential increases in supplies, tactical resilience, emotional endurance, situational effectiveness, and longevity. There are many different organizational forms for a MAG, but there is one common denominator: other people.
As all of us who have attempted to awaken family, friends, or people in general to the reality of the dangers that we are facing know, if you don’t use discernment in who you approach and what you say things can get out of hand in a heartbeat. The level of denial you face is often so comprehensive that any encounter with the truth of a troubling thought can in extreme situations cause a loved one to write you off completely in the face of cognitive dissonance. Even those who are open to hearing about the real nature of the problems that we face and what solutions we can implement practically are sometimes not ready for a fire hose style barrage of years of research, development, and decisions all at once. Cultivating a full spectrum preparation mindset requires the time and energy it takes to change your habits and your approach to life more generally.
While we can’t close ourselves off or withhold information when it would be appropriate to share, we have to be tactful, tactical, and discerning as it pertains to the situations when we are at liberty to spread the word about preparation and potentially recruit for our MAG. We cannot succumb to paranoia and distrust, but we must use discretion when bringing others on board. A MAG must consist of like-minded individuals with complementary skill sets. Ideally a MAG will train together and train each other. An expert in one field should instruct others in their primary skills in order to make sure that the group is as robust as possible. The formation of these groups is absolutely critical for true full spectrum preparation.
The expert in the field of MAGs is Forrest Garvin of the Carolina Survival & Preparedness Academy (http://carolinapreparedness.com/). Forrest hosts The Prepping Academy on Prepper Broadcasting every Friday at 9:00pm eastern (http://prepperbroadcasting.com/the-prepping-academy/). The Carolina Survival & Preparedness Academy offers a group class on MAGs, so if you’re interested in more information or any preparedness courses or offerings give Forrest’s group a call at (704) 494-9564 or send them an email at info@carolinapreparedness.com.
About Ross Powell, Survival401K.com
Ross Powell is the Founder of Survival 401k, LLC. Ross was raised in San Antonio and graduated from the University of Texas and is a veteran Naval Officer.
Ross worked in banking and finance for almost 30 years including some of the largest banks and insurance companies in the country. His intimate knowledge of the inner workings of financial institutions helps him direct clients into our Solo 401k product to take control of their retirement funds and escape the pitfalls many see in modern retirement portfolios. His knowledge and access to alternative investments outside of Wall Street has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs find predictable results by helping them segment their retirement plans into wealth preservation, growth and liquidity. An avid fan of being prepared for the unexpected, Ross also guides his clients in preparing their lives and portfolios for the changing world to make Wise Decisions in Perilous Times.
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