Imagine the cold air hitting your face as you hear the bullets whiz past your head. It’s snowing and you’re in a foreign country fighting for your life and the lives of those beside you. The distant echo of heavy artillery is barely audible, as the ring in your ears is ever so prevalent from the barrage of live fire which surrounds you. It’s hard to distinguish the smoke from the snow and yet the small bursts of fire thrown from the rifle barrels in front of you are clear as day. It’s as if the ground itself is moving with the heavy vibrations under your feet as you run. Indistinct screams and yells fill the gaps between explosions as you navigate through the bodies fallen on the earth’s floor…
Your fight for survival has only yet begun, for now you’re lying on the ground amidst the wounded, dying and dead. Others fly past you as if you’re just a part of the landscape. A pool of blood surrounds you in the freshly fallen snow and ashes. It is now that, the realization you’ve been shot, sets in. There’s no time to dress the wound though, the rifle barrels in your face take precedent. Your heart is seemingly pounding out of your chest. The last thing you remember is being drug like an animal, as your vision slowly fades to black…
When you awaken, a doctor is speaking to you in a foreign tongue as he hangs the bullet he pulled out of you around your neck. Soldiers bearing arms stand alongside him and when he’s done, grab you up and throw you with the other unfortunate souls. You are now a prisoner of war. The pain is more prevalent in this moment. Bewildered and confused, abandoned and captured, your mind tries to make sense of it all to no avail. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…
I can only fathom what my great uncle Herman really went through in WWII. He was eventually traded back like livestock. His whole life he carried that bullet around with him. He passed that round to my aunt Vicki and, in time, she in turn passed it on to me. I proudly wear it around my neck as a reminder that no matter what I go through, he survived- I can survive. Both my great uncle Herman and my aunt Vicki are with me at all times. I consider this talisman to more important than any other piece of kit that I carry. It’s a symbol of my will to maintain a positive mental attitude-the most important aspect of survival…
It doesn’t matter what book you read, what video you watch or what famous survival celebrity you follow. You will learn the same thing from all of them- Your attitude determines your altitude. However, how to keep and maintain that positivity is very rarely addressed. Shelter, fire, water, first aid, signaling, food and rest always get elaborated on. Shouldn’t the most important priority get more attention? I certainly believe so. Here’s how I do it…
Monkey see, monkey do. When I demonstrate a skillset to students, it isn’t long before they’re searching the Matrix to buy the tools that I use. I was flattered earlier in my career, yet something just didn’t settle with me well about it. Over time, I felt compelled to explain to students why I carry what I carry before I even use my gear for demonstrations. First, I tell them my tools match my skillset, and that the tools themselves don’t produce the outcome, my experience does. You should be able to do a lot with a little and produce more with less. What tool works for me might not be the best tool for you. Only time invested with a variety of tools will tell you what’s best for you. But that’s not all I communicate…
There’s always a better tool for the job. After all, every piece of kit in your bag is a compromise. Think about it. Does your tarp protect you as well as the roof over your head? Do you prefer a wool blanket atop a debris bed over your cotton sheets on a box spring bed at home? Can you carry as much in your backpack as you could in your vehicle? Understanding that point will change the way you view your gear. The most important tool in the toolbox is your mind and the will to do that which is necessary in order to survive. Any resources you might happen to have are just a plus. Seek the knowledge, gain the experience and utilize what resources you have. Survival isn’t mega bucks- it’s mega ingenuity…
Most of the items I carry and use were gifts from people I look up to, respect and admire. When I carry these items with me, I draw strength from the people that blessed me with these presents. Some of my gear has been to war. Some of it has traveled all over the world. Certain items were passed on to me, while others were purchased and given freely out of love. Some earned a place in my kit over the years as they have literally saved my life and the lives of others. Every item in my pack means something to me, and when the going gets tough, I don’t just rely on the tools, I rely on the people’s spirits that have so generously helped me along the way…
I make it a point to tell students that gaining confidence through experience is the key to maintaining a positive mental attitude during stressful situations. I encourage them to train outside of their comfort zones. You won’t truly know how you will react under stress unless you train under stress. I teach the “whole person concept.” Everything is connected. If your body is fatigued, so is your mind. If your heart is hurting, every part of you suffers with it. If your soul is lost, so is every other part of you. Balance is the goal. Knowing yourself is the beginning of wisdom. Figure out ALL of your needs, not just some of them. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…
In the end, I want to challenge all of you to really focus on what’s truly important. Being positive isn’t something you just turn on- it’s a way of life. Work towards building meaningful relationships while working on your confidence by practicing your skillsets. Realize your gear is the least important factor while your mind is the most powerful and useful tool you will ever have. Perhaps it’s time to re-think the items in your kit and why you carry them. What tools do you carry that help you maintain a positive mental attitude? My great uncle Herman’s bullet I wear around my neck serves as a unique symbol of my will to survive. Start the PMA challenge right now so that when opposing forces come your way, you will be victorious. Stay positive. PREVAIL.
-Jonathan