There are three constants for me in life: Family, Physical Fitness, and Mental Strength. I believe these are the most important pursuits for an individual to focus on. No matter the state of the world or what happens to you, these constants are rock solid, and cannot be easily taken.
I’m going to paint a picture and get you to see why I hold these variables so closely to my heart.
We live in a structured society, bound by rules, regulations and consumerism. No matter your status on the hierarchy, you’re affected by some, if not all of these things: state laws, federal laws, rent, mortgages, land & property deeds, insurances, paper currency, salaries, Wi-Fi, social media, TV streaming, etc. All of these items provide some sort of security and protection, for better or for worse.
These items also allow us to live comfortably and gives us a base structure of what to expect. Why learn how to fight, when I live in the safest community in town? Why work out, when my job requires sitting at a desk? Why maintain healthy and strong relationships, when I have TV and video games? Why train my mental strength, when I can just pop a pill or drink a beer when I’ve had a stressful day? It’s this mindset of, “The world works a “certain” way; therefore, I don’t need to prepare for anything else.”
I want you to imagine something for me. Imagine the society you know and have grown comfortable living within, being undone. A full collapse. The “apocalypse” just started – zombie outbreak, war destruction, aliens, you name it. Everything you have ever known and identified yourself with, no longer matters.
Your $800,000 salary? Gone.
Your 5 businesses you run? No one cares anymore.
Your 9-5 shift tomorrow? Non-existent.
The bodyguards who protect you? Good luck keeping them around.
The pieces of paper saying you own those properties? Tell that to the group of individuals who have taken them over.
So, what do you truly have left? Your body, your mind, and your immediate loved ones.
Now obviously, you may have some very important resources such as weapons, ammo, currency to trade, and food supplies – but I am talking about the things that aren’t easily replaced. Things that are harder, if not impossible to take from you. The constants.
So, in this new apocalyptic world we’re living in, it’s important we consider what truly matters now.
Constant 1: Physical Fitness
In a societal downfall, you need to be physically fit. A physically weak person will either not survive or be a burden to the group.
When someone attacks, can you fight back? Do you have the physical capacity to overpower your foe, or at least hold out long enough?
What if your car, with limited gas from the last remnants of normal society, breaks down, and you have to walk for miles to get to your next destination – can you do that?
Let’s consider a building your trapped in, falling apart from all the pressure of the rubble. You have minutes to get out before you get crushed under the weight of the building. Can you lift your body weight up and out of that high window that’s open?
Constant 2: Mental Strength
Life will be uncomfortable in this world, but not just physically. You are going to be tested and pushed past your perceived breaking points. This is where mental strength comes in.
If you break a limb while in a dangerous situation, such as an assault or animal chase, can you redirect your focus from the pain and onto the very pressing matter at hand?
Life is going to be very unpredictable in the face of societal collapse – moving from location to location, not knowing what dangers tomorrow will bring – how will you manage your inner peace?
There are also no more doctors or therapists immediately available to give you pills for your symptoms. Have you learned how to deal with your panic attacks without popping a Xanax?
Constant 3: Family
As Aristotle has stated, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” No matter how powerful your mind and body may be, you will face obstacles that can only be solved through teamwork. Companionship, trust, and love will get you through the darkest days ahead.
When you feel like giving up, when you are weak and need to be carried, when you are injured, will you have a group of individuals around that you can truly count on? Have you fostered these bonds in your previous life?
Family isn’t just blood; it includes the deep connections you’ve made with other humans. Brotherhood and Sisterhood. Husbands and Wives. I would argue that having strong bonds with other humans is the glue that will hold it all together when everything else comes crashing down.
The whole purpose of this isn’t to say that the only reason you should work on these three factors is to prepare for societal collapse – these are things I truly wish every human worked on in their lives right NOW. Imagine the type of society we would have if that were the case. The crazy thing is that most people won’t even consider these factors to be of importance until something as extreme as complete anarchy and destruction of societal norms happen.
By working on these three constants in the present day, you could save yourself from almost any situation that even modern life throws at you. Diseases, bankruptcy, being fired, traumatic experiences – these all can be overcame with power in the three constants.
My hope is that you realize you don’t have to wait for the apocalypse to happen in order to get your Family, Physical Fitness, and Mental Strength in order.
Work on what truly matters in life. Prepare for the worst, while appreciating living in the best.
One response to “The Three Constants in Life – with an Apocalyptic Theme”
[…] and even eliminate your symptoms. But what happens when those pills are gone? As I mentioned in the first article I ever wrote, if society collapses and our cultural norms we have been accustomed to get thrown out the window […]