Emergency Preparedness in San Clemente

Do You Live In The Zone?

Usually, when people think about "emergency preparedness", they think of armed survivalists or religious fundamentalists in compounds waiting for the end of the world with their sacks of rice and beans; or you may think of FEMA or the Red Cross swooping in to deliver aid to those affected by disaster. The idea of emergency preparedness is not one that is high on the list of priorities for those who believe in a "create your own reality" universe. After all, why would I prepare for something I don't want to happen? Won't that just create it? Many people I have spoken to on the subject feel that preparedness is fear based and not something that should be seriously considered if you are "truly spiritual".

I disagree. There are some very good reasons why we, as spiritually aware people, need to seriously consider emergency preparedness as part of our world service. As usual, I'm not pulling any punches here, and you may find some of what I have to say to be a bit intense. I feel it is crucial at this time to share this perspective. Take it on board or don't, as you feel called. :)

1. You can't share what you don't have. This is a true statement for healers, and for daily life. If you are depleted and have nothing to give, you can't do your work in the world. If you are filled with energy, you can easily give to others. Regarding emergencies, I've heard many people say things like "we'll all just pool our resources and make it together". That's a great concept. But, what resources are you going to be sharing? If no one has prepared, what resources there are will rapidly diminish and its all downhill from there. If you are prepared with food, water and emergency supplies, you will be in a position of being able to help others. If you aren't prepared, you will be putting much of your energy toward locating resources instead of aiding in recovery.

2. Preparedness is honoring the natural pulse of creation. Until very recently in human experience, we understood that nature has periods of plenty and periods of not-so-plenty. Harvest was followed by Winter, then followed again by spring and increasing resources. It astounds me that so many of the people I connect with no longer believe that honoring this cycle is necessary. Our habits of convenience and comfort are what have thrown the Earth out of balance and have created a false sense of the natural cycle of ebb and flow. Every indigenous culture that we claim to honor for their knowledge of living in balance with the Earth practices food and resource storage because they understand these pulses of nature. In order to live in balance with the planet, we need to honor this cycle once again and return to practices of harvesting in times of plenty and preparing that abundance for sharing in times of lack.

3. Love vs. Fear. When you are prepared, there is no reason to be scared. You know you have what is needed to meet basic needs, which means that you will be experiencing much less stress in an emergency situation. Stress causes massive damage to our physical and energetic bodies. It has been shown in clinical studies that people in states of stress do not think as clearly or make decisions that are as sound as those of people who are not in a physiological stress state. Stress makes people selfish, greedy and violent because it activates our animal physiology and our animal emotional nature. When you are not in stress, you make better decisions and are more likely to act with kindness, love and philanthropy.

4. Gardens take time to grow. If there should be some type of emergency that interrupts food supply chains, don't count on eating out of your garden anytime soon, unless it happens in the midst of your growing season. Anyone who has grown a garden knows its takes months before you can begin any kind of sustained harvest. Once harvest peaks and is gone by, you will still need other resources to process and preserve your harvest for the fallow time. In addition to storing organic, heirloom seeds, you will also want to think about canning jars and other ways to store the food you grow.You'll also want to think about what you would need to see you through until that harvest is available.

5. "If I don't focus on it and give it my energy, it won't happen". This is truly one of the most sophomoric applications of positive thinking I have encountered, and tantamount to saying "If you ignore a problem, it will go away". I do believe that we create our reality. And, there are almost 7 billion people on this planet at the moment, and every one of them is a Creator. Is it not rational to think that perhaps the creations of others can affect us as well, and that not everything is about me and my creations, but may be about us and our creations? Collectively? Isn't this where we are meant to be going right now?

If you believe that positive visualization will allow you to be insulated from discomfort, think on this: Out of the 7 billion people on Earth, there are currently 1 billion people in the world who are hungry or clinically starving. Do you truly think that those people are not focusing on and praying for food every moment of every day? Yet it doesn't fall out of the heavens for them or manifest on their doorsteps. Do you believe that your prayers and positive thinking in an emergency will cause the Universe to cough up resources to save you? The Universe provides us with a sense of what's coming so that we can prepare and not expect miracles to save us from our own poor choices.

Emergencies of all sizes and types happen all the time and are going to continue to occur with greater frequency in the immediate future. Ignoring that reality will not make it go away. A conscious application of positive thinking would be focusing on manifesting what is needed now. Not waiting until there is an emergency and trying to manifest your needs then. Even if you personally are not involved in an emergency, being prepared means that you have an instant way to assist those who are.

6. Personal Responsibility: This brings us to the point of personal responsibility. Are you creating a reality in which you have abundance and are able to share abundance? or are you creating a reality where you are in lack and everyone around you is in lack? If you are not living in balance with the pulse of Universal Creation, you are-- intentionally or unintentionally-- creating a situation where lack will prevail instead of abundance. You are ultimately responsible for yourself and your own needs-- and you are spiritually responsible to alleviate suffering where you find it. Ask yourself how those responsibilities translate to emergency situations and act accordingly.

7. Its not about survival. Its about assuming your role in supporting humanity through the shift. Preparedness is not necessarily about survivalism, though there are plenty of survivalists out there. I am prepared, but I don't fear death. I will die. That's a given. in fact, I personally look forward to it. I've been there and its a much better neighborhood than this one. So, fear of death isn't my driving motivation in practicing emergency preparedness. Its more important to me to consider how I am going to live. I have dedicated my life to serve. I don't practice preparedness because I am suddenly going to board up my windows and start shooting people who come for aid. In fact, in understanding human nature, I believe people are much more likely to go militant if they aren't prepared and are stressed by circumstances.

Everyone is talking about this incredible transformation humanity is undergoing. Yet, so few people seem prepared to actually have their reality change. Change inherently means there is a period of instability as the old is cleared and the new is prepared. Our lives are not going back to the way they were. Our social structures, economic structures, political structures, etc. are all in the process of transformation. Change brings a mandate for response-ability. How able are you to respond to sudden change? Will you be prepared to assist others through this shift as well?

8. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. If an emergency should happen and you are unprepared, you are going to be a drain on the resources of others. Expecting that someone else is going to save you when you chose not to take heed of prophecy, Earth signs, social signs and spiritual signs of impending shift means that you are consciously choosing to take from others instead of providing for yourself. "God helps those who help themselves" is an old saying that has been proven to me time and time again through my own experiences and spiritual practice. Spirit supports us and can even push us in a direction, but it can't make us act. That is where our own free will and personal character come into play. Spirit has shown us what is coming, indeed, it is already here. It is each person's responsibility to act accordingly.

9. What level of consciousness will govern the new reality? If the majority of people who are prepared for emergencies are militant or religious fundamentalist, what will that look like on the other side of the shift? Who will hold the new vision? Who will have influence? Something to think about. We need to ensure that a higher consciousness prevails by being in a position to share and cooperate with others. The most fundamental way to do that is to be prepared to offer assistance, comfort, Love and Spirit with any we can touch. Preparedness makes it much easier to be in a position to do that.

10. Enough= your own needs plus extra to share. You cannot truly be abundant unless you share. Focusing soley on your own needs will lead to fear and hoarding. Planning on how you will share during an emergency ensures an energy of abundance as well as its physical reality.

I came into this life knowing clearly that this time would come, and that it was my destiny to be here on the planet to assist in some way. Don't we all feel that way? Contribution is a primary part of spiritual belief in most philosophies. A large part of that contribution needs to be spiritually based positive visioning of a world in Peace and Plenty. The next part of that needs to be taking action to make that vision a reality. And, consider that some of that contribution may also need to be on a very practical level-- especially as the world shift intensifies. As we move through this change, being prepared for the moments of discomfort will allow us to hold a higher level of consciousness and be models of true abundance and grace through transformation.

I know these ideas will challenge some of you and will meet with some opposition, but I know in my heart it is time to come out and share this message so that those who are called will hear it and take action. Tune into the Earth and notice what you feel. Look around and see what is occurring. What do you feel you are being shown? Take action on your guidance and follow the truth of your heart.

Don't survive. Thrive. Share. And, Prepare.

guest post via Naisha Ahsian