SEAL Survival Guide (3 page)

It’s Time to Harden Up!

Many indulge in lifestyles without discipline, preferring the path of least resistance. The overall attitude of the population is geared toward seeking self-centered comfort and convenience. Obesity is at an all-time high, and the trivial distractions that surround us, from video games to our infatuation with trash TV, seem to be designed to make us weaker as a nation, and incidentally unprepared. No matter your age or the physical condition you are in right now, this is the time to begin a new
regimen and develop a mindset that will turn you into a survivor who can live with confidence and freedom in this changing world.

The world is a dangerous place and getting more so with each passing day. Yet, the United States is as soft as it’s ever been. It’s not a question of
if
but
when
the next man-made or natural disaster will occur. I don’t say this lightly, to posture as some crackpot doomsayer, but to give you the facts. If you want to make believe that all is just fine, then keep your head in the sand and put this book down right now. You’ll get nothing out of it.

The cold, hard reality is that the vast majority of people are simply not equipped to successfully deal with impending catastrophes, which will claim hundreds or even thousands of lives. In addition, you must be prepared to face personal dangers from crimes, accidents, and potentially fatal mishaps, which are increasing and will surely get worse in these perilous times.

I look forward to the day when this is no longer true. Until then, I will do everything in my power to teach you how to be a survivor and not a statistic. In this guide, I will provide a step-by-step plan for action to keep you alive during the most deadly circumstances.

When the unthinkable happens, you will have a Navy SEAL as your personal guide.

Be a survivor—not a statistic!

PART ONE

SEAL Mindset and
Survival Psychology

EXPAND YOUR COMFORT ZONE

You know your current comfort zone, defined as the daily routine you do and the things that make you feel secure, content, and in control. However, most of our daily comfort-zone rituals will leave us unprepared to deal with even the smallest discomfort and will certainly render us incapable of handling an emergency or life-threatening challenge.

Challenge Your Limits and Daily Routines

Push the boundaries of your comfort zone at least once a day. There are so many opportunities to do this without attempting all at once to become an ultra-marathon runner, although this is a great goal. You must first expand your mind to the possibilities of doing certain things that you previously believed unachievable. Start with small steps and note progress by keeping track; make a list, and check off all the things you do each day to challenge yourself, both physically and mentally. Ultimately, by expanding your comfort zone you will increase both your physical and mental toughness, which are the keys to survival.

I believe that if you first focus on changing small things, you can begin the process of thinking differently, and ultimately achieve the goal of acquiring the SEAL mindset of survival, which will allow you to endure anything. You will quickly see that
doing
things differently makes you
think
differently. Observe your current routine and then start by doing simple things another way. For example, use the stairs instead of the elevator to take you up only a few floors. Climb at a reasonable pace and know that when you reach the top, you have just
expanded your comfort zone. When in your car, don’t fight to get the space closest to the store, but purposely look for one that will make you walk. Force yourself to meet three new people and learn at least five things about them. If you have to balance your checkbook, leave the calculator in the desk and make your brain complete this task. Open up the contact list in your phone and memorize five numbers each day. You must seek out ways to expand both mind and body. Start paying attention to how you think about things. If you expand your comfort zone in this manner, you will be better able to do the rest. If you already exercise or jog, for example, increase your distance or speed. Run that extra mile, or run it a minute faster. Do that one additional push-up. Try holding your breath for a minute, and then try two. When in the shower, after scrubbing down with the warm water you usually prefer, finish the last thirty seconds with a blast of cold water. By pushing your physical limits, you are also forcing your brain to expand its comfort boundaries, thus gradually making yourself physically and mentally tougher.

Everyone’s comfort zone is different, so for some of us, expanding it means starting with drinking one less beer or forgoing dessert. Yet all of these little daily victories will bring us confidence later, especially when our lives depend on it. It’s so much easier to do nothing, and it seems natural not to bother, but I tell you: These first exercises are essential in changing your mindset and eventually can be the very things that will separate the survivors from the victims.

Here is a visualization I use: I like to imagine that pushing my comfort zone daily is similar to rolling a boulder up a hill. If I let it, the rock will always want to tumble back down, and I’ll have to start from the bottom again. Expanding the comfort zone on a daily basis will actually make it easier to get that boulder closer to the summit—and to our success or ultimate survival.

COMFORT ZONE CHECKLIST
(all answers need to be yes):

 Did I challenge myself today?

 Did I do something positive that my mind initially didn’t want to do?

 Did I do something positive that my body initially didn’t want to do?

 Can I do more?

INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL TOUGHNESS

So I’m telling you to get in shape, but here’s a different motivation that should make you finally do it. Ask yourself, “Is my body at a state of readiness that will get me through whatever might come my way?” Don’t like to exercise? You tell yourself there’s no time, or some other excuse, and ultimately never begin. But imagine when the time comes and those whom you love depend on you. How would you feel if you were unable to drag your child, sister, or father from a burning building because you were out of shape? Imagine if you were unable to outrun a mugger or a rapist because you were too winded.