Remember all of those online webinar classes we offered that you wanted to take but simply didn’t have the time to do so?  Or worse, the class was being taught in a time zone half way around the world from you, making it that much more challenging?

Perhaps you recall enjoying some of the classes we’ve had in the past but wished for more complete written information as a follow-up, or more recipes, or more visual “show how.” 

I think the one we hear the most is from people who wish that we had it recorded so that they could review it again and again.

Well, we’re happy to say that you’ve finally got all of your wishes! Whew! And boy, are we tired! *grin*

As of October 1^st, we will begin to release our best and most requested training events in a prerecorded and a complete written format. We’ve expanded the written content to be more book-like, so that the training therein can stand on its own, and we’ve expanded the visual portion of the class so its more comprehensive and inclusive of some of the aspects that have gotten left out in the past webinars because we’ve run out of time.  Now with this new format all you have to do is get comfortable in front of your computer either by yourself or with family and friends, any time you want to learn about your most compelling preparedness topics! Even better, since the training is now broken down in chapters, if there is a portion which you want to bypass because of your existing expertise, you can easily do so without wasting your time or diluting your enjoyment.

Whether you prefer to watch a demonstration or read instructions, these perfectly combined packages of education will provide you the same quality of instruction you’ve come to expect from The Preparedness Pro with just a little exception—convenience! You can now watch the training as much or as little as you want and you can also read a complete synopsis of the training event PLUS additional written resources in print. And since we’ve chosen to embrace the world of technology in delivering these courses to you, there are no shipping costs! Yeah! While I must say I’ve been exhausted trying to put all of this together and keep up with the blog, my health and the health of a very dear friend, I have to say I’ve been so EXCITED! Every time one of you has e-mailed me expressing disappointment that you were going to miss a date of an event, or that you wished there was more written content etcetera, I just knew this had to get done.  In fact, it’s actually better for us all this way. I can take a vacation if I want (ha! Like that will happen) and you can enjoy it at 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. I love that your family and busy schedules no longer need to be sacrificed just so that you can get complete Preparedness Training.

Additionally, since I’m no longer restricted by time restrictions or seat capacities, I’ve opted to provide detailed and fully comprehensive visual and written education of the most requested training events that have been offered in the last 2 years PLUS the ones that you guys keep hollering for. By revamping previous courses and creating some long-overdue ones, I’m confident that this venue of training will over-deliver and exceed your expectations every time. I’ve added a lot more content into the video portion of the classes, and gone to the expense of editing both the visual and the written portions.  Neither you nor I are restricted any more by a “reasonable amount of time to expect someone to sit through a class” or those “bladder breaks” we’ve experienced during the training. *grin*  YOU get to decide when that takes place with the push of the pause button. 

There’s even better news too. Thanks to the pool of talent I’ve encountered during the first step of assembly for these products, I can now provide you with some of the classes that you’ve been asking for that don’t portray themselves very well in a Powerpoint and voice presentation. This means, yes, you will now have access to Pressure Cooking and Making Wheat Meat in a video format! Yeah!! And did I mention that there are also a lot of great recipes? Yup. I know there will be a few of you excited about that. Each recorded visual presentation will provide you with a quality learning experience, complete with a detailed resource guide for you to reference again and again. This new development means no more cutting corners on a vital topic just because of time restraints. No more getting up early on a Saturday morning just so you can make a class halfway around the world! And no more missing the classes you want but just can’t seem to find time for. Enjoy these highly educational topics at your own pace and in accordance to your own interest. Simply slip into your most comfortable set of clothes, curl up with some munchies, and enjoy this vital training anytime, anywhere, you desire.

I love that the folks in both coasts of the U.S., South Africa, Norway, and Scotland can ALL enjoy this now. I’ve been trying to get it done for what seems like forever, but now it’s really here! Excuse me while I whoop!

Just be aware that we’re not going to release them all at once. And even though we’re spending some bucks to try and make them as professional and thorough as possible, we’re going to price them modestly. It’s more important to me that you have the training but not at the cost of other vital preparedness items.

So what I’ll be doing is as soon as I get a class ready for  the final editing stages, I’ll announce a pre-release of the course about 30 days prior to its official launch date. Any persons who purchase the class during that pre-release time frame will get a substantial discount. Even better, for this first pre-release, those of you who have already enjoyed the live webinar version of the two classes we’re prelaunching  will receive the new, more complete one, but with a $7 credit  towards your purchase! In othe words, if you paid  for The Wonderful World of Wheat in the last 12 months, you’ll be able to purchase at the pre-release price of $20, and then we will credit you $7.  My husband isnt’ too keen on that cause he knows how much info I provided in the first place. But he’ll get over it. hee hee.  (We wanted to do a full credit of your previous class, but the logistics of that were a nightmare since we had so many different prices over the last year. *sigh)  Anyway, I like offering a little something extra cause I’m so excited about the launch!  This way you get the best of both worlds without having to pay for it twice at full price!  Remember, the previous tuition credit will be credited to applicable purchasers after you’ve made the purchase and the offer is only good during the pre-release period which ends after the first 50 purchases. So don’t delay if you want that extra savings.

Now I realize that there are some of you out there who are a little technically challenged. To be truthful, I’m probably one of the worst. But I assure you that viewing these classes this way will be super easy. All you need is your computer and an internet connection and you can enter a world of professional, detailed, and accurate preparedness knowledge!  Remember, this isn’t just audio. This is a visual class presentation PLUS the written resource as well. You can even save the materials to your own computer to view at your leisure.  No matter what you choose to do in your preparedness preparation, I believe I’ve still managed to create some fun, professional, and upbeat classes that will really help you be prepared in many different areas. The fun, professional and upbeat style of The Preparedness Pro will expertly steer you in each of your preferred topics.

So are you ready for the first batch of pre-released classes? Here they are!

Due October 1^st, 2010—“Enough and to Spare” Coupon Training Boot Camp

This 4+ hour training will expound on every possible coupon saving strategy so that you can get the most out of this important financial strategy. Not only will you save literally hundreds of dollars a month using this training, but you’ll also be quickly putting together your preparedness supplies for free or cheap!  Unlike previous education opportunities, this class now comes with the exclusive book “Enough and to Spare” written by Kellene Bishop. You will find out where to get all of your coupons, how best to manage them, when to use them, where to use them, and how to stay on top of them without feeling overwhelmed!   There are literally hundreds of people who have taken this class and have loved it—even those who were already couponing! This particular class impacts 7 out of 10 of your Principles of Preparedness, so it’s definitely not one to miss!

Regular Retail price Oct. 1^st is a steal at only $45 but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $30!

Next:

Due October 1^st, 2010—“The Wonderful World of Wheat”

I’ve been teaching this class for over 10 years now and it’s continued to develop and expand. Now I’ve got all of the aspects of wheat combined in one class—complete with valuable written information that you can reference at any time. For a more detailed description of this class, just go to this link.

Regular Retail Price Oct. 1^st is only $30, but the Pre-Sale Special Price is only $20!

More Classes Coming Soon! I’ll be sure to let you know when they are coming out and give everyone the pre-release price opportunity as well. Look forward to these classes coming your way soon!

Pressure Cooking Galore!

 Solar Oven Success

 Neanderthals in the Kitchen

 Integrating Essential Oils

 UNDERWhelmed in Food Storage

 Food Pantry Makeover

 Financial Velocity

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky@preparednesspro.com

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

I’ve been reading a great book over the last couple of weeks, “Molon Labe.” In it the author reminds the reader several times that all fights are decided before the battle begins. The point being that it’s the level of preparation which takes place before a battle which determines the victor.  To me that’s certainly what preparedness is all about—a way to ensure that we win as many of life’s battles as are thrown at us, but this particular saying comes in full view when it comes to physically defending yourself as well.

In the case of the self-defense, I advocate consistent, challenging practice which will ensure successful self-defense BEFORE an encounter ever occurs. While any attacker may have life-long experience as a bully or a law breaker, it doesn’t make him/her superior to you in their battle with you specifically. Through consistent mental and physical rehearsal you stack all of the odds in your favor when applied to various “what if” scenarios. Your level of preparedness, not your knee-jerk responses, determines your state of victory. This is how you win your battles before they ever begin.

Even better, confidence, calm, presence of mind, necessary tools, and a clear conscience are the fruits of such preparation—even if you are called upon to defend yourself, which may result in harming another person.  For years, some of our nation’s most advanced warriors are able to maintain mental stability by mentally preparing for scenarios prior to their engagements, thus literally allowing them peace of mind and conscience, in spite of the nature of the battle. There is simply no price of time or money that can be put upon such fruits, in my opinion.

This past Saturday I took a couple of my girlfriend’s children to the dollar theater to see “Shrek 4.” Both children were under 12, with the youngest being only 9 and who also has Asperger Syndrome. Unfortunately, by the time we were able to get into the theater for seating, there were very few options left for 3 people to sit together. Thankfully one of the theater employees escorted us to a side row of 4 seats, with the outside seat being occupied by a hefty man. The movie had just begun and so the employee quietly leaned down and requested the man allow us to scoot by him and be seated.  As if he had just been asked to relinquish control over his own private remote, and give up a years worth of beer, and run a 5K marathon, he responded as if he was quite put out.  His only “effort” to allow us to pass was to spread his overstuffed sausage legs further apart. Yes, it was so attractive,–not—and a bit creepy. Because of his size, it was still a bit difficult for the kids to get past him, let alone myself—who is also quite chubby. It would have been so much easier if he had simply got up from his seat, and stepped into the aisle a moment.  I suppose that I’m a bit spoiled nowadays with such a notion, as common sense and common courtesy seem to be anything but common. But I guess I’m spoiled by the man I married, as he certainly would have stepped out for us and any stranger. Needless to say, it was irritating to have an example of such rudeness displayed to the kids.  Well, being the somewhat sassy person that I am, I just couldn’t hold it in and it had to be heard. I just had to say it. And say it I did. “Well, I guess chivalry is dead”, I quietly demurred.

I didn’t have any anger when I made this statement, nor did I shout. I suppose that a kinder person would have just kept quiet and tolerated his rudeness, but I guess I’m not very good at keeping some of my thoughts to myself. Having said my two cents, I realized that such an inconsiderate man would have been compelled to say something in return, but I suppose I had simply expected an apathetic “whatever” from the sweating, heavy breathing mammoth.  Not that I expected an apology in response to my comment, but I was a bit startled with what did come out of his mouth. “Why don’t you just shut your mouth or I’ll punch you in the face!”

Wait a minute.  Did you really just threaten to physically assault a woman with two kids simply because she called you out?  Really? This was your very first instinct, to threaten physical violence in a packed movie theater without a care in the world as to the consequences?  This was your knee jerk, comfortable, standard response?  Folks, that’s saying a whole heck of a lot right there!  But more importantly, understand what I’m about to share with you here.  I’m only 5’2 ½”—yes, you’ve got to count the ½ inch. *grin*  And I’m just over 200 pounds. So no, I’m not an imposing person to deal with physically. In fact, I suspect that I’m looked at as an “easy mark” by some fools due to me being out of shape.  This man was approximately 6 feet and weighed probably about 300 pounds.  In spite of these physical factors, combined with his revealing physical threat right off the bat, , I was not frightened. In fact, it’s probably my lack of fear of any repercussions which I thought I could handle which caused me to utter my initial sentence within earshot of him. I was calm and confident. In fact, my only concern at the time was that I didn’t want to cause the kids to feel uncomfortable—especially the youngest. So I simply replied, “I’m not trying to fight with you. You could have simply been nice and let us in. It was two kids for crying out loud.” His response, “Shut the hell up or else.”

I must say, I was a bit shocked at the intensity of his anger in response to such a small incident and in spite of there being plenty of people surrounding him. Like a crazy mouse dancing free and happy in a room full of cats, he seemed to posses no shame, no modicum of morality, and certainly no care in the world about anyone else. It was easy to see that he was comfortable with his rage and his attitude against others who inconvenience him. Since I would be sitting beside him during the course of the movie, I decided that I would make clear to him that I wasn’t quite who he thought I was.  I wasn’t about to just play dead. I suspect that too many had cow-towed to him like this in the past.  While it may seem overly dramatic, given his “first impression” I saw the faces of various women in my mind’s eye, who may have been the brunt of his societal standards. I’ll be honest. There was a point when I asked myself if the opportunity would present itself for me to use my Asp on this guy. I was almost excited for a split second at the prospect. (I love my Asp!) I know. I know, just a titch warped. As such, I looked right at him and said very clearly “Sir. I’m definitely not the woman you want to mess with.” He turned his head to me for a moment as if to size me up.  He then sarcastically replied, “Oh. I’m really scared.”

“Good! That’s just where I like ‘em. Overconfident and unaware,” I said, still looking directly at him.

He then turned his head back to the movie and said “Just shut up and watch the movie. That’s what you paid for.”

I decided that I had said enough at this point and ran the risk of upsetting the kids if our voices got any more elevated so that they could hear.

Now, there’s a reason I’m telling you all of this and it’s not for a purpose of self-aggrandizing. It’s because there are two important things for you to learn from this scenario. First of all, I was told by one of my friends that I should have said “Let’s see how scared you are with a forty caliber pointed at you.”  I suspect that my friend was just getting into the mood of things in this comment, but if I had said something to that effect, I actually could have gotten myself in a whole lot of trouble. I could have easily been accused of inciting a riot, “brandishing a weapon”—even though I wasn’t literally showing my firearm, disturbing the peace, and lastly, creating a threat. More importantly, if a person ever truly does feel threatened in such a situation, you certainly would not want to show your cards like that. If you truly feel threatened, then do something about it. Act, not react. Don’t tell someone what you’re going to do. You lose the element of surprise. If the situation calls for it, then just do it.

In this case however, I felt that for the time being this guy was just full of himself and didn’t like being called out by a girl.  If I had truly felt threatened, then it would have been within my legal right to have physically assaulted him with non-deadly force.  Yes, in such an instance I, being out manned in weight and height, would have been legally within my rights to have “thrown the first punch” so to speak. As women, it’s not necessary for us to get hit, shoved, beaten, etc. by an imposing threat first, before we respond. I realize for some of you that that may be hard to conceptualize. But after Mr. Sausage made his first physical threat of punching me in the face, I would have easily have been “in the right” with a solid punch to his wind pipes, or whatever other physical maneuver I would have felt necessary—enough to minimize the physical threat of this man. However, that’s only the case if it was me, short and chubby, against him.  Had a 6 year old boy said that to me, then I would not be permitted to proactively defend myself. It all boils down to the level of threat and the weight of advantages, vs. disadvantages.

For example, if it had been my husband who was being talked to that way, he would not have gotten away with a first strike because of his training, physique, and the fact that he was armed. In order for a well-trained man to have responded to this threat, Mr. Sausage would have had to make a physical threat imminent. Now, remember, that just because you can do something legally, does not necessarily mean that you should. When we pick up one end of the stick, we are always picking up the other. And the other end meant that I would stress out the kids, hurt myself at least a bit, and probably end up being the lead story on the 6 o’clock news that night. So, I decided that I wasn’t going to take this too far. But did I just sit there and watch the cute movie and not give this anymore thought? No; that also would have been foolish on my part. This man gave me every reason to be in a state of heightened awareness.  As such, I was strategizing, in the event that my leg bounced just the wrong way to make him mad, or one of the kids aggravated him if they had to squeeze out to go to the bathroom, or if I took too much of the arm rest on my right. Because this man had already shown himself to be emotionally volatile, I made sure that my Asp was in my grasp, my pepper spray was ready to spray, and I discreetly removed my knife from my purse and put it in my pants pocket. Combined with my readiness and willingness to use appropriate physical leverage, if necessary, I was ready if I had to defend myself as if it all depended on me.  But I also recognized that the two kids were a liability to me if there was an altercation. So, I decided to bring in reinforcements. I texted my husband and invited him to join me at the dollar theater. Through a series of texts he was brought up to par on the scenario, and secured a seat right behind Mr. Sausage in the theater.  I casually made it obvious to Mr. Sausage that I knew the man sitting right behind him. Towards the end of the movie it seems that all of the preparedness paid off.  When the movie was getting ready to wrap up, Mr. Sausage decided to calmly exit before all of the mushy, happily ever after took place in the film. No parting words, not even a grunt. All he left behind was the stench of his body odor and a lesson learned. Even better, he left me with no regrets. No fear. No rattled children. All was well.

As the children and I exited the movie theater, all they talked about was how cute the movie was. They were impervious to the problem, didn’t notice that my husband had joined us or that I had additional contents in my various pants pockets. We were able to keep everyone else safe without any stress or concern.

There’s one other thing that I want to share with you. While I was sitting there, enjoying the movie, I thought about you. Yes, you.  You; who may lack the sufficient confidence necessary to handle such a situation. You; who may be lacking in the appropriate tools of leverage necessary to handle such a situation.  You; who may think that you’ll only need such tools and tactics when “the end of the world” comes to pass.  While a firearm would not have been appropriate self-defense tool for this particular level of threat, nor would the environment, would you have been essentially unarmed otherwise? I decided that this man had obviously pushed around, without challenge, too many people (probably mostly women) in his life thus far. I want to do my best to ensure that you are not one of them in the future. So, I decided to share this little story with you. I hope it provides you with some food for thought and that you will see that occasions for sharp mental and physical self-defense capabilities are not limited solely to robbery, rape, or a home invasion. They are not all solved with one particular tool each time either.  The great benefit of really internalizing and learning self-defense though, are the scenarios which you can walk away from without any regrets, and with your confidence still intact.

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For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

I may sound like a snob saying this, but to be frank, I don’t do fear.  Nope, I simply refuse to do it.  Any decision made out of fear is usually wrong or at the very least, incomplete. Why would I willingly want to knowingly make wrong decisions when I make perfectly innocent wrong decisions without the nasty toxin of fear added to the heap? Seriously. Fear is underrated. There’s a lot of validity in the saying “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Bottom line, fear has no place in our lives. Every fear we have, we can conquer and counter with actions which smother it with peace.

Let’s be straightforward here. Fear does not come from a place good.  It’s as useful as a cheap plastic toy made in China. Fear—not greed, not pride, and not guilt—is the most dangerous emotion polluting mankind today. Fear clouds our mind. It demeans us into less than we really are.  It camouflages every scenario it touches so that the truth and the solution cannot be seen clearly.

Today I received an e-mail from a friend. It was written by a so-called expert on a forum site for folks who are interested in being prepared. Here’s the message displayed on the forum by the poster. It says:

“A comment before you read this short article.

There is a calm on [this site]right now..

It’s (sic) as though the sense of urgency has left us.

Perhaps it’s (sic) just the normal middle of summer, when we are all off busy doing the things we do. But there is a perceptible feeling of “calm”.

And yet.

Winter is coming.

All is not right.

Strange things are happening all around us.

There is a pause occurring.

It’s (sic) almost as though people are holding their breath on the roller coaster knowing that the next big drop is just about to happen.

I honestly think we are approaching the next precipice. Something significant is going to happen very soon now. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. The water in the kettle is just about to start boiling…

So, when I read this statement, I couldn’t help but utter aloud, “What a JYNORMOUS pile of horse crap!”

I’m just plain fed up with folks saying that the boogey man is coming. For crying out loud, the boogey man is already here, he has been here, and he will always be here. It’s called LIFE.  Will it get tougher? Yes; but not because of what will happen. Misery, desperation, and despair only come to those who are not prepared. The intensity of the pain and suffering we endure during our trials is solely contingent upon our level of preparation. Think about it. Do you really think that a multi-billionaire gets upset when he wastes a half gallon of milk?  No. Of course not.  His level of preparedness is such that such a trial wouldn’t make an impact on him. However, to a single mother of 5 kids, living on her disability checks, spilling the last half gallon of milk you’ve got until the next check comes could be a sorrowful moment. How much we suffer during the tougher events on the horizon is completely up to us!  We can be arrogant and obtuse and somehow believe we are more powerful than the law of gravity, or we can decide right now that we are going to minimize our misery by being prepared now! To be blunt, a prepared person does not need to worry about the “boiling water” or the “roller coaster” plunging downward.  Even better, a truly prepared person would never utter this fecal diatribe because they would not possess the nature to spew such gloom and doom with persons that they care about. That doesn’t mean that specific aspects of imminent trials should be ignored, not mentioned, and foolishly dismissed. But what it does mean is that we will not allow FEAR to motivate us.  Any action we make with fear as our fuel will be rife with disappointments and shortcomings. However, making the many decisions throughout our preparedness efforts from a place of peace, love for others, and a earnest desire to be our best selves in any situation is a perfect formula for success.

Sure, I’ve tried to keep folks up on the reality of things which are taking place. I too believe that there will be a serious financial collapse very soon and I also believe we will be accompanied by a food shortage as well. Even more so, I believe that all of that will occur prior to all of the prophecies in the Book of Revelations being realized. Yeah. The scenario won’t be pretty. But our environment of living, thriving, and loving does not need to be contaminated with fear. Understand that although the scriptures depict some pretty awful scenarios, such events are not shared with us so that we can be scared. Rather, it’s the exact opposite.  No one needs to fear what they have suitably anticipated. That’s why, I believe, that we have a glimpse into such scenarios. It’s His way of saying “this is going to happen, but don’t worry so long as you are prepared and follow me.” Where is the fear in that approach?  Conversely, I find nothing but beautiful promises in such passages to those who will put away their foolish ways and grow up and get prepared. I think to believe otherwise is to alienate ourselves from the Lord. There is no way, no how, that the Lord shares these things with us to make us FEAR. He’s all about love, patience, kindness, tenderness, and mercy. Granted, He has to live the laws of consequences just like we all have to. He wants to make it clear what playing for the other team will be like—because you can bet that team leader won’t be giving us the straight story.  But folks, if we want to stay sane and productive in the midst of all that is coming, FEAR is not the way to do it. Preparedness is.

Look at it this way. What’s the very, very worst that could happen?  You or your loved ones could die, right?  I suppose it could be worse if you died a particularly painful death, sure.  But seriously, I say big deal? Yup, I’m going to miss some wonderful folks.  And yes, the adjustment will be mournful for a bit.  But there IS a better life waiting for us all on the other side. I know that’s true. Don’t you? So, the so-called worst case scenario isn’t so bad after all.  But what would be bad is if any of us prematurely went to the other side knowing full well that we didn’t put up a good fight on this side to take care of ourselves and our fellow men. Perhaps we’d even be plagued by that torment of shortsightedness for a long time. That would be worse. Much worse.  So, let’s all take the best path here folks, get positive, get smart, and get prepared.

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If you would like to host a preparedness party for your business, community, or church group, please contact Vicky at vicky at preparednesspro.com

For any questions or comments on this article, please leave a comment on the blog site so that everyone can benefit!

Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

A Preparedness Pro reader whom I’ve become friends with, recently wrote me to tell me that she and her husband have bit the bullet and moved out of the city into a more rural setting.  Why in the world would she do this when it requires a whole lot of work, fixing up a property, and a significantly longer commute?  It has to do with her “WHY.”

Several months ago I was teaching a class on the Ten Principles of Preparedness. Just before we got started, a mother and father entered with their brood of exuberant children and sat down in the remaining leftover seats. As such, their oldest daughter—I would guess to be no older than 11 years old—sat down right in front of me. When I asked the question “What do you think is the most important principle of preparedness?” this little girl immediately raised her hand and confidently said “Family.” Indeed, while she may not have used the exact same word that I use in my classes, I believe she was sharing with me what her “WHY” is.

The measure of our spiritual preparedness level has everything to do with our belief system and what we truly value.  It’s what I call “The Why Factor.” After all, without ones spiritual belief system the ties of family which bind us together through thick or thin are meaningless. Without a solid belief system at our core which defies rational and economic thought, families really are the “why” for most of us when it comes to pushing ourselves in all of our preparedness efforts. I’ve found that the more important our “WHY” is in our hearts, the more successful we are in all of our pursuits.

So, what is your “why”?  The more significant your “WHY” is, the less obstacles you will find.  Be sure that your “WHY” is motivated for proactive, positive reasons, not negative, fear-based ones. For example, “I’m preparing now so that I can defend myself against aliens” just simply isn’t enough to see you through to the end.  It’s fear based (and looney to boot). Whereas “I’m preparing so that I can provide peace of mind and comfort to my family come what may”—that thought process will hold you through tough times much more steadily.  Contrary to what you may see in the movies, hate and fear drain us, not propel us.  Just like a temporary sugar high, we may get out of our seats occasionally because of fear, but we simply cannot maintain that level of functionality before we run out of steam.  Hate and fear are only temporary motivators and thus only provide fleeting satisfaction in our efforts. The foundation of true preparedness requires long-term solutions and thus cannot be strengthened with short-term motivation.

Likewise, courage and mental fortitude can be fleeting. I’m sure we’ve all battled at one time or another that famous tug of war in the morning, otherwise known as mind over mattress.  So what can we do to ensure that our preparedness efforts continue with the best and most virtuous intentions?  This is where your Spiritual Preparedness comes in.

Without making a concerted effort to strengthen and nourish our spiritual muscles, we will see poor results in everything else we do, but more particularly in our preparedness efforts. Why? Because preparedness requires us to do something during great times in preparation for times that are not so great.  That requires faith and a belief in ourselves. Thus it’s important that we focus on our Spiritual Preparedness daily just as much as we do eating daily. We simply won’t have any spiritual strength to get us through tough times otherwise. For example, suppose you wanted to do a few pull-ups.  Without regular practice, you’ll be lucky to execute one properly done pull-up.  The same holds true with our spiritual strength.  If we have no practice and solid foundation to support our Spiritual Preparedness efforts, then we’ll fizzle out just after take off like we do many times when we attempt to act upon our best intentions.

So, I recommend that each one of us consistently ask us what is our “WHY”?  WHY do we want to have extra water on hand? WHY do we feel the need to learn self-defense?  WHY do we want to gain more knowledge regarding skills and medical care?  If you remind yourself constantly of the WHY then you’ll keep moving towards your goal.

I for one find myself echoing the same “WHY” as did the little girl. My family. And then the choice friends I’ve been blessed with in addition to my family—for friends are the family you make for yourself.

Share with the rest of us what your “WHY” is?  Regardless of what it is that motivates you, I’m 100% positive that it affects much more than your today, and will always be a consideration for your tomorrows.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Oh, the choices we make…

Today we continue in our Self-Employment Equals Independence series by addressing what types of criteria one should consider when electing to add a facet of self-employment to their life.

First of all, allow me to reiterate that I understand that it isn’t realistic for someone to just instantly switch from working for someone else to working for themselves.  To such persons I would implore that they at least commit to adding a facet of self-employment to their life.  Add a way that you can produce a necessary good or service to others and earn money from doing so—even if it’s on a very part-time basis.  In such a case, I’m not concerned so much with the amount of time one invests, so much as I am the fact that they know that if something were to drastically change, they would have a simple “Plan B” to fall back on.  In my opinion, this is critical in order to have true independence from vulnerabilities.

So what should folks consider when stretching their entrepreneurial muscles? Here are my hard rules:

1)      It must be enjoyable: There are many opportunities out there that can earn you some respectable sums of money. But I’ve earned those sums before; and I have made only enough to get by. I assure you that when I work at something that I love and enjoy, so long as my basic needs are met, I’m much, much happier.

2)      Meet a REAL need: Identify a need, and then meet that need. I also always ask myself if what I’m doing is meaningful to my community. If  can meet both of those needs, then I’m most assuredly content with what I’m doing. Truthfully, there has never been a more simple yet successful formula for entrepreneurial success.  If you can’t see how people would need your product or service, you won’t be very convincing in entreating others to do business with you.  Additionally, in considering this need, may I suggest that you focus on tangible asset production rather than just services?  I’m not saying that services do not fill a need. But if I had my druthers, I would steer the most of entrepreneurial pursuits towards tangible good production/sales OR the services which FIX/REPAIR such tangible goods that people need everyday.  Here’s why.

Over the last two years, the amount of U.S. exports has declined consistently. Why? Because we have less in the form of tangible goods that the rest of the world needs, after all, you don’t export “services.”  This is indicative of the problem we have of not producing as much as we used to, and that we’re cut off with limited access to business capital lending.  In 1970 about 1 in 4 American workers had jobs in the manufacturing sector. By 2005 that number dropped to 1 in ten.  We’ve gone from manufacturing of real goods –with manufacturing being our flagship enterprise—to now becoming the world’s beast of financial services.  Yup. The U.S. is now the kingpin of world financial services.  (And we’re doing that so very well, right? *gasp*) The most significant issue with that is that services are not tangible. They are not necessary in all conditions of life elsewhere in the world.

Financial services in particular do not meet any of the most basic of human needs.  Unfortunately, regardless of the number of financial services companies that we create here, we cannot escape indisputable laws of independence. “A country that makes nothing will inevitably amount to nothing.”—Patrick Buchanan  The lack of our willingness and capability to produce real, necessary items, has manifested itself dramatically in our economic state. For example, my husband specifically chose to focus on the sale of preparedness goods because he knew that worst case scenario, he’d simply have more supplies on hand that he needed for the care of his own family.  A person focusing on the sale of an obscure, one-time service, would not be as fortunate if things were to get tough.

Mind you, I’m not saying that tangible goods are the only option, I’d be happy if any of you wrote me and told me that you bailed on the job to pursue your self-employment full time—regardless of what it was that you were doing. I’m just saying that a business which deals in tangible goods that are needed by others are the epitome of the best option for entrepreneurs.

Having said that though, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring attention to the fact that even a choice to deal in tangible goods can still be improved upon. For example, making jewelry, selling cosmetics, or selling fuel additives may earn money. But if the fit hits the shan, being stuck with a bunch of jewelry or makeup someday would not help you thrive in such a scenario. If that is your choice, your passion, and your enjoyment, then be sure that you keep as little inventory on hand as you can get away with and invest your personal monies that will ensure you thrive should a serious crisis ever manifest itself.  Still, it’s a heck of a lot easier to sell jewelry at a garage sale than graphic design abilities. So be sure that you shore up your own personal strengths to help compensate for those vulnerabilities.

3)      Lastly, I recommend that whatever you do, you start small. Don’t go into debt to start a business. Business debt is the NUMBER one reason why small businesses fail.  I don’t care if you are offered 15 or 30 day terms from your suppliers. Don’t take that offer. Pay as you go.  Grow only as fast as you can literally afford to pay to grow along the way.  Contrary to the stupidity we see paraded across our televisions regularly, it makes little sense to solve economic problems by adding more debt to our life. Self-employment pursuits are about independence. Don’t’ shackle your independence by marrying to slavery first. It’s obviously not a good way to start any profitable relationship. Understand that your greatest asset is your physical WORK and your knowledge about the skill or asset that you’ll be offering. Work with those two assets first and then use money that you earn to expand from there.

Bottom line, I strongly implore folks to consider a self-employment route for income. We simply can’t wait around for the government to create a job for us. Governments can’t create jobs. American entrepreneurs do. In fact, numerous studies have found that throughout the last 40 years, entrepreneurs created over 80% of all NEW jobs! So, if you want to make your own family more secure, pursue this route. In the process you’ll also be adding to the safety and economic strength of your nation.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

by Kellene Bishop

Why I Refuse to Have Anything to do With Oprah

This is a multi-part series that will specifically address the aspect of self-employment and why it’s critical to our independence—even if only pursued on a minor level. I will also be sharing information on how to make a self-employment status more profitable and how to better manage the taxation thereof as well.

For starters, I realize that the title of this article may constitute some type of a first degree offense with some people, perhaps even some of you. But the article title does at least imply that I will explain why such is the case. After reading it, perhaps you will come to the same path as I have. Oh, and lest you think I’ve been drinking too much sugar, I assure you this has EVERYTHING to do with Preparedness.

The other day the talk radio news I listen to mentioned a poll that was recently taken which stated that only 1 in 3 Americans felt happy about their state of life at present. The majority of those polled stated specifically that they felt helpless about what’s going on in Washington and they were stressed about money. Surely we have plenty of blame to go around right now as to why this level of distress runs rampant in so many hearts at present, but let’s look at what is really the root of it (as manifested in voluntary vulnerabilities) and see what we can do to reclaim an independent life from these uncomfortable circumstances. Yes there exists the villainous Bernie Madoff , Enron, George Soros, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac problems out there that have fleeced the wealth of America for a long time. But I believe that while such persons need to be accountable for their actions, it’s even more critical that we accept responsibility for the appropriate level of culpability we have played in being negatively affected by these unfortunate circumstances.  After all, true independence always demands accountability. (I’ll get into more of that in just a moment.)

This is where Oprah comes in. Look at her persona, the themes of her shows, the giving away of exorbitant prizes, etc.  In my view, it’s all a celebration and grandstanding of the state of victimization.  I simply do not abide by such a notion.  I believe firmly that there are no victims, only volunteers. I think a situation of victimhood is really in the eyes of the whiner and those who serve as enablers. Do we really find virtue in such a mindset? Do we really want to foster such a mentality?

Like him, love him, or loathe him,  Obama made it to the White House not because of any accomplishments or experience that proved him to be a leader of the this great nation. He literally had a ZERO resume in that regard. Instead he actually had several alarming aspects to his background which went completely ignored—why? Because he catered to the willingness of the majority voters in our nation to accept and coddle the so-called victims of this nation.  Those who were willing to accept that they were victims of a “hard life and tough times” saw him as their personal piggy bank.

Many persons now find themselves in over their head with a mortgage that is significantly higher than the value of their home, calling themselves victims of overzealous brokers or banks. In fact, they are not victims, but willing participants in the “getting something for nothing game.”  Many are now left paying oversized mortgage payments because their home equity was stripped by a manipulated series of events by truly evil doers.  Ideally, these homeowners will benefit from all of this in realizing that a home made of dirt, brick, and sticks is NOT an asset that appreciates in real value just by standing still, but is actually nothing more than a roof over our heads.

Folks. This isn’t pretty, and it may ruffle some feathers, but the fact is, as Americans we (and those who live in other 1^st world nations) haven’t even begun to know what really being a victim is.  A victim is not someone who finds themselves under the thumb of an incompetent political leader—especially when they did little or nothing to ensure an alternative outcome.  A victim is not someone who got laid off from a job because of exported employment—especially when there is a dearth of valuable, tangible manufactured goods in our nation that can be created and sold with little education requirements. A victim is not someone who finds themselves unable to pay for quality health care because the costs are too high when they have had abundant choices for better health their entire lives. 

A true victim is someone who literally CAN NOT even go to the community bathroom in their village without fear of being raped and battered; not able to safely harvest what little they’ve been able to plant due to genuine fear that they will be shot dead in the process; or a the person who has absolutely no say about their political state of affairs without surely being sentenced to death.  The appalling thing is that even in the areas in which true victims may dwell, women still go on living and caring for others in their lives.  Villagers still plant crops every season hoping and praying that somehow this season may be different. And many have lost their lives simply by standing firm in their beliefs about freedom.

We truly do have it easy here folks. More importantly, we truly do have the ability to be independent and prepared on an everyday basis from all that we feel vulnerable to at present.  So in this particular series, I intend to walk through the path that can lead the willing there with some professional and amateur insights—creating true independence along the way. Whatever your trade or business, whatever your hobby or passion, we can convert that into a successful state of independence through self-employment that will provide for us based upon our own harvests, and not the ill-gotten gains of others.

Till next time—may you have peace in your everyday preparedness.

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 Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you have figured out by now that I’m not one of the gloom and doomers. In fact, I try diligently to simply take a situation, examine it, and try to determine how I can best avoid an undesirable consequence and vulnerability to it simply by being better prepared. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, “preparedness is about peace, not panic.”

I still stand by that belief and I’d like you to remember that as I direct you towards an interesting article I read today.  True to the typical brainless “preppers” hype  the article was posted on someone else’s “emergency preparedness” site as an incentive for everyone to dig nuclear bomb shelters or create full-sized Faraday cages “asap”. But when I read the article I felt that it simply gave us a nice, gentle reminder that we are indeed vulnerable to a loss of the electrical or computerized power which keeps our nation civilized.  On April 20, 2010, the Sacramento Press reported that the CIA Director conveyed the reality of our vulnerability to international hacker terrorists and admitted that it’s a full-time job preventing them from collapsing our nation financially, physically, and throwing our society back to the early 1900’s.  (See full article here: http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/25185/CIA_Director_tells_CaptoCap_delegates_Cyber_attack_could_be_next_Pearl_Harbor)

For those of you who have not participated in my “Lights Out, Now What?” webinar, I want to remind everyone that there’s a speedy and unavoidable domino effect when and if our financial or electrical system is interrupted.  Because our financial doings are so heavily reliant on all of our modes of communication—to the point that even a mere hour without electricity can cost our economy billions of dollars—if our communication lines are downed for more than 72 hours nationally, it would cause a financial collapse. If a financial collapse occurs, then a national blackout is a natural consequence which will follow quickly on the heels of such a disaster.  If a significant power outage occurs in just one regional grid in the U.S. then that will also cause a financial collapse. A cluster of hard copy research which I read last year suggested the due to the present regional power grids not being strong enough to carry their respective areas on their own, rather are intended to carry the weight as a nationally collective whole, then if our entire nation were to go black at the same time, the task of bringing everything back online is estimated to take a mere 36 months. Apparently no single grid on its own can handle the weight of supporting the surrounding grids long enough to power up the next ones.  (Remember the blackouts that occurred throughout the Western States a couple of years ago simply because a part of the California grid wasn’t functioning well?) With over 250,000 trucking companies in the U.S. and the fact that our economic system relies heavily on such systems, then it is also intimated that if our fuel costs were to exceed $4.00 a gallon, at least 17 % of the trucking companies would have to shut down. Very few transportation companies have the capital to take such a cost increase in a “must have” category of running their businesses.  (Apparently even the trucking companies run their business with a thin margin of profit just like our very own households have done for decades.) Keep in mind that the airlines just got hit with billions of dollars of losses from the recent “volcano black out”—this after they had already opted for the cannibalization pricing practice of taxing their customers for essentials such as luggage, in-flight entertainment, 1 ounce of padding known as a pillow, and 2 ounces of mysteriously colored air known as a blanket. Imagine what even a short-term power outage could do to that industry, especially if it is coupled with a sharp increase in fuel costs.

 So, once again, don’t panic.  Instead, calmly determine how you are able to insulate yourself now from as little vulnerability as possible.  How can you make yourself more independent when it comes to providing environmental control, security, cooking, heat, light, medical aid, and necessary commerce transactions in your life? To answer that, look at what has been done in past history when the luxury of electricity and the internet was not so abundant. Look at what some third world and even European countries do today in order to mitigate the high cost of fuel and sporadic accessibility to power.  Solar power, alternative fuels, butane stoves, pressure cookers, kerosene lanterns. These items aren’t “emergency preparedness” tools for many areas of the world. These are tools of wisdom used in everyday living for real people like you and me. So, take a moment to review the posted article. Ask yourself how you may be vulnerable to the “what ifs” and then determine what you can do today with the control and freedom that you now have to alter those vulnerabilities into strengths of independence.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

We’re filming some free instructional video footage today, so this one is going to be a brief. (But the good news is that when I’m done, I can let you all know how you can get your FREE video tutorial for my “Perfect Bread” recipe.)

This may be considered a touchy topic by some. But frankly, I believe it needs to be addressed in order for all of us who have a desire to make a greater impact on those that we love and care about—specifically in the aspect of Preparedness. Besides, is there anyone who’s been reading my blog for a while that’s surprised that I would take on a touchy topic? *grin*

Do you know what I mean when I say “flaky person”?  To me a “flake” is a person who is usually unkempt, seriously socially awkward, and usually missing a verbal and mental filter. They willingly embrace flawed and sensationalized information. As a result, their input to discussions and initiated conversations is often inappropriate and very uncomfortable for others. Sometimes you see or listen to these kinds of folks and wonder if they haven’t been drinking alien Kool-Aid or participating in some other reality altering substance. As a result of this persona which some people convey, what they share with others often lacks credibility.  In some cases, it’s deservedly so because the flake factor is frequently spawned by unfounded, nonfactual, and even completely mythical information spread via You Tube and chain e-mails. In some instances, the information that they would share with others IS truthful and factual and is even important for others to know. However, their flakey demeanor and their lack of a social filter speaks louder than their truth and effectively obliterates any value of the information they could share. As such, instead of helping others, they end up scaring the crud out of them, or worse associating anything that they have to say with the Flake Factor that they convey.

I find that I’m really sensitive to that “flake factor”.  I think I possess some major “Flake Radar” because I clearly have an aversion to flaky people. Unfortunately, given my professional pursuit I have a tendency to attract the flakes abundantly as well. *cringe*  Recently I was teaching a class regarding the “10 Principles of Preparedness.”  I was really thrown for a loop when two older women disrupted the flow and the education of the rest of the group as a result of their disturbing rantings about off-topic issues.  I felt seriously challenged in dealing with them.  I tried several different tactics that I have learned over the years as a professional speaker/educator to disuade them of their rant, but I’ve discovered that sometimes, flakes are impossible to reign in because of the “social short” which plagues them. I try to be nice, to be accepting, but honestly, I’m also trying to get out of the encounter as soon as possible. In some instances I’m sad…sad that they are misrepresenting such an important topic and in such a poor manner—such as preparedness.

When it comes to preparedness, unfortunately, there is no shortage of sensationalism, fear mongering, mythical predictions, sprinkled with a bit of social awkwardness.  I suppose even Peace has an extremist relative, right?  After being confronted with these two uber flakes in my class, I had to stop afterwards and do an accounting of my own self. Do I come across inappropriately?  Do I come across as credible and educated, or wacky and worrisome? As a result of this moment of clarity, I decided to try and plead with other folks who are trying to get better prepared to please be mindful of how they are coming across to others.  We all have the opportunity to make an impact. What that impact will be, though, will speak louder than the facts and truth we may share.  I do wish that there were more preparedness minded persons who were more conscientious of the image they project. I think that the preparedness way of life could dramatically benefit from a face lift of articulate, confident, calm, and polished persona. 

For many years the world of preparedness has been associated with anarchists, militants, and “dooms-day-ers.”  And yet the type of preparedness that I believe in has everything to do with wisdom, humanitarian involvement, peace, confidence, happiness, and prosperity.  I try to convey that in how I teach my classes, how I present myself verbally as well as physically, and in the quality of the resource guides or products that I recommend or dispense.  I really try to steer away from anything that would be likely to lump me in with all of the negative aspects of preparedness.  I believe that the one’s Flake Factor can be eliminated with conviction, positive presentation, facts, calm, peace, and confidence. As such, I really try to be on my game when educating or conversing with others about this topic. I presume that the intent of my heart is evident as well, and perhaps responsible for filling in the credibility gaps that I may have missed.

So, that’s what today’s article is all about.  I hope that we can all realize that we don’t get very far talking to others about NATO, the New World Order, enemy plans for the American genocide, or alien abduction. Whether these are topics of merit or not, they will not do much good in paving the way towards a calm, rational, and educational conversation. They don’t convey feelings of hope, independence, cheerfulness, and charity. Instead, they will make the initiator look like a flake, and make the listener run away with an awful impression. 

So, the next time you head to a preparedness education event, ask yourself, what can you do to better promote and convey the positive aspects of preparedness that will encourage a more self-reliant and comfortable life for others?  Can you be certain that your personal presentation and how you come across to other folks is far away from setting off someone’s “flake radar”? Ultimately, if we are obstacles to others becoming more independent and content in their life, then that is the real disaster.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Earlier this week I was uncharacteristically mesmerized by a sports article.  Phil Mickelson, a highly accomplished professional golfer, was thrown a proverbial curve ball of bad luck just before he attempted to make a putt.  The green was clean and unhampered as he carefully connected with the golf ball, just before it was to head into the hole, a very small errant leaf blew onto the green landing directly in the balls path—causing just enough of a diversion that Mickelson missed an easy shot.  The pictures in the article tell the whole story.  Some call it a freak stroke of bad luck.  I call it Life’s Reality Check.

On the opposite side of things, I had what some may call a stroke of good luck. The other day I was teaching a live cooking class for a local business.  I always send my ingredient list ahead of time so that they can have everything ready for me.  One of the dishes that I was going to make out of freeze-dried foods was a Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder.  Obviously, in such a dish, the corn would be important, right. Well, without telling me, the business simply did not furnish the corn—not in a freeze-dried format or any other.  There was nothing. No note.  No substitute. Nothing.  So here I am in front a classroom of people without my star ingredient for corn chowder.  I noticed that the store carried pre-cooked beans that you only need to soak for about 20 minutes in hot or cold water prior to eating. So I decided on the fly to make a chicken chili using the pre-cooked black beans that were on hand.  As it turned out, the revised plan turned out DELICIOUS and is now one of my favorite easy dishes that I plan to make repeatedly. I’m actually happy for the missing ingredient mishap.

So, what do I believe is Life’s Reality Check?  I believe it’s the teacher in our lives that tells us that no matter how planned out we have things, life tends to throw us a curve ball.  One may believe they are intended for greatness as a doctor or a lawyer only to find themselves derailed into another highly fulfilling career—as in Warren Brown’s case (Government attorney turned star of Food Network’s Sugar Rush and Cakelove series.) Perhaps there could be a 12 year old who creates her list of criteria for her “Dream Guy” only to end up marrying the REAL man of her dreams who didn’t meet the 70% of the list requirements. (As in my case with my Prince Charming)  My point is two-fold. 

onsFirst: Preparedness doesn’t come into play when we’re confronted with the opportunity for action—whether it be faced with housing down-on-their-luck family members, escaping a house fire, or suddenly discovering that you have to have 5 dozen cookies made for your third grader. Preparedness begins in our soul.  The time to be prepared is BEFORE the events come into our life. Yes, the events themselves will help us prepare for the next step and the next, but when the opportunity presents itself and requires us to show ourselves what we’re made of, the time for preparation is over.  We either have it or we don’t.

Second: In spite of all of our best planning, we will still get thrown curve balls. An errant leaf, a car accident, and surprise visit from a long lost friend, or an idea that comes out of the blue that changes your life.  These kinds of moments require our spiritual and mental preparedness to accept them, embrace them, and work through them with all of the grace and integrity we can muster.  It would be a shame if we were being led to a moment of joy and happiness or growth and peace only to go kicking and screaming, right? Kind of ruins the ambiance of the moment, eh?

I look back on several areas of my life, and if I were to pinpoint an area of regret, it would be that I didn’t roll with more punches.  I wish that I had learned sooner the wisdom of “That which doesn’t kill me will make me stronger.”  Or another of my favorite quotes, “Don’t pray for God to move the mountain, ask Him for a rope and a pair of hiking boots instead.” I wish that I could go back through some of my challenges with more maturity and more acceptance.  I’m sure I could have grown more personally and been a better influence on those I have loved.

I think it’s interesting to note that Phil Mickelson didn’t throw a temper tantrum when he missed his putt. He didn’t curse or swear. He simply accepted that this little leaf just landed where it was going to land and that was it. And yet conversely, in this same meet, Tiger Woods, who had much better “luck” still carried on with verbal assault and 2-year old without a nap style of behavior—in spite of never encountering a fluke act of nature.

In the spirit of Preparedness, I hope that we can learn to better accept the curveballs that get thrown at us and demonstrate our acceptance of them by doing our best to prepare for them now.  Fortifying our spiritual and mental strength, along with all of the other Principles of Preparedness, will serve as proof that we have indeed chosen to accept Life’s Reality Checks and are committed to thrive as a result of them.

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Copyright Protected 2010, Preparedness Pro and Kellene Bishop. All Rights Reserved. No portion of any content on this site may be duplicated, transferred, copied, or published without written permission from the author. However, you are welcome to provide a link to the content on your site or in your written works.

By Kellene Bishop

Many people have lost their homes due to sub-prime mortgages photo c/o www.hpadesign.com/

Question for you. If you could have predicted the sub-prime mortgage crash and had been able to be better prepared for the consequences, would you have taken any action to do so?  The preparedness could have been in the form of buying stocks/insurance to hedge against the crisis, or it could have been paying off debts in a alternative strategy, etc.  The point is, being forewarned of any serious financial disaster is critical, right?  Well, at the risk of sounding a bit “gloom and doom” I’m sharing with you briefly that over the next two days I’m going to take you through, step by step, and show you what’s really taking place worldwide with our food supplies and our financial system in America. In doing so I will be making use of my extensive background in the market as well as the nearly 100 hours I’ve poured into USDA and government financial reports.  I’ll be converting this information into clear, layman’s terms—not to infer that readers are stupid, rather to blatantly accuse the USDA and other organizations of purposefully discombobulating their words so that folks DON’T understand and prepare accordingly. 

The bottom line is that this information, if properly understood, can be quite alarming. As you know, I don’t believe that alarm and panic marry well with preparedness. So as a part of this multi-part report, I’ll be sharing with you what to expect over the next several months in your banking and grocery experiences, and what you can easily do right now to prepare to be comfortable during such times.

Financial Education photo c/o teamsubmarine.wordpress.com

In previous articles which I’ve written addressing a potential financial collapse as well as food shortage issues, I’ve been inundated with additional questions as well as some not-so-kind accusations that it’s all a bunch of hooey.  To be frank, I really try not to take such accusations personally because I understand that they usually come from a position of a lack of knowledge or from their natural mental response to an unpleasant or somewhat threatening concept.  In other words, it’s just a natural defense mechanism. My goal over the course of this article is to lay out the facts of the food and financial dilemma that is bearing down on us at present, and then supplement that information with real, practical solutions. I will explain exactly what is happening, where, who the players are, what their actions are most likely to be in the next couple of months, and how such actions will immediately impact your household. Don’t get me wrong folks. I don’t mean to infer that this is an apocalyptic type of event, but if it is not prepared for, it will indeed have some serious effects—so serious in fact, it may very well make this most recent string of political events look like nothing more than a smoke screen.

So, be sure that you check in with us over the next couple of days so that you can be at peace by being prepared.

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