Y
ou’re stranded, stuck, likely alone, in a place that a few moments
ago was a wonderland of adventure but now has become a living
nightmare. Your next move is crucial to your survival.
But surviving in the wilderness is about more than knowledge and
skill. It requires clearheaded, rational thinking, mental toughness, and a
positive attitude. It requires a neveryielding will to live.
This will to live, which stems from a positive attitude, is what will
keep you going and get you out alive. It’s what gets you up in the morning.
It’s what makes you put one foot in front of the other when you’re com
pletely exhausted. Fuel and maintain your will to live and you stand a very
good chance of making it home. Lose it and your survival hinges on noth
ing more than dumb luck.
Although it may seem like some people have a genetic disposition
for it, the will to live is a conscious decision. I will make it out of this. I
will live. I will survive. You may be without the comforts of home, but you
can work to make yourself more comfortable. You may be scared of being
alone in the dark, but you can make a fire to keep the fear away. You may be
hungry, but you can identify at least one or two things in the area to eat.
The importance of the will to survive is illustrated in the many tales of
people with little training who have managed to see themselves through har
rowing ordeals. The story of Aron Ralston is one of my favorites. Aron was an
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