I'm a big believer in the importance of attitude. I consider it to be one of my most important portable preps, right up there with my brain. In this article, I'm going to share a common trap of thinking that could cause problems in our slow-burning SHTF that we live in today, but also in an all-out grab your BOB SHTF.

It's All or Nothing

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about: All or nothing thinking. It can freeze you, reduce your happiness, reinforce relentless perfectionism and suck the joy out of life. Technically speaking, it's a cognitive distortion. 

By definition, all-or-nothing thinking sees only the extremes. The glass isn't half empty or half full: it's gotta be full all the time or you're a total failure, or it's seen as having been empty for your whole darn life, and that's never going to change.  

Why Does Thought Matter?

We are what we think. Through decades of meditation, if there is one benefit that I have gained, it is that I have learned to take responsibility for what is in my mind. Yes, every thought. If your mind is full of negativity, you are growing more brain pathways in that direction. 

There is hope if someone has a tendency toward negative thinking. We now know that the brain can change and literally rewire itself in a new direction. Dr. David Hanscom emphasizes that we have a choice each and every day: to stay in old, painful ruts of repeated thoughts or lift ourselves out of that and be who we want to be each and every day. 

Anyone reading this is like me, wanting to be as prepared as possible for whatever comes my way. I'm going to share a few thought-traps related to prepping and then some very basic things that someone can do to shift their thinking and get going when it's most needed.