| We are bombarded every day with information | | | | So what can we do about all these fear inducing |
| and images warning of approaching disasters. I'm | | | | facts? We must first recognize them. Survival |
| not just talking about the collapse of the housing | | | | fears are the strongest. They will seek a place to |
| market and the world banks or fluctuating gas | | | | anchor themselves in your psyche and urge you |
| prices and rampant unemployment. While these | | | | to take action. However, you may be thinking, |
| are major disasters in and of themselves, they | | | | "but what can I do?" |
| are minor compared to some of the things | | | | Taking action gives us a sense of control and |
| looming on the horizon. | | | | empowerment; it eliminates the feeling of |
| Here are some of the challenges we may face in | | | | helplessness in the face of looming disaster. Take |
| the near future: | | | | action by being prepared. Choose an area to begin |
| The NIAID - National Institute of Allergy and | | | | with such as clean water, clean air, whole food, |
| Infectious Disease - part of the National Institute | | | | healthy body, positive mind. Make a list and focus |
| of Health (NIH) conducts and supports research to | | | | on one thing at a time rather than trying to do |
| understand, treat, and ultimately prevent the | | | | everything at once. If you allow yourself to |
| myriad infectious, immunologic, and allergic | | | | become overwhelmed, you'll give up and that |
| diseases that threaten hundreds of millions of | | | | won't help anyone. |
| people worldwide. Here's the short list of the | | | | Here are some guidelines to help you: |
| diseases being looked at: anthrax, antimicrobial | | | | 1. Begin an exercise regime that you can live with. |
| resistant, botulism, dengue fever, E. Coli, group A | | | | Start small and stay with it. A healthy balanced |
| streptococcal infections, Lyme disease, SARS, | | | | body at any weight will have a stronger immune |
| salmonella, shingles, smallpox, tularemia, West Nile, | | | | system. Your body will function more efficiently |
| botulism, plague (Yersinia Pestis), viral hemorrhagic | | | | and you'll feel better too. |
| fevers, Lassa viruses, hanta viruses, Ebola, tick | | | | 2. Invest in a personal water purification system, |
| borne hemorrhagic fever viruses, yellow fever, | | | | preferably one that works without electricity. |
| tick born encephalitis viruses, Crimean-Congo | | | | Those living in densely populated areas or places |
| hemorrhagic fever virus, multi drug resistant TB, | | | | prone to flooding will especially want to have clean |
| and influenza. | | | | water available to them in the event of sudden |
| An article on the NIAID website for the C.W. Bill | | | | storms, etc. |
| Young Center for Biodefence and Emerging | | | | 3. Change diet and shopping habits to include |
| Infectious Diseases notes that there are about | | | | foods that give more nutrition value for your |
| 275 BioSaftety Level 3 laboratories in the U.S. | | | | dollar. Although cheap processed and sugar filled |
| Designed to conduct research on infectious | | | | foods will fill you up but have little nutrition. I'm not |
| agents. BSL 3's are specifically constructed to | | | | saying live on sprouts and juiced vegetables alone, |
| prevent scientists and the environment from | | | | just make some substitutions. Experiment with |
| being exposed to these agents. In addition BSL | | | | your diet, try new things. |
| Level 2 labs are in place to study viruses and | | | | 4. Start a garden in your yard or window box and |
| agents that effect humans and can be cured with | | | | grow your favorite food. Healthy unmodified |
| treatment. | | | | seeds can be purchased on line so you won't be |
| We have only to look to Hollywood to know that | | | | forced to use commercial products to produce |
| these concerns are not limited to the scientific | | | | the results you want. Get the neighbors involved |
| community. Movies such as I Am Legend, Twelve | | | | and share your harvest, everyone loves home |
| Monkeys and Outbreak speak to our fears and | | | | grown tomatoes and veges. |
| feelings of helplessness when it comes to this | | | | 5. Create or update disaster preparedness kits for |
| invisible threat. Based on the information above, | | | | your locale. If you already have one, be sure |
| it's safe to say that our government is a bit | | | | nothing has expired and that your pets are |
| concerned as well. | | | | included in your plan. Place insurance information |
| At the writing of this article, there are 6.874 billion | | | | and passports with cash in safe deposit boxes. |
| people in the world and growing by 1 birth every | | | | This will speed the process up if you need to file |
| 3 seconds. The increase in global population will | | | | claims and confirm your identity. |
| strain all our shared resources specifically our food | | | | 6. Invest in a healing modality that works quickly |
| and water supplies. In April of 2008, we saw rice | | | | and effectively as a preventative against all those |
| shortages threaten the lives and economies of | | | | diseases. I recommend Soma Pi because I teach |
| Pakistan, India and China which set off a shoppers | | | | it and have used it for years. Find what works for |
| panic in the U.S. Sam's club had to limit the | | | | you and then work it. You'll save money in the |
| amounts of rice and flour members could | | | | form of insurance co-payments and sick time at |
| purchase as a result. | | | | work as well as the costly medical treatments |
| According the University of Arizona's College of | | | | you won't need. |
| Agriculture and Life Sciences, "the World Bank | | | | 7. Use your intuition to determine whether or not |
| reports that 80 countries now have water | | | | you need flu shots or other vaccines. Remember |
| shortages that threaten health and economies | | | | that every medication has the potential for |
| while 40 percent of the world - more than 2 billion | | | | adverse side effects and will want to know if you |
| people - have no access to clean water or | | | | are in the small percentage that will have them. |
| sanitation." At home, ground water in the U.S. is | | | | 8. Strengthen your connection to your inner truth. |
| threatened by industrial, agricultural and household | | | | Hone your intuitive skills to make correct decisions |
| pollution, making it either impossible or too costly | | | | for yourself and help those you love with theirs. |
| to purify for individual use. Fifty years ago | | | | When you know what's right for you, fear goes |
| household water came from wells dug on the | | | | away. |
| home owner's property. Water was referred to | | | | 9. Develop a skill that will be useful to others like |
| as "well water" or "city water", the latter referring | | | | cooking, playing music, building, growing food, |
| to water pumped into the city from a suburb or | | | | healing, singing, sewing, etc. Be of service to |
| rural area. Today well water is no longer an option. | | | | others. When you are helping others you become |
| Megan Mansell Williams, in the January 9, 2008 | | | | part of a greater community that in turn supports |
| issue of Discover Magazine, notes that male | | | | you. Share your talents and give without the |
| minnows possessing female characteristics had | | | | expectation of reward and you'll feel better about |
| produced eggs as a result of the hormones from | | | | the future. |
| human birth control pills in their water. She also | | | | 10. Laugh fully and regularly - laughter is a |
| noted that the minnow populations in local waters | | | | wonderful way to dispel fear. It provides a vehicle |
| studied at the Canadian Rivers Institute at | | | | to release all that pent up anxiety from the body. |
| University of New Brunswick were now extinct as | | | | It is cleansing, healing and just plain fun. Besides |
| a result of this pollution. We must also consider | | | | who wants to survive the future with a dour sour |
| the impact on the larger fish, animal and human | | | | mirthless person next to them? |
| populations who ate these minnows before they | | | | 11. Pray or connect with God daily. Without prayer |
| died off. By the time the impact is discovered and | | | | and a connection to God we are floated helplessly |
| measured it is already too late - the damage has | | | | throughout the universe with no guidance or |
| been done. We have to wonder what we are | | | | safety net. When you are connected to God, you |
| eating today that will come back to haunt us | | | | know that that you are safe and secure. Fear |
| tomorrow? | | | | can't exist in the same space a God, so keep God |
| It appears as though our eco-systems have | | | | in your mind and fear will be gone. |
| reached tipping points after decades of | | | | Remember that there will always be something |
| irresponsible actions and lack of protection from | | | | "out there" that can get you. It is unproductive |
| the fiscal bottom line. If we continue to act under | | | | and crippling to worry about each and everything |
| the premise that it is less costly to be reactive | | | | that comes along. Although the media works hard |
| than proactive, we will continue to see the | | | | to keep us constantly informed of all the current |
| consequences of those choices. | | | | terrible horrible life threatening possibilities just |
| To this list of concerns we must also add all the | | | | waiting to destroy us, resist the urge to buy in to |
| catastrophic 2012 predictions circulating such as | | | | that way of thinking and living. Start at the |
| gravitational shifts, collapsing infrastructures, | | | | bottom on my list with prayer and work your |
| disturbed weather patterns, etc. These are also | | | | way back into a fearless healthy life in community |
| real concerns and have been addressed in | | | | with others. |
| previous articles. | | | | |