It Doesn’t Have To Be All Doom And Gloom

Turn off your TV if you begin feeling overwhelmed by all the disaster scenarios they seem to be flogging these days.  Heck we all need to worry about today and the disasters we’re causing or are in already, even if we had no direct hand in causing some of them.  Never mind the “what ifs” of tomorrow.  We’re all in the soup together guys and the sooner we all realize this the better.

OK, so the sky is falling, the oil slick hasn’t been contained (don’t get me started on that point … or I’ll never stop).  I sincerely believe that this disaster could have been prevented and that it could have been contained long before this.

But that is a good example of what I mean.  I am certain that there will be more things in the future that we’ll all have to worry about.  The point is … forget worrying and get making and creating solutions.  Start today, where you are with what you have.

Yes, we all consume power, and yes if one is to believe the solar flare thing (and I have no reason to doubt it), then we should all be making disaster preparedness a part of our daily lives.  By this I don’t mean creating panic.  What I do mean is, don’t put all of your income eggs in one basket.  Don’t be reliant solely upon the internet as your only source of business (and I don’t mean because of the SE app changes).

My reasons are several and you can post and tell me if you share my views or not.  But here they are:

1- Have a second home based business that deals in physical services and products and by cash or trade/barter.  This way you’ll already be established and it will be business as usual if something should go wrong.  Besides being a people person is good for you too.

2- Get off grid if you possibly can.  Mark my words … if you think that food will go up in a crisis, you’re right.  But just watch what your utilities will be doing. The dollars you spend today to go totally green, off grid or net zero as they say will reward you in the long run.  In the large centers you may even run into laws or by-laws that will prevent you from doing this.

Believe it or not there are actually areas already doing this to preserve the customer base for goverment owned grid-based utility companies.  Not to mention the pressure local, state and federal governments will be put under once lobbying by utility companies start in earnest.  This is going to be one of the most important “cash in your pocket” strategies you may ever take advantage of.   Time will tell.  I already know of areas where the cost of the electricity each month is often more than the cost of renting a home.  No joke.

3 – Best way to get off of the grid is to get an acreage or rural property not far from where you are now (or move to where you’d like to be).  Why?  On top of the off grid advantages and the ability to grow your own food, prices have never been more reasonable and when the s*** hits the fan, you don’t want to end up in the middle of a large city filled with hungry starving people who will think nothing of taking your food from you.  Barter/trade, sweat equity … do what you need to.  But do it.

4- If you can’t buy a place like I described, then rent one, or join together with a few friends and family who share like minded goals and you can share the load.

5- Keep your e-business going and help others to do the same.  Be a pillar of strength to your customers, friends and family.  Word of mouth will always serve you well and keep you in business even if  other methods of advertising become limited or non-existent.  Besides, word of mouth advertising is of the priceless kind.  You can’t buy sincere customer loyalty or their ability to bring you their friends and family to you for help, and in a crisis this is even more important, and an indication of how well respected you are in your circle of influence.  Receiving this kind of advertising is really an honor and should be respected accordingly.

6 – Continue creating solutions instead of harping on the problems.  The clouds will clear, you’ll find satisfaction and maybe even joy in what you do and yes, we can make the world a better place.

Cheers,

Ange

PS – if you are sincerely interested in learning more about earning your living writing and working on the net, check out Marlon‘s story and become a subscriber to his MMM newsletter – you’ll be glad you did.