Accept the Risk
The first part of being ready for conflict and chaos is accepting the risk. Accepting the fact that we live in a dangerous world. This seems too simple and basic, but most people go through life without accepting the risk and threats associated with life.
I served in the military. Now I'm a police officer and SWAT operator. I accept the risk that I have volunteered for. Having accepted that risk, I study and learn about the threats and dangers I may very well face. As I come to understand the various types of dangers, I begin to plan for them and train myself to face and overcome them. That's the basic method of preparedness, but we must get away from the denial many people live in and accept the risks.
What Do I Mean by Accept the Risks?
Many people see dangerous and bad things happening around the world and they live in denial that it could happen to them. They don't accept that they could be at a movie with their family and a person walks in with a gun and starts shooting everyone… or that it could happen at their workplace… or anywhere they are. They don't think about the fact someone may break into their home at night while they are sleeping. They don't want to think about how they might be affected by a natural disaster or act of terrorism. It's not always they are in denial, but when they do think about it, they don't know what to do, so they just hope it never happens. This isn't peace. It's living in fear and pushing it away through denial.
Reality of Evil:
Part of the risk of living, is the result of bad and evil people. To be prepared, you must accept the fact there are bad and evil people in the world. Too many people are in denial or blinded by the fact of evil.
Take Responsibility:
Many people see all the bad things happening and blame someone. When ever you blame someone else, you're also transferring responsibility to that other person. When we see bad things happening and rampant crime and say, it's the President's fault, the Democrats' fault, the Liberals fault, the Republicans or this race or that race or who ever we choose a point a finger at, we're shifting the responsibility off of ourselves and onto them. That's a form of denial and not accepting the risks of life.
If you're a capable, functioning adult human being, no one is more responsible for your safety and protection that you are. Other people can help share that weight, but ultimately you are the only one who fully carries that responsibility. Don't blame anyone for the problems you see. Just focus on what you can do. The brilliant philosopher, Captain Jack Sparrow said it best, "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do." Keep your focus on the things you have power over and don't worry about the things you don't.
Take responsibility for the fact that you live in a dangerous world. There are dangerous people and events that may come into your life. Accept the risks. It's the first step to being ready for them… and maybe avoiding as many as possible.