BASIC PREMISE

Basic Premise:

It's what your "reality" is based on. More precisely, it's what YOU have established that your "reality" is based on.

It's your "rock," your "base," your "foundation."  Basic Premise.

Politicos, terrorists, propagandists, con artists, criminals, marketing specialists:  They all know about "Basic Premise."

What they know is this:  They know that your psychological, mental, emotional (or whatever you want to call it) existence, or "well being," is based on your Basic Premise and the conclusions and logic or beliefs that flow from it.

They also know, that if they "upset" or unbalance, or somehow threaten or destroy your "Basic Premise," your "rock," your "foundation... they can cause you great anxiety, emotional upheaval, uncertainty, worry, fear, panic, etc.

This is what happened on Sept. 11, 2001 or as we have come to know it, 9/11.

This is what terrorists do when they carry out an act of terrorism. Their intent is to cause your "Basic Premise" to become upset. In that state of mind and emotion, you are more easily manipulated.

Calamitous events, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, power outages, tend to do the same to people.

On a smaller scale, your Basic Premise can be upset or destroyed by a traumatic accident: Traffic accident, a fire at home, a sudden traumatic illness (heart attack, stroke, etc.)

These can upset your sanity, your state of mind, your emotional well being, your ability to think clearly.

Most of us know about this. Many of us have experienced this.

Many of us military personnel know all too well how this works.

Some of us can get "stuck" in the "upset" of our Basic Premise.  We can lose our "balance" and remain unbalanced.  Sometimes some do not recover.

What many do not know is how to get back your "balance," how to put back your Basic Premise or how to create a new one, and build a new reality.

Ask any calamitous event survivor and they will tell you that they had to establish a new foundation, a new "Base,"  New Basic Premises, in order to come out of the trauma... out of the instability.

How do you do this?  How do you become "grounded" when you are panicked?

If you break it down, there are two, three or just a few more steps you can do to get "unpanicked."

1.  The first thing to do is ACKNOWLEDGE that you have been panicked, upset, traumatized, hurt, injured.... whatever the DESTABILIZED situation is.  ACKNOWLEDGE IT. Realize you are in it.

2.  The second thing you can do is to calm yourself down.  If you are anxious and hyperventilating or rambling about, ranting and raving, or simply just nervous as hell, or crying or want to scream... calm yourself down.  Calm down by looking at something that is standing still.  Find a rock, a building, a tree, a chair, a piece of ground. and observe that it is sitting still.  Then find another. Then another.  You might not have time to linger on this and might have to do it quickly. You may have had a burst of adrenaline that might be making you hyper active.  If that's the case, this step might take some effort.   However, you might also use your adrenaline rush to your advantage by calming yourself just enough, yet use your heightened state to boost yourself into action.

Some of you, once you do this can find stability by praying.  If that's not for you then continue anyway.

3. Once you are calm, or calmer, then you can begin to prioritize your actions.  Set up a mental checklist of things to do, and start to do them.

4. Establish your order of priorities with safety first.  Get away rapidly from danger. Stop bleeding, get to a safe and secure area. If you are in danger of attack by someone or something, get to a defensible and "defendable" position.  If your situation is simply that you are without food or shelter, then make that your priority.

The point is, regardless of the trauma or calamity, or disaster, 1. Acknowledge.  2. Calm Down. 3. Take action while prioritizing. 4. Get Safe and Secure.

5.  Make a plan of action. This is a general outline what you have to do to get back to "Basic Premise."

6.  Work out the individual things you have to do to carry out that plan.  Make a list of these actions, into steps.

7.  Assign time to these items. Some require more immediate action than others. Set the time limits.

8.  Establish a discipline of things you have to do to get these things done.

You may have to cycle through this several times a day, until it becomes "routine," until you establish a discipline or a "ritual of survival."

These sets of actions can be done in a few minutes, and they can be expanded to be done for more lengthy handlings for extended period of times, to include more than just you, and can be developed into operation modes for large organizations and numbers of people.

You can bring order where there is none, and thus improve survival and well being for yourself and for others, either as a leader or someone who is helping others or as a member of a group.

Perhaps you have been "upset" by a calamitous event in the past.  Perhaps you have gotten somewhat stuck in a traumatic event in the past.  Perhaps this can help you come out of it, even if it is just a little bit. Let me know if this helps.

I want to know what works for you and how you have handled calamitous, upsetting situations.  Let me know:

Let me know how it goes:  advanceoffreedom@gmail.com