Nations, societies, communities, and even individual lives move through cycles. There are cycles of up and down and everything in between. Sometimes the down part of the cycle last longer, sometimes the upward part of the cycle lasts longer. There are certainly better ways to run things but no matter what type of society or life that you live…there will be ups and downs.
Of that you can be assured. When we look at Western societies as a whole I think it’s safe to say that overall they’re on a downward trajectory. Notably in places like the United Kingdom, Australia, and the States. But this holds true for many other places as well. We’re seeing wealth contract more and more into hands a few uber rich or government officials.
It’s a tale as old as time yet one we have to prepare ourselves for. Using strategies for survival and living that would have net us great success ten or even five years ago no longer will work as well. The “traditional” path is a path to destruction. Given that traditional means common economic, financial, and living advice. Times have changed and they’ve changed hard.
Granted there are still principles that will always hold true but I’ve covered those in the majority of my articles about wealth. Today I want to talk about the things that have changed and what one can and should do to live a decent life in the days ahead.
Income, Mobility, & The Modern World
Different places are different. This sounds dumb but upon further examination it could be the thing that changes, or even saves, your life. I think now must us of us know or at least have heard of someone who has up and moved from our county, whatever that country may be, and found a much better life in what Westerners traditionally call a “less developed country”. I know people that have moved to Mexico, the Philippines, Vietnam, and a few other places who would never come back to their country of origin.
Not that everything is peaches and roses, there are always pros and cons as well as differences but overall they’ve never been happier. The cost of living is getting more and more ridiculous in Western nations and finding a place to live somewhere else is the answer for many. This requires sacrifice of course which brings me to a major point with this.
You’re going to have to sacrifice something in the days ahead. It might be living close to family or it might be certain amenities or it might be living under a free government to stick with family. The choices are going to be yours to make but understand that you’ll have to make them. Most likely.
So what are you willing to give up? A decent paying job for a place where you’ll be required to make less money but start over from scratch? Or are you going to stay put? And if so what are contingencies that you’ll have to plan for. Can you keep up with the rising cost of living or will you be forced to live somewhere that could be potentially dangerous for many different reasons.
Mobility is going to play a big role in where you end up. How can you make extra cash quick? What are jobs that line up with your living now that allow you to move around? Sales jobs are good, even though if you move you’ll have to start from scratch with clients. So is there another option? Online perhaps? And so on and so forth.
An Ounce Of Preparation Is Worth A Pound Of Cure
So say moving isn’t in the cards and increasing income or at least making it more mobile isn’t going to happen anytime soon, then what? Then we look at things from the other angle. How do you make yourself less and less reliant or things outside of yourself? What I mean is how do you go about making yourself more independent from “the system” or “the grid” or whatever you want to call it.
You’ll never achieve complete independence despite what people may say but you can take steps to become more independent and make all the craziness in the world affect you a little less. You could do something simply like start a garden or something a little more involved like get chickens or even beyond that get a dairy cow. But all that requires land and an initial investment of money and then the constant investment of time.
There are ways to make them less reliant on feed and stuff you but from the store but that also takes land. So what other options do you have? Well you can look at cutting out frivolous things from your life. Look for cheaper replacements. This is a random example but instead of say, driving to and paying for a gym every day, getting a cheap set of weights for yourself at home.
Won’t turn you into a millionaire but will help. Look for things here and there. And then look at investing in things that’ll help you if/when things do get rough. Chickens are too expensive and don’t require a crazy amount of land. What you do to help yourself will be unique to your situation but there are many options out there.
No Man Is An Island
Look for others that are like minded and want to accomplish the same thing as you. One huge mistake that so many people make is trying to do everything themselves but that’s just not how things get done or how humans naturally work. We needs others, we need family, we need community, we need tribes. Stop trying to do or accomplish everything yourself.
You can’t.
We need and rely on others. That’s not a sign of weakness it’s a fact of life. Be as strong as you can individually of course, but also understand that no matter how strong you are you’ll still be greatly limited without others. Even the strongest ant needs the colony and people are no different. But anyways say getting a piece of land is far outside your budget. You’re not alone.
However get together a few people and suddenly things become much more affordable. They have to be people you trust and are worthy, no one wants a tribe of losers. And with that I’d say keep in mind that like attracts like. Be the best you can be to be part of the best.
But start reaching out, look for places where likeminded people might be. Ask around, learn, grow your social circle. This won’t happen inside, though the internet can be helpful. Look for communities around you and where you can meet people like you.
It takes time to develop relationships and community but they’re well worth the investment. With a group of ten men you can afford land, chickens, cows, and all of that. Not to mention have the means to protect the land if things ever got truly bad. Not to mention it opens up other options for further independence. Just something to think about and don’t underestimate.
The Spoils Go To The Prepared
I’m not saying be paranoid or that the sky is falling. Simply that belts will be tightening in the near future and probably will be for some time. Maybe that leads to cataclysmic events but more likely will just be a slow decline. Regardless it pays to be prepared. Just thinking over these things is a good start. Take some action no matter how small. Start moving in the direction of independence and it will pay off down the road.
Think on these things, then take action.
If you want help in your journey I’d recommend picking up some of my books on Amazon or clicking over the Ultimate Alpha collection.
Best Wishes,
-Charles Sledge
