I hope your 2023 is going well!

Let's talk about living. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of folks are focusing on ONLY hunkering down due to the things going on in the world and potential economic insecurity. While I believe it's very important to prepare, it's equally important not to stop living your life.

I'm sharing this with permission, but I've gotten emails from readers who were considering not sending their kids off to college or summer camp or who were thinking about canceling a holiday they've already paid for so they can...

stay home...hunker down...stay safe.

Please don't do that.

Think about how many of us balked against the idea of virus mandates that said we shouldn't see our elderly parents or shouldn't host the family at holidays or couldn't shop in the stores. Then, we were ALL ABOUT freedom. We chafed at the restrictions.

Don't do that to yourself, then.

You can be a prepared person and still travel, live where you wish to live, send your kids to college and summer camp, and enjoy life. In no way are these things mutually exclusive.

I agree, we have some unsettling times coming up and I'm not telling you to be irresponsible. But please, for the love of all things cute and fluffy, don't stop living your life and call it being a prepper.

We prep so we can thrive, not just exist. The skills and situational awareness you have developed will help you manage on vacation if things go sideways. They'll help you wherever you happen to live, even if it isn't a 200-acre self-sufficient homestead. You've instilled strong values and life skills in your children. That's being prepared.

I can tell you what will happen if you force your kids to eschew all the fun to be had as they develop their independence. They'll fly the coop one day and never want to come back. They will feel the way we did when we were locked down against our will. They will rebel against all things preparedness and look back with scorn at the things we did to keep them safe.

Instead, give them the tools to go out and enjoy the world safely. Teach them about situational awareness and personal responsibility. Then, let them make their own decisions as much as is reasonably possible. (Clearly, I'm talking about older kids here.) You will be the safe place to return to, not the jailer to escape.

And as much as you shouldn't do it to your kids, you shouldn't do it to yourself, either. I know some folks have zero interest in traveling or visiting the city. A lot of people truly enjoy a simple lifestyle at home, and that is a wonderful thing. But if that is not you, don't let others convince you that you're a "bad" prepper. We all tackle this preparedness world differently and it should fit our lives, rather than our lives changing to fit preparedness.

Fabian wrote yesterday about standard of living vs. quality of life, and I think that this little Sunday morning rant of mine is related. For some of us, our quality of life is greatly enhanced by things that go on outside the four walls of our homes.

And if that's you, don't lock yourself down out of fear. Live. We only have so much time on this planet. Go out there and love your life. ❤️