How to Survive (Almost) Anything: Take tasks that require no thought and re-invent them so that you have to think. This bears repeating: Survival is not about equipment and training alone. It’s about what’s in your mind and your emotional system. Living in a low-risk environment dulls our abilities. We must make a conscious effort to learn new things, to force ourselves out of our comfort zones. [This applies to so many things… despite our deep desire to create continuity in our lives, it is best for us if things keep changing and we keep learning and adapting. It’s better from almost every view point I can think of (diet, exercise, thought, etc., etc.) It’s the same lesson I learned as a musician years ago. Adaptation is something that can be practiced.]