Finding the Will to Survive

Among all the different stories of survival there is typically one underlying theme among those who have beaten the odds and braved some of the hardest situations. That theme, as simple as it may sound is not survival food or a really good 72-hour kit. It is simply the will to survive.

The phrase is simple and is self-explanatory, but the concept behind it is deep-seated and plumbs the deepest and innermost recesses of the human soul. It entails finding what aspects of life are most important and what aspects are worth living for.

Often times, the will to survive can be fueled by a powerful desire to once again see and hold a child, or to kiss a spouse on the forehead, or to accomplish a goal that has not yet been accomplished. These simple, yet prevailing yearnings can propel someone to survive against all odds.

That is not to say survival is not also about fighting and exerting all one’s effort to make it out of dangerous or seemingly hopeless situations, but without the will to survive, why even try? It is essentially discovering a reason to want to survive.

There have been studies that have been done on the survivors of the Jewish Holocaust regarding the will to survive. Many have been asked what the motivating factor was that helped them make it through those inhumane, physically, mentally, and emotionally trying times.

In fact, logotherapy, a type of psychotherapy developed by Viktor Frankl, employs helping people find meaning in life as vehicle to make it through trying times. Frankl himself was a Holocaust survivor, so the research for this particular research was indeed hands on.

Finding meaning in times of survival is essentially finding a reason to live and involves more or less a type of introspection that results in an unshakable drive to make it out alive. This introspection can be accomplished through a conscious effort or it can be brought about as result of an experience.

However the will to survive is generated, it is a necessary step in making it through those times where everything seems bleak and hopeless. The spirit has conquered many a disaster before and everyone possesses that potential to push until the bitter end.

There the will survive has been seen so many different in so many different scenarios. As abstract as it may seem, it is a key factor in making it through disasters and those difficult scenarios that so often befall people in the course of their lives.

Cade Lennox is a safety and emergency preparedness expert. He has written hundreds of articles about food storage and other safety tips. He recommends Daily Bread food storage . You can find also Cade on Google+ .