20 Resilient Responses for Troubled Times

There are two important things to understand about the crisis we face:

(1) We may be beyond the point where there is anything at the national level that can be done to resolve the situation,

(2) The lesson of the last few years is clear: the elites of our society — economic, religious, and political — have betrayed their responsibilities to protect and serve the common good. If there is anything that will save us, it will grow organically from the grassroots — local solutions are needed.

We must all work together with our neighbors to increase the health, safety, security, and well-being of our communities.

1. Close your ears to the lies of politicians and corporations.

2. Nurture blessings and hope in your own life and in the life of your community.

3. Work together with your neighbors to increase the safety, security, health, and well-being of your family and community.

4. Observe, evaluate, design, act.

5. The borrower is the slave of the lender.

6. Increase the size of your household.

7. Live beneath your means.

8. Don’t leave anyone behind for the wolves to devour.

9. Go car free, if possible.

10. Stop buying new stuff.

11. Support locally owned businesses.

12. Invest in extreme energy conservation.

13. Go coop!

14. Teach your kids frugality and financial management.

15. Grow as much food as you can.

16. Save some money each month.

17. Plan for catastrophe – design for resiliency.

18. Don’t procrastinate.

19. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.

20. Start big projects that will save the world, or at least, your little corner of it.

PDF Version — feel free to copy and give to friends, family, co-workers, or leave in public literature racks.