What is an Activist? One Woman’s View

Gaye Levy, Contributing Writer
Activist Post

Today I would like to talk about activism and how being an Activist relates to the Prepper Movement.

And yes, let’s call the emerging national pastime of prepping a “movement,” for at no time in my lifetime can I recall such a groundswell of peaceful unrest and positive action among a such a large and varied demographic.

What is an Activist?

According to Wikipedia, Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change.

What is missing from this definition, however, is the personal aspect of activism.  By that I mean the conscientious and intentional effort to bring about change at the individual or family level in addition to (or instead of) the global level.  I propose that it is this personal activism that heralds the true prepper.

Now you may be saying “Hold on, not me!  I am no Activist”.  Because to be honest, many people that I talk to are actually horrified by the thought of being labeled as such. They think of an Activist as someone who marches on Washington (or Wall Street), participates in sit-its, holds wonky signs and shouts obscenities at authority figures and law enforcement.  And surely, that is not the quiet prepper who reverently stores food and water, learns to use a firearm for self defense and safety, and develops skills such as hunting, fishing and fire building so that he or she can survive in the wilds if the SHTF and life as we know it collapses.

Tsk tsk I say.  Don’t be horrified by the thought of being an Activist for, in fact, true activism starts much closer to home.  It starts when you decide to live a self-reliant life.  It starts when you decide that you will depend on nobody but yourself for your personal safety and survival.  And it continues as you begin to pare down the excess in order to live minimally; learning to embrace life for the bounty at hand versus the covetous bounty of your neighbor.

Now perhaps you are now thinking,  But SurvivalWoman, I am just one person doing the right thing for myself and my family.  How does that make me an Activist?’

And to that I say, take a look at the qualities that reside under the activist umbrella and what do you see?  If you see yourself in the following, you are indeed an Activist:

1.  Commitment:  The Activist gets things done.  He does not merely dream; he acts.  Tenacity and perseverance are a way of life.

2.  Education and Knowledge:  The Activist is always learning a new skill.  He makes an outward effort to stay informed of issues that may threaten survival of the world and society at hand.

3.  Positive Attitude:  Activists are upbeat and enthusiastic about their mission.  Naysayers do not discourage their efforts one iota.  To the contrary, that makes the activist work even harder to accomplish his goals.

4.  Communication:  An Activist will speak up when sneaky corporations and corrupt or ineffective politicians try to control his destiny.  Even when his voice is lost in the wilderness of corruption, it is still a voice that will never give up.

5.  Problem Solving:  An Activist may not know it all, but he will figure it out for better or for worse.  Complacency or inaction because “you don’t know how” does not exist in the Activist’s life.

6.  Passion:  An Activist is charged with the fire and passion to make things happen.

Like I said, if these qualities sound familiar, you are both a Prepper and an Activist.  In your own way, you are setting a course to change the world.  You may not think so, but in my view that is exactly what you are doing one day at a time, one bean at a time, one skill at a time.

The Final Word
Taking steps to affect social change can be lonely, as well as frustrating and overwhelming.  And while taking these steps are necessary, the decision to do this publicly or privately is up to you.

The important thing is that you are taking action and that you are secure in the knowledge that you have taken responsibility for yourself – that you either have or can learn the skills that are necessary to take care of yourself no matter what the government, the global economy, your fellow man, or the planet will throw at you.

Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!

Gaye Levy, the SurvivalWoman, grew up and attended school in the Greater Seattle area. After spending many years as an executive in the software industry, she started a specialized accounting practice offering contract CFO work to emerging high tech and service industries. She has now abandoned city life and moved to a serenely beautiful rural area on an island in NW Washington State. She lives and teaches the principles of a sustainable, self-reliant and stylish lifestyle through emergency preparation and disaster planning through her website at BackdoorSurvival.com. SurvivalWoman speaks her mind and delivers her message with optimism and grace, regardless of mayhem swirling around us.  Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!