Part Three - Being Mentally Prepared For A Home Invasion

OK, ladies - your home is like a fortress and you have a safe room stocked and ready. Are you ready? I mean really ready to handle a home invasion? This is Part 3 in a series on protecting yourself in your home and today the discussion will be on being mentally prepared. 

We can have everything "tangible" in place and ready, but if we are not mentally prepared and the unthinkable happens, we will be in such a high state of stress that if we are not emotionally and mentally prepared, we are not likely to be able to utilize all that we have physically put in place and protect ourselves.

Do you have a defensive mindset? We must live our lives with a defensive mindset which simply means always being aware of what and who is around us and what their proximity or actions means or may mean to our safety. It also means that you are prepared and willing to use force to protect yourself.

Owning a firearm for your protection symbolizes your willingness to take the life of another human being as a last resort to save your life. If you are not prepared to do so, you are not ready to own a firearm for self protection. Being "willing to" is not the same thing as "wanting to". Be clear on what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to do and make clear choices based on these things.  

There is another powerful mental muscle that is key to your survival. That is your determination to never give up and your drive to survive. This is the single most important factor in surviving a life threatening situation. You must have this attitude if forced to fight for your life. We have all heard stories of the "underdog" coming from behind or the smaller weaker opponent finding some miraculous drive and power to overcome impossible odds. That MUST be you.

In the last two articles we developed plans, one to fortify and improve the security of our home to help to prevent an invasion, then a plan of what you will do in the event your home is invaded. We must also have a mental plan and be emotionally ready to act. Your mental plan begins with thinking through "what would I do if?" scenarios. This exercise works to formulate your mental plan. This requires you to visualize and go through possible attack scenarios. Be specific and run through multiple different possible attacks. Is there more than one assailant?, do they have guns or knives?, what if they grab one of the children? What if I come home and find my door unlocked or broken into? Such graphic visualizations are necessary. Creating your plan on what you will do to deal with them is critical to strengthening your mental preparedness and your ability to protect yourself and those you love. Finish all visualizations with your success in protecting yourself and prevailing over the assailant(s). This builds your confidence. If you are ever in such a life threatening situation, it will guide and enhance your effectiveness.

Just as practicing your gun handling and shooting skills are necessary to be prepared, you must also exercise your mental skills. These two well honed skills, working together is the means to protecting yourself in your home. You just can't have one without the other. Both must be equally prepared and trained.

     

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