Surviving in the Wilderness of Life

I just returned from a two week trip to the northern part of Australia, known as the Kimberly. It is an area of wilderness that is pristine, spiritual and can be dangerous. There are no roads, towns, or communication. Very few people live there. I was struck by the beauty as well as the potential danger because of wildlife (crocodiles, snakes) lack of water resources, and potential flooding. (It floods six months of the year and is closed to visitors.)

During my trip, I learned about survival and sustainability. The aborigines lived there 30, 000 years and survived without shelter, clothes, or easily accessible food. Many of the pioneers came in the early 1900’s and perished and many left because of the harshness.

I reflected about what it would mean to survive in this wilderness. What skills would I need? What new ways of working and living would I have to adapt? How would I cope without the usual communication vehicles (phone/internet). How would I find happiness within a harsh environment? There is a woman who manages a cattle station and she stays in the area during the six “wet” months when the territory is closed down. Her stamina, creativity, skills and tenacity to survive are admirable. I also came across a recent article by Margaret Wheatley which discusses the wilderness in relation to our lives.

People who are lost in the mountains or wilderness, who either survive or die by the choices they make, at first fight to make their old maps work. They do everything possible to make the old maps fit the present circumstance-but they never can. In wilderness situations, this grasping goes on until the person is confronted with the fact that they're about to die. They will survive only if they acknowledge that there's no way out of their present peril; they must give up their old maps and acknowledge that they're truly lost. Once they recognize this, they begin to notice where they really are, what's going on, what's useful information available here and now. They make new maps and find their way home.

My questions to you: Do your current life maps work in today’s world or do you need to make new ones? Can you acknowledge that you might be truly lost in your search for a meaningful career and personal life? Can you recognize that it is time to start over and analyze where you are, what’s going on in the world and yourself and how you can evaluate and use the “reality of your here and now” to help you move forward? What do you need to change?

In our book, Upside, we discuss the new reality and the need to adapt to a rapidly changing economy and physical environment.

Share with us your comments and stories on this topic. We look forward to hearing from you.


Bonnie Michaels