ABSTRACT
According to J. Wayne Fears's The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide, when people first realize they are lost in the wilderness, they often panic and drop their packs, begin running, or keep wandering until they find themselves in even worse circumstances. The profound truth is that, in many circumstances, regardless of training or resources, survival comes down to a choice. STOP is an acronym: Sit, Think, Observe and Plan. Stopping is the beginning of the journey to overcome fear—not to eliminate it or beat it but to act in spite of it. Experts point to a number of vital mental actions survivors must take during this self-imposed stillness in order to find and regain the right state of mind. These actions can be summed up in three steps: people who navigate The Wild admit that they are lost, they submit to reality, and they commit to live.
