What is Survival?

What does it mean to survive? Is it to be free? Rich? Breathing? Just short of starving? Not dead yet?
How do you see things? Is the glass:

a.    half full?

b.    half empty?

c.    too big? (thank you, George Carlin)

Survival metrics aren’t just about optimism vs. pessimism – it’s a matter of perspective. We all have our own unique frame of reference. What for one person is intolerable might be like paradise for another. A matter of degrees - speaking of degrees, I’m almost like the frog in boiling water – I stay in the cauldron far longer than I should. BUT I do manage to get out, although it seems to be by the hand of some invisible benefactor (who may have put me in there in the first place – no, that was my responsibility. Even though it is fashionable nowadays and play the victim, blaming ANYONE ELSE for your own problems, I will own mine. There but for the grace of God…)
Some people don’t tolerate things for as long as I do. Where are you? Finish this statement: That which doesn’t kill me

a.    will next time.

b.    isn’t worth worrying about.

c.    was sloppy and won’t survive the night.

d.    makes me stronger.

Some dictators and bullies rely on an ability to over-power your resistance. Some are craftier, and learn how to keep you on the edge. This is hard to do with huge masses of a pluralistic society, dealing with the differing values of the individuals. It’s easier if they wipe out those values, redefine the survival metric - lower the bar.
We all have a survival instinct. What’s your limit – the thing that registers a perceived threat and makes your instinct kick in for either fight or flight.
What’s your comfort level? What is an acceptable Quality of Life? Have you allowed someone else to lower your expectations? Have you been putting up with things that you could change? Then it’s time to raise the bar on your survival.
Just saying… 

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"In a Flash", my first Jimmy Delaney story, will be FREE on Smashwords for another two weeks – here’s the smashwords link:   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120247?ref=notimetothink 

Check it out! Give it a read, and then rate and review it, and tell your friends. If you like it, continue with "Mixed Signals" and "The Right Idea."  Thanx!

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William Mangieri’s writing can be found in many places, including:

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