Some think that those who believe in preparedness are doomsdayers, pessimists, or paranoid. I’ve spoken to people who prefer to see things in a positive light and do not want to think about anything negative. Being prepared is not about negativity and paranoia. In fact, preparedness is about confidence. I once had to attend a session on active shooter training where the presenter spoke about “living in the yellow.” This is a good model for how to approach a variety of scenarios in life.

Those who live in the GREEN believe in only seeing the positive. They are often oblivious to potential dangers and choose to ignore them. They believe that having a positive attitude will somehow shield them from bad situations. Those who live in the green will be caught completely off-guard if something bad happens.

Those who live in the RED see problems and dangers everywhere. Some of these people are prepared for nuclear war, complete government collapse, and zombie apocalypses. To these people danger lurks everywhere and they must be prepared to fight for survival in any and all situations.

Those who live in the YELLOW are aware that things can go awry and take a few moments here and there to avoid problems. These people know that problems can occur and plan for the unexpected.

While no one wants encounter problems we know that problems do occur. Most drivers have some supplies in their car such as jumper cables, flares, spare oil, flashlight, etc. You purchase insurance for your home, belongings, vehicle, and your health. These are examples of living in the yellow. You pay good money for home and vehicle insurance but you hope that you never need to use it.