Recently, Bear Grylls, the survival expert, was lowered into the Florida Everglades from a helicopter along with a knife, watch, water bottle, flint and the clothes on his back. His mission - to survive and get out!
He landed up to his thighs in water and checked around him for signs of alligators. Some of the swamp alligators are huge. Many of us would have climbed right back into the helicopter and flown off at speed in the direction of civilization.
He faced several days of humid weather in a watery land that hosts a million alligators and not a few deadly snakes, bears, scorpions and other hazards. He had to find his own way out to safety. The helicopter had gone.
Any survival story can teach at least three valuable success lessons:
Firstly, it can make us appreciate how easy, safe and comfortable our normal lives are. Once we realize this, most of our tasks will seem comparatively easy. We can do them without watching under the bed for predators who see us as breakfast and without taking time out to hunt down our own food!
Secondly, we can learn that knowledge and skills give us life saving power and that time spent increasing our knowledge and key skills is time well spent.
Thirdly, we can learn ways to keep up our morale when we experience tough and tiring situations.
The title of this account about eating frogs refers to two ways of eating frogs. Small frogs provide much needed protein if you are stranded in a swamp without food. Frogs in the glades are not poisonous and can be eaten with confidence!
Secondly, most people naturally hate the idea of eating frogs so Brian Tracy teaches that we should eat the frog i.e. deal with the task we least want to do first thing in the morning.
Everything else will then seem much easier and we will be inspired by our success in having already dealt with the worst task of the day.
However, some people might prefer to deal with the easier tasks first just to get themselves going. We are all different and need different types of motivation.
Bear Gryll's first task was obvious. He needed a weapon. He wasted no time in locating a stick that could be used to poke at an alligator's eyes and nostrils.
It would, at least, give him extra reach to try to keep the alligator at a distance. Safety is a vital priority of any successful nation or individual.
Bear's next priority was to decide on the direction he should take to get out of the glades before his energy gave out. A key part of survival is to save energy by avoiding going round in circles.
He climbed a tree to get his bearings by tying his shoe laces together and then shinning up a branchless tree using the shoelaces for leverage.
This technique allowed him to use his legs to power himself up the tree. His arms were only used for balance. An important survival and success principle is to make use of all the physical and mental strength you possess.
Another key survival principle is to be prepared before you enter a new situation. You especially need to study the geography of a place and any landmarks or clues that may help you find your way.
In the city, those with weak bladders or heavy drinkers need to check out potential rest rooms or bushes that will provide cover when they just have to relieve themselves!
At the top of the tree, Bear looked for pine trees since they grow on dry land but all he saw were cypress trees and water oaks. That means swamp and more swamp. He had to try another method.
To succeed, you may have to try out several methods before you achieve your goal. Edison's thousand attempts to create a light bulb is the classic example of this kind of perseverance.
Bear knew that higher ground in the Everglades is inland and that the direction of inland was west. He pointed the hour hand of his watch to the sun knowing that half way between the sun and 12 o'clock is south.
He could work out the direction of west from that. It was essential that he stick to his plan of going west to avoid going round in circles. Sometimes success involves sticking to one plan for at least a few days.
Bear headed off west and tripped over a log which had the sinister shape of a half-submerged alligator. The swamps are scary. You never know what you are treading on. Bear was spooked.
He spotted bubbles and quickly got out of the water onto the trunk of a nearby tree. No point in taking risks.
He made much noise by splashing water and hitting trees with his stick to give warning of his presence to alligators. They are much more likely to attack you if they are surprised and think they have to defend themselves.
He came to a clearing with some deep water in it and a few alligators sunning themselves to keep warm. Bear did not want to risk wading across the deep water so he looked for another way.
He found a cypress that was leaning across the clearing. Bear knew that a cypress tree that can grow in water would be unlikely to break. He climbed up the cypress and then swung across to another tree at the far side and shimmied down to ground level.
It was late and Bear knew that he had to get out of the water before night fall - the main feeding time for alligators.
He found a pop ash tree which had enough limbs which would allow him to construct a base long enough to sleep on at full stretch and wide enough to prevent him rolling out into the water. Vines and other useful materials were all around. This would save him time and energy.
He used the fronds of a cabbage palm to provide bedding. Once the bed was made, fire was Bear's next priority. Fire would keep predators away and dry his clothes.
He made a mud base on the bed for a fire and dried and checked his feet for trench foot. If your feet are wet for twelve hours or more, the skin starts to flake off and eventually becomes infected and "out here, if you can't walk, you die."
Without Bear's knowledge, lighting a fire would be impossible in such damp surroundings. The power of relevant knowledge is essential for survival and success.
His first night in the swamp was not relaxing. Scary noises were all around as the swamp life came alive. The mosquitoes bit him on his thighs when he removed his trousers to dry them.
In the morning, he needed to drink water. He used his shirt to filter the swamp water and then boiled the water to kill parasites and bacteria. While he waited for the water to boil, he used his water bottle to show him south. He tied it to his stick and watched to see which way it would swing - a shrewd local technique.
The water of the Everglades flows slowly south to the gulf of Mexico. After 30 minutes the bottle had swung round about 2 feet and stayed level. Bear knew his direction again and moved on looking for food.
The dead wood of the swamp is often home to bugs and insects. He found the larvae of some carpenter ants which are four times higher in protein content than beef. They taste sour but are a life saver. A survivor cannot afford to be fussy.
He moved on through cypress tree roots and then a plain of saw grass. Bear's knowledge again helped him to negotiate these areas safely. Time after time his journey through the swamps showed the power of knowledge and key skills.
Learning useful skills and what you need to know is hugely important for both survival and success.
He now came across an alligator infested river. His knowledge would be more important than ever. For example, he knew that alligators can run at thirty miles an hour over short distances. If an alligator hisses, it could be about to attack. They do not feed at midday.
Bear had to find a safe place to swim the river. In 2006 three women were killed by alligators in one week - one was swimming and two others were dragged in from the water's edge.
Bear found a narrow part of the river with good visibility all the way around. He waited an hour knowing that a large male alligator could stay underwater for up to 45 minutes.
In hot weather they often lie in deep water to cool down. Bear looked for any ripples or the eyes of the alligator just above water. Survival and success often demand relentless patience.
Bear had waited for an hour. He swam underwater so that he would not be mistaken for a bird or a turtle bobbing on the surface of the water. He kept his knife in his hand.
His heart was thumping as he reached the far side. He walked on to reach pine trees and dry land where alligators would no longer be a threat as they only live near water:
Bear commented that one word sums up the Everglades: "Unforgiving."
However, food was available. He found a small frog and ate it raw making sure that he killed it with his first bite. Eat whenever you can to survive. He then made a net to catch some minnows and ate those raw as well.
He next found some grapefruit and oranges. This was a sign that the area may have been used by the Seminole Indians who were forced to hide from the US army in the early 19th century.
Bear made a shelter in this dry area. "If it was good enough for the Seminoles, it is good enough for me." He made a morale boosting fire to keep predators away.
Next morning, he found a turtle that was not protected. He killed it swiftly and cooked it, as the Seminoles do, in its shell. The shell is brittle and cracks when the meat is ready to eat. Bear commented:
"It really does taste quite like chicken. That's really good fleshy meat. The turtle has given me vital energy and has also given me a psychological boost and so much of survival is about keeping your morale up. Recharged, I am going to keep heading west."
The dry land seemed safer than the swamp but appearances are deceptive. Bear soon came across a noisy rattlesnake. Such snakes can strike up to half their body length. He kept his eye on it and backed away slowly. You have to be very careful when walking round in thigh deep grass.
Snakes were not the only problem. There were black bears around. Bear came a cross a huge paw print on a tree. I was once chased by an Iranian mountain bear cub when I was a kid so I know how even small bears can inspire fear!
He now came into an area of swamp mud and found a sink hole of the type which can swallow small vehicles. He jumped into a hole to demonstrate how to get out. He showed how, if he struggled in an upright position, he was sucked further in.
He escaped by leaning forward and using his stick held horizontally in both his hands to create more surface area to lean forward on. He still had to work hard and wriggle out. Once on the surface, he monkey crawled away.
Recently, a jogger fell into a sink hole up to his chest and was stuck there for three days. He was found on the fourth day delirious and covered in bug bites.
Bear now came across a fence and a road. He had survived!
In the Everglades, salvation can be found just round the next tree. If you're lost never give up hope. If you're failing, never give up. Success could be just round the corner!
Learn the skills you need to succeed and stick to your plans! Eat the frogs if necessary but above all, appreciate how much easier it is to live with appetizing food, clean water, decent shelter and a nice, warm bed readily available!
John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php
You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php
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