“There is no challenge in life that is too hard to confront . . .”

In the Himalayan winter, without food or shelter, a human being is not expected to live longer than a week. James Scott, however, lasted 43 days. He survived extreme cold, hunger, isolation and despair, hanging on to the dwindling hope that a search team might find him, or that he could crawl out when the snow thawed. How can those of us who face long term injustices such as radiation weapons torture and “gang stalking” benefit from his lesson in survival?

James was a 22 year-old karate enthusiast, who suddenly became lost in the Himalaya Mountains when a sudden blizzard swept in, hiding his trail. He was in real danger of freezing or starving to death. He recalled having seen people in karate competitions “get slowly ground down, each blow draining them of their spirit, until . . . they became completely defenseless.” He said: “That was how I felt as I zipped up my sleeping bag and feebly ate some snow. My spirit had been crushed and all the will to live had left me. Never had I felt so defeated.”—Lost in the Himalayas.

Isn’t it true that as we face long-term injustices designed to break our will and spirit, it may feel as if we are slowly being ground down and defeated. Nevertheless, despite such seemingly overwhelming challenges, we can learn how to survive relatively intact physically, emotionally, and spiritually until a solution arrives. How? Here are two valuable tips given by survival experts that may benefit victims of ongoing injustice:

The first is to avoid worsening an already difficult situation. “Your strategy,” says The Urban Survival Handbook, “must be to avoid unnecessary risks . . . and minimize the damage caused by those you can’t avoid.” This helps us to see the wisdom of avoiding attitudes or behavior that escalate emotional harm or cause confrontation. Learn to walk away rather than cause needless conflict.

The second—and perhaps the more important—has to do with our attitude. “Survival,” says The SAS Survival Handbook, “is as much a mental attitude as physical endurance and knowledge.”

One important key to survival is maintaining a hopeful and positive outlook. Sometimes there is little you can do to escape the effect of the psychological war waged against you. However, don’t give up; don’t throw in the towel. “It is easy to let yourself go, to collapse and be consumed in self-pity” when exposed to a hostile or dangerous environment, says The SAS Survival Handbook. Do not give in to negative thoughts and emotions. You may be amazed at how much you can endure. “Men and women have shown that they can survive in the most adverse situations,” says the same handbook. How did they do it? They survived, it says, “because of their determination to do so.” Be determined not to be defeated by injustice.

James Scott, mentioned earlier, was eventually rescued from what could have become his Himalayan grave. He said that his struggle to survive had taught him at least one important lesson. What was that? “There is no challenge in life that is too hard to confront,” he said. Tim Macartney-Snape, an experienced mountaineer who was amazed that James Scott was able to survive long enough to be found alive, also drew a lesson. He said: “As long as there is any hint of hope, you must never give up.” So, no matter how dark things may appear to be, you only make matters worse if you lose hope. Never give up hope of rescue.

One more thing that I try to keep in mind:  Our stalkers and attackers take great delight in showing their pleasure at our failings, no matter how minor. If we allow our thinking to be poisoned by their view of us, it will destroy self-esteem. You will have bad days. You will make mistakes. I find the scripture at Proverbs 24:16 to be of great comfort in this regard: “The righteous one may fall even seven times, and he will certainly get up.” Yes, we “may fall,” or make mistakes frequently as we try to cope with our persecution. When that happens, the important thing is that we “get up!” Be determined to recover, learn from your mistakes if necessary and move ahead. Instead of just thinking of yourself as a general failure, pinpoint what you failed at and what caused it. This way you can do better next time. This scripture also shows the need not to take ourselves too seriously. Sometimes, you can laugh at yourself!  We all fail at times. Just be determined to restore a healthy, balanced view of yourself. This will go a long way towards protecting our mental and emotional health.