How to Survive: A Horror Movie

We’re the stars of our own lives and we all have a genre we’d prefer the script to follow. Rom-Com, Action/Adventure, Comedy...all experiences we’d like during a well-rounded life. But what happens when the script takes an unexpected turn down a foggy, deserted road? A road that leads to an abandoned hotel or a haunted cabin in the woods? What do we do when we find out the movie of our life has become a horror film? How can we survive the deadly mistakes and wrong turns that have claimed so many others? How can we make it out alive?

Part 1

Listen to the Old Timer

Don’t you feel for the people in horror movies? They find themselves in absolutely terrifying situations—and without warning! Or...were they warned? More often than not there’s an old-timer, a sign, or a legend that’s clearly telling people to stay away. The same is true for us. We could save ourselves a scary ordeal simply by looking for and listening to wise counsel.

Part 2

Let’s Stick Together

That never happens in a horror movie. Instead you hear, “OK everybody, let’s split up.” As soon as those words are uttered, you know someone is as good as dead. Why face whatever’s out in the dark by yourself? There’s strength in numbers, and there’s power in community. We can survive the most horrifying situations that life can throw our way—as long as we’re not facing them alone.

Part 3

It’s Never Just the Wind

What’s the worst thing you can do in a terrifying situation? Pretend you’re not in a terrifying situation. It’s never “just the wind” making noise—it’s always a monster! And as former Admiral Jim Stockdale says, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”