According to Robert Levine, in his book, The Power of Persuasion, human being are very gullible. However, the interesting part of this is that we don’t THINK we are! 

In study after study after study, he found the same thing. Each person, to some degree, thinks everyone else is more gullible than he is. 

Santa Barbara Jesuisita Fire

How do you feel about the likelihood of the following things happening to YOU?

• Getting into an automobile accident that is your fault?
• Getting into an automobile accident that is someone else’s fault?
• Being in a tornado or hurricane?
• Being hit by lightening?
• Being in a place crash?
• Being robbed?
• Being raped?
• Having your purse or wallet stolen?
• Having your house broken into?
• Having your car broken into?
• Having your home burn down?
• Your relative developing a terminal illness?
• You developing a terminal illness?
• Being fired from your job?
• Your business failing?
• Being ‘sold to’ by an ad in a newspaper, on tv or in a magazine?
• Being influenced by marketing?
• And on and on and on.

According to Levine, we all think it’s more likely that any of the above will happen to someone else long before it will happen to us! And if you think you are NOT one of the gullible ones, guess what? Levine says often times you’re even the MOST gullible.

So this was all very interesting, and a shock to my system when I read it. But I enjoy being shocked because it gives me new information and ways of thinking that allow me to contemplate the world in new and interesting ways. 

So how does this relate back to the fire? Just that I wanted you to put yourself in the shoes of the many here locally who have already lost their homes or at the very least, have had to leave their homes behind to stay with others, just in case. What’s happening in your mind? Next step–what’s happening with your emotions as you consider the ‘idea’ that most of the things you value today could be taken from you in a flash of the firestorm? 

Are you struggling with what to take with you? What to leave? Who to stay with? What you’d have to replace? What you’d lose? How inconvenient it would be? Would the insurance cover it? Oh, the thousands of questions that probably go through each of our minds. Enough to completely boggled, as they say.

So, what WOULD you take? And how could you protect, to the best of your ability, the ones you love and the stuff you’d have to leave behind? Well, here’s some tips for you, just in care:

Take photos of all of your belongings. I’ve read this for years and it was only yesterday with the fire breathing disaster into our city, that I actually did it. With photos of property, your insurance has actual proof of what you owned and what they need to replace. If you haven’t done this yet, stop what you’re doing (if you’re at home), take your digital camera or phone, and start snapping shots!

In addition to your photos, make a list. In other words, go room by room and make an inventory of all of your belongings as well (or use the photos to do this). You can even list the value or purchase price if you remember. Once this inventory list is complete, add to it every time you buy something new of value. 

Back up all of your computers to an online storage system. I use one called Mozy. It’s easy and only $4.95 a month. I back every thing up on hard disks also but if you had to leave in a real hurry, you might not even be able to grab that laptop. Since my Intellectual Property is my most valuable business asset, I love that it is backed up online.

Get a SAFE or use a safety deposit box for valuable papers, extra cash, coins, social security card (it’s not in your wallet still is it?), guns, jewelry, etc. In a fire or other disaster, looting is common so protect those things you only need once in a while by making them hard to get to!

Have a PLAN. Where have you hear THAT before. Perhaps things work out one way or another because we have or don’t have a good action plan in place. Sit your family, or just yourself, down for an hour or so and make sure everyone’s on the same page in terms of what you’d grab, where you’d go, where to meet up, etc. You WILL be grateful you did this and do it yearly. Put it on your calendar for January 1st each year to review and revamp.

There’s all sorts of other precautionary measures to take in terms of having water, first aid kits, food, etc. but I just wanted to touch on the ‘valuables’ tips today. We read this stuff all the time, but it’s the people who act on the tips that are glad they did. Don’t end up in the ‘I wish I have done that.” camp when disaster strikes in your neck of the worlds. Be prepared.