Reliance

“Freedom comes from the strength of self-reliance.”

Everyone thinks they’ve got it figured out, until they don’t.

Self-reliance is a gift and a curse.

The more I have developed myself, the more reliant I have become solely on myself. But every once in a while I am humbled by an experience that makes me realize that I need others. I need people to show me the things I still don’t know and do things for me I can’t do for myself.

NOBODY LIKES ADMITTING THEY NEED ANYONE.

Nobody likes showing their reliance on others. When you rely more on yourself than others you are showing the power and self-discipline you possess. It is a very freeing feeling to know that you can do it on your own. But that brings me to the question:

WILL YOU EVER DO IT ALL ON YOUR OWN?

In my opinion, the answer is NO.

I thoroughly believe that you will always need others for something. One of the pillars in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the need for belonging and love. This cannot be done by yourself. You need others to feel belonging. Therefore, no matter how independent you think you are, you will never be fulfilled on your own. There will always be something missing.

You and I both know that we can’t make it on our own now, but we both want to feel like we have independence and freedom in our own lives. The only way to do this is by developing your abilities and controlling your mind.

Whenever I need other people to help me, it is typically because I need them to do something I am incapable of doing. This simply means that I need to work harder to develop these skills. Some skills are physically impossible to develop, such as height, so you will still have to rely on others for that. But anything that is possible to be learned, should be learned if you want to be more self-reliant.

The other reason that I would need someone to help me is when I am going through something internally that I don’t think I can handle alone. This is an issue that I have become much better at handling independently through learning to control my thoughts. Through consistent meditation and mindfulness, I think it is possible to tell your mind it is okay in any situation. I also insist on putting my body through hormetic stress so when I am faced with real stress, it does not come as a surprise to my body.

SELF-RELIANCE IS A PRODUCT OF PREPARATION.

How well have you prepared yourself?

If you have prepared yourself well, most situations do not seem difficult. They seem like they can be easily handled solo and you do not need assistance from an outside source.

If you recall Darren Hardy’s luck formula it goes as such:

Preparation + Attitude + Action + Opportunity = Luck

The number 1 thing: Preparation.

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

To be more self-reliant, you must prepare yourself better.

Self-reliance comes from a variety of things but the best thing you can do to help develop it is to prepare yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally.

But don’t ever be too proud to think you can do it alone.

God will kindly slap you across the face if you think you can control everything yourself. Look inward first and ask if this is something you can do, if not, rely on others for what you are incapable of doing.

Everyone is gifted in their own way so use others for the gifts they have.

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Thank you for reading!

My goal is to inspire self-improvement in others through my personal stories and experiences.

This is The Exploration.