Self-Reliance

In my view, self-reliance is often misunderstood today. It doesn't mean that you don't have close friends or good relationships with your family.

Self-reliance is living your life in such a way that you don't have to rely on others; that you don't need to live from emergency to emergency; that you have some savings; that you have educated yourself and you have learned to think with your own mind.

If you are overly dependent on others, your friends and families included, there is something wrong, you need to reevaluate what you are doing and get yourself on the self-reliant track. There is much peace of mind that comes with that.

I think self-reliance is more mental, an aspect of independence. Certainly, it is true that within the confines of your own mind, you are alone and you are responsible for what you do with your mind. That is what individuality is about.

But to think that you can rely on anyone is probably a bit too much, even if it is true that you have someone like that. Not being able to rely on yourself is a precarious situation. People will love you more and be more willing to help in an emergency if they know you aren't perennially in need.