Do you yearn to escape the prison cell of a dependent life? It’s time to chart and change your course for your independence.
Self-reliance will provide you with the confidence to face your challenges. And I know you have many.
Take your problems and leave them behind. Embark on your self-reliance journey below.
1. Take a Self-Defense Class and Learn to Harness Your Energy
Self-defense is a constitutional right. The world is full of shady people. And you must accept not everyone will look after your best self-interest.
Taking a class such as Krav Maga empowers you. You’ll see your improvement over time.
Thus, you build your confidence to defend yourself in different dangerous scenarios. Dark city streets won’t scare you as much. You’ll train to understand your surroundings.
Also, I remember the first time I stepped into a class. You would describe it as “What have I gotten myself into?” I felt overwhelmed is an understatement.
But with time, you’ll grow a community of like-minded individuals that love self-defense and martial arts. They also host competitions inspiring you to perfect your skills to win first place.
Any martial art teaches discipline. It is a mindset to forward your self-reliance quest.
You’ll find studios in your local area. They’ll be happy to have you.
2. Embrace Technology and Face the AI of the Future
With the latest technological advancements, artificial intelligence (AI) is prominent in the news. The media hype causes fear.
You don’t know how technology will progress. It is human nature to wonder about the future and the unknown.
Some generations refuse to adapt. And progress leaves them behind. I know that sounds harsh. But the truth hurts.
I’m suggesting you embrace technology to further your personal self-reliance goals. You want to use it as a tool.
For example, involve yourself in its development by learning to code. Understanding how AI works is key.
The last circumstance we’d want is a Terminator or Skynet situation occurring. Yes, Hollywood already portrayed many AI scenarios gone rogue.
Don’t let them scare you out of being self-reliant by adapting the technology to your needs.
3. Learn to Analyze Information Fast and Efficiently
Maintaining self-reliance requires deciphering the good and bad data.
The Information Age is here. You hold an unlimited amount of info in your pocket once kept as paper files. Your smartphone makes life easy to research topics so it makes information a constant stream.
In the past, the library consisted of card catalogs and no digital way to look up information.
Research informs us the average oral human reading speed is 183 words per minute (wpm). And the average book has 300 words per page in it.
Combining those numbers, it takes approximately 1 minute 38 seconds for the average human to read one page orally. That’s assuming you understand the information you consume at that reading speed.
You read faster the more you analyze information. In other words, you need to practice your critical thinking skills by reading different texts. Because they involve interpreting data from multiple sources.
Also, I find analyzing data efficiently hard. Writing the best blog posts for you is daunting. I read a lot of garbage so you don’t have to. I fact-check all my sources so they’re the most accurate up-to-date information.
Making decisions is one of the toughest parts of analyzing data. And efficient decision-making requires information. You must analyze the data fast to create opportunities where they don’t exist.
Here are some actionable ways to speed up your data analysis:
- use automated tools to level up your capacity
- repeat a task until you’re satisfied with your speed
- make realistic goals to avoid discouragement
- learn to speed read
Self-reliance hinges on your ingenuity to create something out of nothing. Interpreting data fast allows you to innovate.
4. Increase Skills of Long Forgotten Ancient Pastimes
Ancient pastimes? I’m talking about skills that lost their coolness factor years ago.
Here are some of the common forgotten skills you must rekindle:
- canning
Who cares if the garden didn’t grow this year?
Pop open the canned green beans. You will now enjoy the satisfaction of your past labor.
Canning allows you to store food in hard times.
For instance, the grocery store isn’t open due to thick snow. You don’t want to risk wrecking your vehicle on icy roads.
So, you happily enjoy your green beans at home.
- welding
Welding allows you to build strong structures. You’re able to repair fences and perform other critical infrastructure-building tasks.
I do see welders without beards. So, if you don’t fit the stereotype, that’s okay.
Not only are you able to use these skills at home, but you’re also able to use them professionally. People pay good money for expert craftspeople.
- storytelling
Morale is important to keeping up self-reliance. The people in your life need entertainment.
Storytelling is a lost art form. And it needs reviving.
Have you heard an amazing story around a campfire?
Our ancestors passed the time with tall tales and starry skies.
Also, storytelling allows the passage of knowledge through different generations. The old tell the young about life lessons.
Self-Reliance Tips Related Articles:
If you want some tips to improve self-reliance in your local influence, LEARN MORE by reading ways to improve self-reliance in a community.
• I’ll ask you one question: are you ready? If you’re willing to be independent, LEARN MORE by reading my article on the qualities self-reliant people display. Clicking on that link means accepting the challenge!
5. Out Sprint Your Neighbors
This is a subtle way of keeping up with your health.
If you aren’t physically capable at 25, what will 65 look like? The gray hairs will come. You think they won’t. But they caught me.
Part of life is physical and maintaining your body. Self-reliant people focus on physical conditioning.
You don’t have to be a fitness model. Basic physical fitness is the goal. Because 41.9% of the U.S. is obese, according to the most recent CDC data.
Let me give you a few physically demanding scenarios for thought:
- Could you run and escape a dangerous situation?
A thief traps you in a dark alley. You see an opening. But you trip over your feet. What will you do?
- Can you run into a storm shelter to escape a tornado?
You’re in your house and hear the “freight train sound.” That’s code for run, run, run for shelter.
- Are you able to keep up with important people in your life?
Most people aspire to self-reliance and grandchildren in their golden years.
Thus, a physically sound person will think ahead to overcome hard scenarios. They’ll want to mitigate this risk by joining a running club or a trip to the weight room.
For a creative physical activity, rock climb or chop wood.
In short, embrace a healthy lifestyle to live the life you want being a self-reliant person.
6. Stay Current on the Latest Local and World Events
The news is depressing at times. Wars, crime, and violence wreak havoc around the globe.
Sticking your head in a sandbox is a way out of life’s horrors. You don’t have to listen to a 24/7 news cycle.
But you’re able to read condensed news on your phone. Most major news networks offer a summary news e-mail.
Maybe, I’ll expand my services. I’ll offer you liberty and self-reliant news sponsored by libertyembers.com.
As I mentioned above, self-reliant people need information to analyze. It is frustrating to wonder what’s going on.
Wouldn’t It be nice to know about an approaching tornado? The last event you’d want to remember is the tornado ripping your roof off.
You only receive that information by staying connected in some way.
Yes, it is overwhelming. But self-reliant people need to know modern and current events.
My high school teachers made me write a summary of current events weekly. This encouraged me to understand world affairs. I made connections with the way the earth worked as a youngster.
Moreover, catch up on current events as you perform household chores. You can make it passive by listening to the news as background noise. Listening to podcasts or the radio helps accomplish my challenge to you.
In the end, there is an old wise saying “Knowledge is power.”
7. Learn to Ride a Horse Like a Cowboy
Grab your saddle and build your self-reliance. All you need is your horse and open land.
Horses and cowboys are iconic parts of American history. Cowboys are those selfless, self-reliant individuals we admire as children.
Horses travel to remote places cars can’t. You’ll build a deep bond with these majestic creatures. And you’re able to improve your ability to adapt while out on the trail. These skills combined increase your self-reliance.
In short, a horse is a symbol of self-reliance and has soothing qualities. Saddle up!
What else would you add to my list? Self-reliance and technology must work together for the future.
J. LIberty
Self-Reliance Related Articles:
• Continually expanding knowledge makes you a better person. LEARN MORE from my PREMIERE self-reliance post about individualism and the roots of self-reliance. I even talk about Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• Self-reliance is about rugged individualism. LEARN MORE and understand the thought-process of the “ruggeds”.
References:
Adult Obesity Facts. (2022, May 17). Retrieved from Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Brysbaert, M. (2019, April 12). How Many Words do We Read Per Minute? A Review and Meta-analysis of Reading Rate.
Pope, B. R. (2021, September 7). How Many Words in a Novel? Word Count Per Genre [Examples]. Retrieved from Self-Publishing School.
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