The value of Self-Reliance

The world is an immense place filled with opportunity, brightened by the good hearts, and corrupted by evil and greed. Can an individual survive in such a place depending solely on themselves?

  During my youth, I used to depend heavily on everyone around me for everything. My mother cleaned my room, and did laundry, my father worked hard, paid for everything, and even cooked dinner, and sister helped me with problems and dropped off in school every day. The only thing that was really my responsibility was doing a little worksheet for math class that could be complete in ten minutes, and I still complained about it. Life in my pre-teen years was very dependent on others. As I got older, things started to make sense and I began to “complete the puzzle pieces myself”.

  Once I hit my early teen years, the scope of which I saw the world from, had grown radically. I did lot things on my own at this point, and I even had a job working with my brother is a landscaping company. I made my own money and even had my very own savings account. However, it was not until much later that I learned the value of money.

   Throughout the course of my life, I have had countless friends and several best friends of which I trusted everything with. Best friends were what I referred to as “brothers”. It was great to have people like that in which you can count on. I can still recall hundreds of times with the “brothers” that were some of the most fun filled unforgettable memories I ever had. However, all great things must end at some point right. It did not take long for me to realize that it was my stupidity which allowed every single best friend that I ever had to betray me in some of the worst ways conceivable. I then was able to comprehend and live by the meaning of the saying, “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer”.

  I learned the hard way that no matter how true and kind you are to an individual, it will be him who stabs you several times in the back. Perhaps, family is the only true people in which I can offer my trust to; my own blood could never harm me. They want the best for me. That’s the way it seemed… for a few months.

  The persons which I never let go of, and the ones that were there brightening my life when all our lights failed, the ones that allowed me to endure so many years of tragedy, disappointment and betrayal, are the ones that share my blood but have severed most of the limbs of my life right off. These people that speak of are my sisters. I relied on them for advice, help, everything.   I know now that the only person that can get me through life and help me endure all the harsh years of pain, stress, hard work, and misery, is none other than myself. I learned this lesson the hard way, and I am now more dependent on myself than I have ever been. I pay my own insurance and car, have my own accounts, pay my brutally large tuition bills (student loans), and will soon live on my own…hopefully. (Currently on housing waiting list) The new life of college has played a part in helping me domesticate my need to rely on others.

  As nice as others may, they have their own interests and wants. How can others make your needs a priority if theirs get in the way? Friends, family, and “brothers” will help you and guide you until the day that either you have outlived your usefulness toward for them or they were using you all along. As cruel and unrealistic as this may seem, we live in a capitalistic world driven by competition. The all-great American Dream cannot be achieved if you continue living a life of mediocrity; you must rise. Nations and people will rise up upon each other if given the opportunity. It is within our nature to do so while climbing the ladder to the top. We do this without even realizing.

  Self-education and self reliance is something great that can ensure your survival; granting nobody the opportunity to attempt to bring you down. Trusting yourself can go a long way, relying in yourself will do the rest. To show self-reliance is to manifest great moral success.