Self-Reliance

What homesteaders have in common is the desire to be more self-reliant. To be more pro-active in planning and living their life. They value the simple things in life and structure that life around family and relationships. They refuse to run on the modern treadmill of society. Their identity is not based on how much money they make but in the confidence of living a life with purpose and independence. They value the simple, the plain, and the functional things in life....

With each new choice that you implement, your self-confidence increases. You feel a freedom that feeds on being in control of your life and its future. You start considering things that would surprise even yourself. Before long you're studying the possibility of solar energy panels and whether you can build a hydraulic ram to bring water out of that small river.

This is from the current issue of Backwoods Home, an article by Frank Dujanovic entitled "Dreams to Reality." The article is about beginning homesteading, but it applies to self-reliance in many areas of life. Unfortunately, this article is not one that's available online, so maybe you'll just have to hie thee to a bookstore and purchase a copy (although few bookstores carry it any more) or order one online, or better yet, subscribe.