Self-reliance is the capacity to manage one's own affairs, make one's own judgments and provide for oneself.

Self-reliance is a boon and a skill, a need and a necessity, a challenge and a benefit. Healthy self-reliance is the key to a gratifying and productive life. A life free of some of the constraints that could pin us down, a life free to explore and discover all that is available to us.

Self-reliance is our chance to take the reins of our life and lead from the front. Scary at first, but taking over the controls of our life gives us real opportunities to expand our horizons, to explore the life we live. It gives us the chance to discover more about our life and ourselves than if we are led through life by circumstances or others.

Being self-reliant gives us great freedom and this experience opens our eyes to new possibilities, to new prospects, to new options. It’s a refreshing change which gives us the chance to look at life anew, to see and feel the excitement of life in action and in our own lives.

When we rely on ourselves, we can look back with pride that we stood on our own two feet. Others may have sought outside help and guidance, mirroring what we may have done too, but we made the important decisions ourselves - we did not wait for others to make them for us.

Of course, we have to live with the consequences of our actions, which is always the case. With independent thought and action, we can feel good that we have met life's challenges head on. We have fought a good fight when the need arose, dug in when we needed to and kept on going when times got a little rough.

Some may ask, why should we be self-reliance when others can give us a hand? Why do things on our own when we can get help?

And the answer is, we need not remove ourselves from contact with others. That is not what self-reliance is all about. Rather we depend on ourselves for our own support and sustenance. We don't have to grow our own food. We don't have to perform all of life's necessities ourselves. We don't have to do those things to feel and be self-reliant.

Self-reliance is a state of mind. It’s a way of living where we decide things for ourselves. It means having a positive outlook and living a positive life. We don't shun others nor do we not accept advice. But rather, we do not seek it when we are perfectly capable of making our own decisions and moving forward ourselves.

We need not live a reluctant life. A life where we avoid decisions, avoid choices, avoid opportunities - avoid them for fear of the outcome; for fear of the stresses involved; for fear we might make the wrong decision. But we all do make the wrong decisions from time to time. It is inevitable. However, the more practice we have the better we get at deciding ourselves and making good decisions.

The more we understand ourselves and what we want to do, the better off we are. But more than that, we understand ourselves and understand better those things we should be doing. Those things that will lead our lives in the directions and ways that will challenge us, that will meet us head on. It’s from these very 'confrontational' situations where we grow and experience more.

We don't have to cling to old rules or do what others dictate. We can choose our own way. We can be independent in thought, word and deed. We can live life on the front line. We can experience life to the max. And we can sit back at night and relax in the knowledge that we had done our very best that day to explore, to discover, to experience our life.

Of course, I’m not advocating that we live the life of an arrogant self-sufficient. We still need our friends and family, our place in society. Our achievements will be hindered if we strive for accomplishment at the cost of those around us. What we should do is to stride towards a healthy self-reliance which can greatly aid our passage through life.

Self-reliance is our passport to a bright new life. We can all learn to live a life where we rely more and more on our own capabilities. Live with confidence. Live with acceptance of ourselves. Live with greater awareness of ourselves and our potential. With our commitment and determination much can be achieved. We can all forge ahead to live a life full of pride, full of experience and accomplishments.