“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.” -- William Shakespeare

“The worst thing you can do for those you love is the things they could and should do themselves.” -- Abraham Lincoln

“Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient” -- Aristotle

Self-sufficiency provides freedom.  A dependency on others erodes your independence.  The timeless adage, “Give a hungry person a fish and he eats once, teach someone how to fish and they eat for a life time.” encapsulates the essence of self-sufficiency.

Linda and her husband, Jim are always struggling financially.  They have two young kids and Jim is constantly bouncing around from one job to another.  Linda’s father, Paul, feels bad for them and often “loans” them money.  Needless to say, Linda and Jim are dependent on Paul to make ends meet.

Since an emergency source of cash is always available, Linda and Jim have little incentive to become self-sufficient.  Although Paul feels he is acting benevolently, in the long run he is inadvertently keeping his daughter dependent.  This scenario has been going on for a number of years and no one is willing to break the cycle.

By relying on others to provide for your needs, you become dependent on them.  As a result, they hold a great deal of power over you and the decisions you make.  Being able to provide for yourself gives you options which in turn affords freedom.  There is no end to the frustration caused by feeling there are few options in your life.

Consider one’s occupation.  When someone feels they can’t get another job or one that pays as well as the one they have, they are entirely dependent on their employer.  What can they do should they have a distasteful boss or undesirable working conditions?  Invariably they feel trapped at work.

Regardless of your current job, you can become more self-sufficient.  If you don’t feel you have enough marketable skills, do whatever is needed to acquire them.  There are more options for self improvement than ever.  Take classes, visit your library, and use the internet.  Many skills can be expanded without getting a college degree.  If you need a degree for what you want to do, get one.  It’s never too late and you are never too old.

Strive to become an expert at whatever line of work you are in.  The more you know, the more self-sufficient you will be.  Competent, knowledgeable, and reliable people are always in demand, regardless of the economy.  As the demand for your services increases, so does your level of self-sufficiency.

Financial self-sufficiency is also very important.  What are your answers to these questions?  Are your expenses less than your income?  Do you save money on a regular basis?  Do you have enough savings to support you for a year without any additional income?  Being able to answer “yes” to these questions indicates that you have a comfortable level of economic self-sufficiency.

Happiness is another area of self-sufficiency.  You should be happy with who you are without needing the approval of others.  Those who look to others to make them happy are often disappointed.  Other people can’t control your emotions unless you let them.

Regardless of where you are now, you can become more self-sufficient.  When you are self-sufficient in the major areas of your life, you will be happier, freer, more satisfied, and have more options. 

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2010 Bryan Golden

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