Self-reliance is not pursuing the material goods and pleasures we see in this world but using our resources wisely—not wasting anything—even in times of plenty. It means avoiding debt and being content with the things we have. Many think that they should have what everyone else has, and have it right now. Part of this has come about from extravagant living beyond our means and the reckless spending of government. Because people will not postpone gratification, they spend, spend, spend—going into debt to buy what they cannot afford, which affects their physical and spiritual wellbeing.
Going into debt binds us down where we give away part of our freedom, placing ourselves into servitude to others. Thus we must spend time, energy, and means to repay borrowed funds that could be used to help our families. To prosper, we must pay our debts and avoid future debt, manage current and future resources with care, and place our faith in God.
In developing self-reliance techniques and methods, we must remember to maintain balance in life. We can’t allow fear to be our motivation, nor should we neglect our families, our occupations, or our budget.
Self-reliance entails several areas of emphasis:
- Education and Literacy
- Career Development
- Financial and Resource Management
- Home Production and Storage
- Physical Health
- Social-Emotional and Spiritual Strength
Education and Literacy
Using knowledge and wisdom properly gives us power to do things correctly and do them to the best of our ability. Would you not want to do things more efficiently if you knew how? Much has been provided for our use; do we take advantage of it? In addition to the resources provided by educational institutions, the Internet is full of amazing educational courses, many of them absolutely free.
Education helps us attain the skills necessary to complete the things that we want to accomplish. The skills that we achieve help us to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.
Career Development
Career development includes choosing one’s life work and continuing education in work-related and other life skills. The objective in career development is that each head of household selects a suitable vocation or profession that brings him or her personal satisfaction and aids in providing for the family.
To the greatest extent possible, each family member should develop knowledge and skills for a particular career as well as continued learning in various fields of interest. Each young person should receive counsel in preparing to select a career. Assisting children in learning what opportunities are available in the various fields will aid them in choosing a compatible career and assist them in becoming productive members of society.
To the extent that we can free ourselves from the worries and problems of this world, we can devote our labors to growth and service of others. It is important that we be self-reliant. This includes having employment that provides the necessities of life, thereby bringing happiness and a certain amount of freedom both in time and money.
Financial and Resource Management
In managing our finances and resources, we must 1) spend less than we earn; 2) learn to save a portion of what is earned; and 3) pay our financial obligations as they come due. This keeps our honor intact, keeps our creditors happy, and makes our lives happy by avoiding bankruptcies and hard feelings in our dealings with others. In addition, many will testify that donating a significant portion of our money and time to good causes brings substantial rewards in return. We must also teach our children to follow our example so that these principles are adhered to and that future generations can be successful in their dealings.
It may be necessary to incur debt in order to obtain a home and perhaps basic transportation. But we should use wisdom in financial planning so that we have adequate resources for living each month as well as to save some for a rainy day.
We should take care of our automobiles and other equipment so that they are ready for our use as we need them and that they last as long as possible. Our homes, tools, clothes and other items must be maintained so that re-purchase of such items is not necessary, thus saving time, money and energy in not having to obtain new items.
Home Production and Storage
Each person or family should produce as much food through gardening as possible. Fruit trees can provide much in the way of food for storage through canning, drying and freezing.
Gardening requires a little land, knowhow, and a few hand tools. If you have no land, talk to neighbors to see if you can use a small plot of theirs. Or perhaps a farmer has a place that you can put a garden on. You could also remove part of a lawn area near your house for use as a garden.
Each family should plan to have seeds on hand to plant a garden as the need for seeds and ability to garden may become more important in the coming days.
A family should also learn to produce clothing through sewing and making of other household items as needed. Storing of clothing and fuel (if possible) for home heat and cooking are also vital.
Physical Health
Physical health starts with proper nutrition and diet. Eating healthy foods, grains, vegetables, and fruits and limiting meats, sweets and carbonated drinks will greatly assist in maintaining proper health.
Exercise and fitness go hand in hand with a proper diet. Exercise tones the muscles of the body and keeps down excess fat. It burns away excess calories while de-stressing the body and the mind, keeping the balance that nature intended. There are many ways to get exercise. It does not have to be walking or running for long distances, but could be as simple as doing chores around the house, riding a bike, or walking to the store instead of driving a car.
Sleep and rest are a part of physical health. Getting the proper amount of sleep and rest is the best way to keep the brain and the body in balance. Sleep and rest aids the body in recovering from the day’s stresses. It allows the brain to be clear of yesterday’s problems and the muscles to relax and be rejuvenated for the next day. Various sleep problems (insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.) can disturb the sleep pattern and interfere with the sleep recovery process. If conditions exist that keep a person from a normal sleep cycle, professional help may be needed.
Managing personal health is the responsibility of the individual and then the family. Each individual needs to be aware of self. Family members should be aware of individuals who need help managing their health and ensure they receive any necessary assistance.
Social, Emotional and Spiritual Strength
The focus of social and spiritual strength is to build character and bring out the best in each individual. Each person has much to offer in the way of social and spiritual power, as well as physical talents and abilities.
Studying scriptures daily, attending spiritual meetings, praying and/or meditating, and seeking counsel from spiritual leaders can assist in keeping ourselves spiritually fit.
Dealing with others on a mature level will keep our social and emotional health intact. Listening to others’ points of view and talking things out in a peaceful manner just makes life easier. We must keep in mind that in working together and being united in our efforts will greatly enhance our situation and help us learn to care for one another.
When social, emotional and spiritual strength are in proper order, families have the ability to cope with the day to day stresses of modern life.
WATCHING OVER AND ASSISTING CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY
In a disaster, community and religious leaders will need to know how citizens are doing and whether they need help. A neighborhood watch or block captain system can be implemented to assist those in need.
In an emergency under a block captain system, each block captain would drive or walk past each house assigned to him/her and look in at the front window to see if a sign is in the window alerting to the level of need for that family. A green paper in the window means that everything at that home is under control and everyone is well. A yellow paper indicates that someone has a non-critical problem or sickness. If there is a red paper, the block captain knows that there is a very serious problem and that the family living there needs immediate assistance. If there is not a paper of any kind, the block captain knows to knock on the door and check on the family. They may have been killed or injured, or have some other serious problem that needs attention.
This kind of system can be implemented throughout the city to check on people. If assistance is required the block captain renders immediate relief as much as possible. He or she reports to leaders and calls on others as appropriate to provide additional help.
