Self Reliance is Important

September 17, 2009 | Posted by Clair Schwan

It doesn’t take much looking around to see that self reliance is an important concept and value that we all should embrace. In a way, it’s you taking care of you and your family by being prepared, looking ahead, taking initiative, and being a good life manager.

I am reminded of this when I think of the human toll and financial losses caused by hurricane Katrina, annual California wildfires and the economic recession that hit us hard in 2009. Those who weren’t prepared or well positioned suffered, and those who were well prepared or positioned fared much better.

Self reliance is also important because the marketplace has interconnected our lives in so many ways. One individual who falls “into the pool” affects many others nearby who had no intention of getting wet. Look at the auto industries in Michigan. When a car manufacturer cuts back production it affects many companies that employ thousands of people by providing just a small portion of what it takes to build a car – batteries, tires, glass, upholstery, plastics, electronics, paint, seat belts and so forth.

Unless you’re completely self-sufficient, you’re going to feel something when markets change course, management makes mistakes, and others decide that criminal activities are a better course of action than making an honest living. Complete self sufficiency is largely unattainable for most of us, but we can at least be better prepared and better self-directed. We owe it to ourselves and our families.

Whether it’s being prepared for natural disasters or man-made economic turmoil, the idea of self reliance has many benefits for those who embrace it.  My experience suggests that success is something that you must actively seek, and there is no better person to rely on than yourself.

After all, if you aren’t the one who’s going to do it, then who will?

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Clair Schwan has a decided focus on self reliance. He gathers “low hanging fruit” by growing vegetables, raising small animals for meat and eggs, heating his home with wood, and doing many maintenance and repair projects himself. He also fabricates many of his own tools and homestead resources. His sights are set on generating his own sources of energy from the sun and wind, installing his own ground source heating and cooling system, and constructing ponds for raising fish and other aquatic life. He has been self employed for more than 10 years, and manages multiple business interests as a management and technical consultant, and as a writer for magazines and on the web.

Categories: self reliance | Tags: individual responsibility, self reliance, self sufficiency | No Comments »