Self-reliance

When was the last time you looked at yourself in the mirror and said, "I got this!?"

If that was you a few minutes, hours, or days ago, then, 'You go, hero!' If you do not quite recall ever doing so or when you last did, it is nothing to worry about; you are at the right place. Get yourself comfortable, sit down, and find out why you should be grabbing the closest mirror to you shortly after this to do so. Of course, there is always that favorite third category of readers on the fence who are wondering, "Does it even matter?" Well, let's find out, shall we?

In a world of 8 billion people and counting, it is often so easy to look up to everyone else but oneself. The instinct to look out for what everyone but you could do about your situation is not uncommon. You would be surprised how natural it is to many. We live in societies that function through systems and structures, hence the natural inclination to look up to these as being responsible for a myriad of life's successes and failures. At a typical level, these structures represent the government, school administrations, district heads, police officers, you name it. At an elementary level, they include our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Ironically, most of the time, our expectations from them go unnoticed, much to our dismay. But would you really blame 'everyone else'? They each have their own cares to attend to: kid to pick up from school, bills to pay, loud neighbor to put up with, 'self' to take care of, and the list continues.

Does this in any way encourage negligence or narcissistic behavior? Not at all. If there is anything I have found to be the secret of the most remarkable people whose legacies live on to date, it is that none of them were without the following qualities: servant leadership, empathy, and acts of compassion.

In a sentence, the lesson I am driving home is this, 'Everyone is an entity of their own with an ability to look up to no one else but themselves to take charge of their lives,' a phenomenon known as self-reliance.

If we would only learn to look within more often, spend time to think for ourselves, and ask the handsome young man or lady in the mirror, "What could I do differently?" "What role can I play in creating the change I seek?" "How can I take ownership of my life now and get to the next level irrespective of external factors?" We would be amazed at the answers we would get.

While it is often the last resort in resolving challenges, self-reliance is the most remotely available solution for any kind of situation one is faced with. It gives you the power to make any situation what you would of it, saves energy from continuous dependency on people and external systems, making you self-reliable and dependable for all those who look up to you.

The beautiful thing about self-reliance is that you can start building it today, right now, from where you are. It all begins with an honest and intentional look at one's self. A look that reveals overlooked opportunities for turning weaknesses into strengths and strengths into victories. A look that communicates an "I may not know how on earth I am going to get out of this, but imma figure it out" kind of feeling. Then, as the onlooker proceeds to take action immediately on whatever idea the mind deems best, it would only be a matter of time before one day, just one day, instead of looking up to everyone else, you would be the one everyone else can look up to.

It all starts with that one look in the mirror that, despite all that unfolds in your world, says to yourself, "I got this!"