The Self-Reliant Mindset

You don't need any special materials or knowledge to become self-reliant. Homesteading is a mindset.

  To get started, you just need to ask yourself three basic questions:

1. What do I need or want?
2. What are my current circumstances?
3. How do I get to what I want from where I am now?

I actually learned these questions from scene analysis in an acting class, but I've also seen the same concept described in survival books!

The Key Concept

The most important factor in answering these questions is deciding what type of character you are. How will you treat the environment and people around you as you pursue what you want?

I love this video. It really makes you think about your place in the world and who you want to be.

Daily Choices

Changing the world happens in the hundreds of little choices we make each day. For example, take the juice boxes mentioned in the Story of Stuff video above. Instead of individually packaged, unrecyclable cartons, I use reusable containers.

I can have whatever beverage I want to drink in my water bottle. It's also cheaper to buy a large carton of juice and refill the lunchbox containers, too!

Teaching the Next Generation to Be Self-Reliant

We are trying to teach our children this valuable life skill, too. One of best ways is making your own toys! We've made toys from baked dough that have lasted a couple of years.

And of course there's nothing like gardening to see the whole cycle and know where your food comes from and how it is grown.

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