If you have read my posts for any length of time, you know I am always harping about independence. It is such a frustrating subject for me because so many don’t seem to grasp the simplicity of it. Liberty and freedom exist “within” independence. We cannot be free if we rely on others (especially government) for anything.
We have become a lazy people. We grumble about paying taxes, while out of the other side of our mouths we whine about certain things that aren’t “done for us”. We have become a people who rely upon government for almost everything. Health care, schooling, roads, garbage and waste disposal, recycling, food, child care services, policing, fire fighting (except in some areas where this is still one of the last bastions of volunteerism out there), and numerous other over-regulated corporations and government offices. The list of things we have handed over to an inept, corrupt, immoral, and power-hungry government would take pages to fill.
And then, we complain some more. Or we vote for the “lesser of two evils” hoping one person is going to “save us.” Many times this “savior” is the same one who put us in the pickle we find ourselves in!
We have become a people addicted to convenience and the *illusion* of security and safety.
What many of us do not understand, is that relying on all these services creates a sense of fear. We fear not being able to get something we need or want. When we lack independence, we worry about losing our job. When we lack independence, we are required to do certain things that governments, employers, and organizations “mandate” for us to get what we believe we have coming to us. (A great example would be the masking, testing, and shots that have become vogue just to keep a job or receive a benefit). Because we have ignored independence and become reliant upon others for everything, we are scared into doing things we know are not right. We live in a perpetual state of fear. Add to this our fear of not being able to “keep what we have.” Which, to me, is very sad. We should be willing to lose it all to keep our liberty and freedom. It’s better to be destitute and have choices rather than “have it all” and be subjects of an evil system.
Our priorities have all become based on vanity, materialism, and the *illusion* of “safety.”
The key to greatly reducing or eliminating fear from our lives is by, you guessed it, being independent!
When we simply ask ourselves, “I have a need today, what can *I* do to make this happen on my own?”
Once we ask that question, we can begin the decision-making process as to whether it’s something we *really* need help with, or whether it’s something we can do ourselves. For instance, if there are weeds growing behind my house, am I able to pull them myself, or do I need to call a government office to have them send someone to do it for me? (And I don’t care one bit if my “tax dollars” are used for this service, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want services provided by the government at the expense of someone else! I reject them whenever I can!) Or, a decision like the one I made in 2020 when I was offered to go back to my lucrative career but would have been required to wear a mask and get tested for “covid”… um… no thank you. I’ll make things work somehow (and things have worked out). What about if you don’t have much money and are struggling to buy food, but you do have a decent place to live with a little bit of a yard (even if you rent)… asking, “should I see if I can grow some of my own food, or should I go get food stamps?”
These are just a few examples. I could give examples all day.
If we choose to do things ourselves, find solutions ourselves, and make our own way, fear is *eliminated*. We replace fear with confidence. When we do that, it bolsters other traits as well. It bolsters courage. It allows us to give the finger to the man and let them know they are no longer needed here.
If a significant minority of the population would simply declare their independence, we would see a completely different country than the one we see simmering right now.
I would prefer not to live in a society where no one knows how to do anything anymore and no one knows how to fend for themselves, where most of the population is whining, “when is the government going to do something?”
I’m providing the examples below not from a position of arrogance, but only to let my readers see what can be accomplished if we really want to have independence:
My 80 something year old grandmother (the one I always mention who lived until she was 102… living by herself) survived a major hurricane and was without water and power for several weeks. She told me it took 10 days for the “government” to get water to her neighborhood. She had water stored so she didn’t have to fear. She was able to do for herself and had the peace of mind that what she did for herself would sustain her until things got “back to normal.”
My Mom blew out her knee when we were kids. In those days they would put a person in a full leg cast for a knee injury (“science”, ahem). My Mom pulled herself along in the garden to do planting and weeding. Would it have been easier to go to the food stamp office? Maybe… but what would she have *lost* by doing that?
My Sister had a hip replacement. Her pipes froze and burst in her home shortly after. She dragged herself around under her home to fix them herself.
My knee blew out when I had just finished gutting my bathroom for a revamp. No toilet was installed and no water hooked up. I pulled myself along on the floor and under my house and managed to install my toilet and plumbing with my knee shot. (Slithering around on the floor with a toilet in my lap was interesting).
I have many other examples of people in my own life who have said NO to help from government and chose not to hire people to do things they could do themselves. People who pride themselves on having independence. I will preach it until I’m blue in the face or in the grave: Independence is one of the most important things we can hang onto. Being confident we can say NO to things we do not agree with means we don’t have to live in fear. When we are providing for ourselves to the best of our ability, we can resist tyranny! We have *options* and options are the key!
Before you ask for help with something next time, take a minute and ask yourself, “how can I make this work on my own?” “How can I secure independence for myself and my family by figuring this out myself?” “How can I get out of this situation without compromising my liberty, freedom, and independence?” I promise… asking these questions is worth it. A life with independence and without constant fear is worth pursuing.
I suppose it is a good start to not claim to be a victim of anything. We have all had crappy stuff to endure, some people more than others. We believe God gives us what we can handle but that is a statement up for great argument. We struggle. we suffer.
Remember, there are always plenty of people that have it worse, a lot worse. handicapped people for example. I know many that were born handicapped.... well, wheelchair bound. Cerebral Palsy is very common. Often my daughters and I complain to each other about our huge struggles, they are adults with hubbies and kiddos.
We are just grateful, there are so many that have it worse.
Casting up knee injuries were the only way to immobilize back in the days of olden. I was an ortho surgery nurse with a private practice (no hospital drama for me btdt) We did start out with the plaster casts. then the velcro closure casts came in. they were great. I could go on but yes, we keep going and doing, because if you stop, then you stop.
I don't disagree with you. The vast majority of "us" are lazy and spoiled. We want our cake and to eat it, too.