Self reliance. To believe in oneself. Not necessarily to cast off society and rely entirely upon thyself for sustained life, but to believe thyself hath the wherewithal and capacity to follow thy true North. To have the confidence to hold trust of thy community. To learn, to change. To sear thy fear with clenched teeth, grit, determination, and strength.

Self reliance. Not just a pretty phrase from the lips of sustainability life coaches with a chicken coop, but an indication of insight into thyself and a submission to thy truest path one hath cleared; a forging of thy road upon which a true life lives. Self reliance, a living example of choice, and command of thy trusty steed. Goals that are not means to an end, but means to a life fully experienced and lived. A conscious submission to a god of your choice.

Perhaps this comes at the gate of Mephistopheles, Poseidon, or Zeus. Perhaps it comes at the gates of an orchard, garden, studio, or in the knot delicately wrapped into thy necktie. Perhaps it is blessed by ten thousand adoring fans. Perhaps its ramifications cast you to the outskirts of society like a black sheep. And if it doth so or has been, let it be girth to your determination. But let it not be thy only cause, for Providence nor Karma is yours to administer. No, the cause is inside, in those unspeakable coals keeping the fire of life within. Let and take whatever means necessary to set thy own path, quiver and arrow, aligned with thy true North.

For self reliance means to believe. For self reliance means to trust. And as this insight fuels thy fire within, though your chosen path may be philanthropy or reformation, by design of self reliance one must also learn to identify and respect those whom also believe in their own true North. For no good can come of twisting another’s true North into a submission to your’s, lest self reliance becomes lost and forgotten. Lest self reliance becomes obscured and quietened, indicating the downfall of any society or culture built upon the backs of truth.

Trusting in thyself, trusting in thy neighbour, trusting that thy truth is spoken in clarity, trusting that thou information is shared clearly, trusting thy capacity to quieten vanity, ego, and honour, trusting that even change can exist as self reliance is forged.