Now For Some Hedonism

January 26, 2009 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance, Uncategorized

Mom Begins Her Journey To Health

It’s been a hard-working month of vacation here in Bangkok… culminating in yesterdays 5 hour seminar– which rocked!  I had a fantastic time and thoroughly destroyed my voice (singing teacher won’t like that– gotta learn how to speak powerfully without killing the voice)!

Now it’s time for some well-deserved hedonism!  Tomoe arrives tonight, and the rest of the SF gang arrives later this week.

Then it’s down to Koh Payam for a birthday party on the beach, and some diving!  I’ll also be getting in a nice long run there.  It’ll be nice to finally run somewhere that isn’t choked in smog.   Next week’s long run will clock in at 2 hours.

In fact, the running paid off beautifully yesterday at the seminar– giving me the fuel I needed to go all out for 5 straight hours (with no lunch).   This is, after all, the reason we “exercise”:  health = energy.

Our sick (literally) culture equates health with longevity only–  it’s something you do so you can squeeze out a few more years when you are old and tired.. that’s the message we are sent.  We’re also sent the message that health is difficult and inconvenient… or even “weird”  (thus the term “health nut”).

In my mind, sedentary, tired, overweight people are “nuts”.  Why destroy your happiness, vitality, and most of all– ENERGY?

I’m happy to report that my Mom, after a lifetime of being obese, has finally gotten the message (in large part thanks to a Tony Robbins seminar we attended).   She’s become a vegetarian, is exercising everyday, sucks down “green vegetable drinks”, and drinks lots of water.   During my whole lifetime, I have never seen her so focused.

I think she’s finally understanding that the benefits of health occur RIGHT NOW.  Once you taste that sustained energy and peak mental state, you never want to go back to lethargy!

And so, my hedonism on the beach will include plenty of running, swimming, diving, and soccer playing!

I Want You To Suffer

December 24, 2008 by  
Filed under Freedom, Self-Reliance

Suffer!

Suffer!

Why do I, at times, seem to gloat about my wonderfully free and happy life?

Why?

Because I want you to suffer.   I want you to read about my wonderful life and feel like shit.  I want you to feel absolutely miserable when you compare your horrible job, boring routine, and shitty compromises to my passionate, fun, exciting adventures.

There it is– naked and honest:  My Motivation.

And why do I want you to feel massive pain?  Because I want to goad you into an emotional crisis (see previous post)–  I want to push you, suddenly or slowly, past an emotional threshold.

I want you to become so angry, so sad, so upset… that you finally say, “Enough! No Fucking More! I Will Never Live Like This Again!”

Because I know if you are comfortable and numb, you’ll do nothing.  I know that if your life is “OK”, you’ll do nothing.   Lukewarm “OK” lives suck!   Because what they really are are bored, frustrated, failed lives.

Pain can be your ticket to the most extraordinary life you ever imagined–  if you focus on all of the pain caused by your failure to act, your failure to go for it, your fear of failing–  if you focus on that pain and amplify it and wallow in it, and hold on to it and strengthen it every day.

That is your ticket to the freedom you have always dreamed of.   Read my previous post… and then put yourself through the Dickens process everyday.   As a ritual, examine the part of your life you know you must change– to be passionate, alive, and totally fulfilled.    See and feel all the pain caused by not doing what you must do.  Feel it physically (I hunch my shoulders and tighten everything and create so much tension and misery in my body that I gag and almost vomit)– and link that physical pain to your current situation.

Feel the pain.   Suffer horribly.  Every day until you reach your limit and scream, “Enough!  No More!”

Then do what you must do.  Reclaim your life.

I’ll see you on the other side of that pain–  to celebrate your freedom!

An Instant

December 24, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

(Left) My Mom Breaks Through

(Left) My Mom Breaks Through

Change can happen in an instant.   You finally reach a threshold and you say, “Enough.  No Fucking More!”  Do it with your whole body, mind, and spirit…  and everything changes after that.

It happened to me just over two years ago.    I was working a “good” job– where I had a great deal of freedom.  For a year and a half, everything went well.  But then the inevitable bullshit crept in.  My boss started catching heat from the Korean management of our school…  who pushed him to regiment things more.. to “take more control”.

A growing list of bullshit rules followed.  I became more and more frustrated– yet another job going down the tubes.  Finally, one day after another horrible meeting, I hit my threshold.   Years of frustration poured out. I came home and went berserk… I yelled, and I said, “Fucking Enough!  No fucking more!”.

That’s when I decided to start my own business. It took 9 more months of experimenting, working, etc…  but that next summer I had my Independence Day– I quit the last job I would every have!  It was one of the best experiences of my life– I still feel giddy when I think about it.

But it was made possible by pain.  Massive frustration and pain.

Because I had an advantage over most bored & suffering workers–  I didn’t push the boredom and frustration away– I wallowed in it.  I amplified it.   I put myself into a state where the pain and boredom finally became unbearable-  so unbearable that I HAD TO act.

Too many people do the opposite.  They are not excited, fulfilled, and passionate about their job…  (or any job).   But they MINIMIZE the pain of that.   They minimize the boredom.  They make excuses.  They distract themselves.   They think about other things.  They tell themselves easy lies such as, “This is just life.  This is normal.  It’s too late to change.”

They avoid, minimize, and numb the pain–  and so they never take action.  They never reach that emotional and physical threshold..  As a result, they waste their entire lives doing something that does not fulfill them at the deepest level.  This is what Thoreau was talking about when he wrote, “The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.”

But it can change– everything– in an instant…  if you just build and amplify the pain until you hit your threshold.

Two months ago, my mother did this.  After 40+ years of lethargy and obesity and depression, she changed in an instant!

What happened?  She finally felt all of the pain.  She did an exercise at a seminar called “The Dickens Process”.  In this exercise, you focus on all of the pain that your action (or lack of action) has caused you in the past.   You don’t just focus on it… you use your body to actually FEEL it.  Then you amplify those feelings of emotional and physical pain.  (When I did it, I nearly vomited!).

After going through this extremely painful process focused on past consequences, you do it again while focusing on the present– all the ways your action (or lack of) is currently destroying you and your life.  Then you do this whole process again… imagining the increasingly horrible consequences and pain your action (or lack of) will cause 1, 5, 10, and 20 years from now.. if you continue.

It’s a gut-wrenching, very uncomfortable process– but it’s damn powerful.  Because for the first time, many people fully feel the total pain they are creating in their life.  They stop minimizing it.  They stop ignoring it.  They stop making excuses.. and they feel it all… the totality of failure, futility, ugliness, lies, boredom, frustration…….

My Mom hit her threshold during this exercise.  She finally felt all the pain caused by her lethargy and obesity and she said, “No Fucking More”.

Since that time, 2 months ago, she has:

  • been a vegetarian
  • eaten organic & green
  • drank green veggie drinks every day
  • exercised 4-7 times a week
  • lost 42 pounds
  • eliminated depression
  • inspired my entire family

No one in my family ever thought my Mom would do it.  After 40+ years of excuses, everyone had given up on my Mom (because she had given up on herself).

But she changed it all in an instant– by purposely pushing herself to an emotional threshold and beyond.

The point is this:  Stop avoiding the pain–  do the opposite.  Whatever bullshit you have accepted in your life… stop making excuses for it.  Stop pretending its OK.   Focus on the pain it’s causing, has caused, and will cause.   Amplify that pain… feel it in your body… and do this every damn day until you reach your own emotional threshold. Increase the pain until you can’t take it anymore and shout, “No Fucking More!”

Physiology & Emotion

December 21, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

Thai Massage on the Beach

Thai Massage on the Beach

Like most people, I have big dreams and grand goals.  And like most people, I have found that my emotions are usually the biggest obstacles to reaching those dreams.

It’s easy to focus on outside forces.  It’s easy to blame the outside world for our failure to live according to our highest principles… for our highest dreams.

But the deep truth is that we are our main enemy.  Specifically, it is our lack of emotional mastery that sabotages our highest aspirations.

What prevented me from starting my own business for so many years, for example?

I told myself it was lack of money, lack of experience, etc.  But the obstacles were fear and doubt.

I couldn’t manage my fear.   I focused on my doubts.

Eventually, I reached an emotional threshhold and learned how to master my emotions.  After that, everything unfolded almost effortlessly.

Of course, it wasn’t effortless…  but it felt effortless because the negative emotions had drained away– such that work no longer felt like work, effort felt like play.

So this is a very serious subject– emotional mastery.   We absolutely must learn to master our emotional states, or we will forever be slaves.

But how?

I’ve found that the easiest way to master my emotional states is by mastering my physiology.  In other words, the body gives us a fast and easy means of instantly altering any debilitating emotion.

Depression, for example, requires a certain physiology.   I have found it almost impossible to feel severely depressed while simultaneously holding my shoulders back, my chin up, my eyes wide open.  To that I add a huge fake grin.  After a minute or more of holding my body in this way, the emotion of depression lessens considerably or disappears altogether.   I’m then in a much more resourceful state to actually deal with my problems, rather than wallow in self-pity.

Exercise is another well-known way to alter physiology, and thus emotion.  In fact, sedentary friends and family are often confused about my addiction to exercise.  They think I’m obsessed with being thin and fit.  I like those benefits, but to be totally honest– I’m most deeply addicted to the emotional lift that exercise gives me:   greater optimism, greater emotional energy, euphoria, etc….

Lately, I’ve been much more conscious of mastering my emotions.  I’ve learned some methods from Tony Robbins’ seminars.  I’ve read a lot on this subject and have been experimenting with myself.

So now, every day, I consciously trigger empowering emotions– and condition them more deeply.  I consciously put myself in an energized, grateful, happy emotional state.   First and foremost, I do this by changing my posture–  as I sit, as I walk, as I go about my day.  I keep my shoulders back, my chest up, my eyes open.

I also remain conscious of my breathing–  being sure to take long deep breaths from the gut throughout the day.

It seems too simple, doesn’t it?   And yet, the emotional transformation has been outstanding.   My daily emotional experience is far more positive.  As a result, I’m far more energized and motivated…. and as a result of that, my actions are more congruent with my highest principles, dreams, and aspirations.

I therefore encourage you to experiment with this.  Focus on your own physiology for 30 days.   Be constantly aware of your posture, facial expressions, and breathing.  Specifically:

  • Keep your shoulders back and chest up (especially when feeling bad)
  • Keep your eyes up and open
  • Keep your chin up (literally)
  • Take deep breaths from the gut
  • Exercise aerobically (walk, jump, run, swim, whatever… :)

Do this for 30 days, and then notice the transformation in your EMOTIONAL PATTERNS.  I know you’ll find a very positive change.

Movement Creates Energy

December 2, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

Most sedentary people, when they feel tired, rest.   It seems like a logical solution.  But, in fact, energy is not created by rest.

Energy is created by movement– both physical movement and emotional “movement”.

I got a great taste of this truth today.  I stayed up very late working last night– much too late because this morning I had to get up and go to the recording studio ALL DAY to record new lessons for my members.

As you might imagine, I felt tired when I woke up.  And I continued to feel tired as I walked to the studio.  Even worse, I felt grumpy– and in no mood at all to record lessons… especially because my members now expect super high-energy lessons from me.

I shuffled along down the street… waking up a little but still feeling bad.

When I got to the studio, I was still feeling tired and irritable.  I thought, “today’s lessons are going to suck!”

I shuffled into the recording booth.

And then something amazing happened.  I started jumping up and down to break my miserable emotional pattern.   I pumped my fist.  I said, “Yes!” loudly.   I bobbed and bounced like a boxer.  And then I launched into the first lesson.. conjuring all of my energy and passion.

As I spoke, I stood on my toes and continued bobbing.   I raised my voice.  I shouted.  Then I whispered.  I moved my face– making exaggerated facial expressions as I told a story.

By the end of the first 20 minute lesson, I was pumped full of energy.  I felt fantastic.  I was smiling and laughing.

This feeling lasted the entire 6 hours I was in the recording studio….  and continued for the rest of the evening and night.

Today I showed myself that I was totally in control of my emotional and physical energy.   I quickly transformed my energy level by moving–  I moved my face:  huge smile, rapid and exaggerated expressions.  I moved my body:  jumping, bobbing, bouncing, pumping my fist.  I moved my voice:  yelling, whispering, booming with my voice.

I changed my posture, my tone, my gestures, my expressions, and my breathing completely. And in an instant, I went from tired and grumpy to energized and excited.

When we are tired, what we usually need is MORE, not less, movement.  Our bodies are not usually tired from activity… rather, they are drained of vitality as a result of a sedentary life.

Movement is the key to energy.  Movement is the key to passion, enthusiasm, and excitement.

So, next time you feel tired– don’t rest.  Instead:  Jump, shout, run, laugh, grin from ear to ear, and act like a wild crazy person.  Try it for 20 minutes– it will completely transform your day.

Energy

November 25, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

Health = Energy.  That’s my definition.   Vital energy for the body to defend itself against disease.  Vital energy to power a vibrant, active life…  including a vibrant, active mind.

I take a lot of potshots at “fat Americans”–  mainly because I understand just how devastating that fatness is.  Without the power of vibrant health and energy, life is a perpetual struggle and it becomes extremely difficult to achieve any kind of creative dream.

Most people, I believe, are simply too damn tired to pursue their dreams.   They are physically and emotionally drained and just don’t have the energy to do it.

I believe that the horrid state of health in the US is the root of many of our ills.   The body effects the mind.. and especially the emotions.. in extremely powerful ways.  Indeed, the body and brain are one.. the brain is a physical, biological organ.

One key to the success I’ve had pursuing my own dreams is the state of my health–  a state that has recently improved exponentially.   For the last 15 years or so, I have been a vegetarian and have been active.  That has given me a baseline energy far above my fellow Americans (a rather poor standard, I know).

But recently, my energy level has EXPLODED!  I’m healthier and more energetic than I was when I was 18 years old.   I’m getting up earlier, going to bed later, and feeling energized and focused all day long.   In the past, I always suffered from extreme mood & energy swings.  Now I have steady energy throughout the day and my moods are much more positive and much more stable.

In short, at 40 years old I feel absolutely fantastic!

What has caused this burst of energy and health?

Well, a few things…..

1.  Strict Green Vegan Diet

I have been a strict vegan for over a month now (and a cheating vegan for about 3 months).   That means I no longer eat cheese, milk, eggs, or any other kind of animal product.  Of course, I’m still not eating meat either.

But what do I mean by “green” vegan?   Well, I’m also following an alkalizing diet very heavy in green vegetables.  I’m now a freakin rabbit–  eating 2-4 salads a day.  I also drink 2-5 green drinks every day.  These drinks contain barely grass, wheatgrass, spinach, and various other dried & powdered green goodies.

Its been quite a journey from being a McDonalds-addicted, pizza loving, chocolate munching teenager… to a Green Vegan.

Some may think its a tough price to pay– to give up all animal products and eat green stuff all day.  But as I heard once, “You don’t pay the price for great health… you thoroughly enjoy the price of great health”.   When it comes to green vegan eating– I’m Lovin It!

2. No More Sugar

I was a sugar-fiend most of my life.. right up until a few months ago.   But sugar is POISON– plain and simple.  It creates a huge amount of acid in your body, destroys your emotional stability, and wrecks your metabolism.

I finally went cold-turkey.  No more sweets.  Drastically reduced rice and bread.

The result– A huge increase in energy that is sustained all day long.

3. Slow Burn Aerobic Activity

Read Stu Mittleman’s book “Slow Burn”.  Stu is an ultra-marathoner.  He runs 100 mile races for fun.  For his 50th birthday he ran from San Diego to New York… at a pace of 2 marathons a day.  He’s got serious energy.

Stu advocates “slow” aerobic exercise.  By slow, he means operating in your “fat burning zone”…  which for me means staying in a heart rate range between 110 – 130 beats per minute.

I started using a heart rate monitor while running to keep myself in that zone and have been surprised at how slow I must run to stay there.  Its a very slow jog for me.  And when I go uphill, I usually have to walk.

At first, this was a tough adjustment, as I’m used to running faster to “push myself”.

But now I’m really enjoying it.  Exercise is now pleasant, relaxing, and energizing… rather than a grueling ordeal.  And after exercise, the real benefits kick in.   My energy levels are high.

And I’m burning fat.  I’ve lost 17 pounds and am almost to my high school graduation weight.

4. Rebounding

Another exercise I’m doing is rebounding.  The rebounder (or “jumper”, as I like to call it) is a  mini-trampoline.  Its a great, easy exercise that has some nice benefits.

One benefit is that its damn fun.  I feel like a kid jumping on my bed!  Typically I put in some energetic music and jump for 5-25 minutes. I feel great while I’m doing it and I feel great afterwards.

Another great thing about the “jumper” is that its so compact.  I stash it in a corner of our tiny apartment when not using it,.. and roll it out whenever I need an energizing break from the computer.

Finally, the “jumper” has great health benefits.  Its a light and easy aerobic exercise.. perfect for the “slow burn” approach.  Also, the mild G-forces produced by bouncing help to stimulate the circulation of lymph and thus boost the immune system.

All in all, its a great little exercise.

5. No Stinkin Car

I haven’t had a car in 3 years.  I do have a motorcycle now, but use it sparingly.  Mostly, I walk.  I walk to the store.  I walk to restaurants.  I walk to movies.  I’m a walkin fool.

Walking is a great “slow burn” activity that energizes the entire body.  Do it as much as possible.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have been sold a load of crap by the main stream media.  Accepted beliefs about aging and health are lies– pure and simple.

We do not have to lose energy as we get older.  We do not have to become fatter and more lethargic. We do not have to lose enthusiasm.  We do not have to reduce our activity level.

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “Well, I’m getting older.  I just can’t do everything I used to do”.   Everytime I hear something like that, I want to scream and throttle the person.

I want to yell, “It’s not because you’re getting older.  It’s because you have been eating shit and sitting on your ass for 20 years!”

And so, just to walk my talk… I’m dedicating myself to doing an ultra-marathon– a 50 miler.

My hope is to be a small example for people– to show that you don’t have to become a fat, tired, old-fart– whatever your age.

Rather, we can all age like Paul Bragg, Jack Lalanne, and Gary Null.  We can remain vibrant, energetic, and healthy to 100 and beyond.   All that is required is to break the cultural hypnosis- and Decide.

Decide to choose health over fitting in.  Decide that your life and your dreams are more important than being normal.

Decide and do it.

Financial Freedom Recommend Reading

October 11, 2008 by  
Filed under Freedom, Self-Reliance

Here’s a short list of books I highly recommend, on the topic of financial freedom.

Be practical when reading these books.  I often don’t agree with the authors’ worldview or motivations, and honestly, I don’t care about them.   I’m focused on getting practical knowledge that I can use for my own purposes.

With that said, here are some great books for starting your journey to financial freedom:

Walden by Henry D. Thoreau

(Read the section on “Economy”)!

The 4-Hour Workweek  by Tim Ferris

(The title provides you with a worthy goal :)

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki

(Will teach you financial literacy and how to gain financial freedom)

The E-Myth

(Great general overview of how to own a business instead of it owning you)

Web Copy That Sells

(Great if you’re going to do a web-based business (which I highly recommend))

Permission Marketing by Seth Godin

(Learn how to market in an ethical way that people will love)

Purple Cow by Seth Godin

(Learn how to be remarkable with your business)

Your Portable Empire by Pat O’Bryan

(Learn how to create passive income and live a mobile lifestyle)

Those are good places to start your education.   Of course, just reading isn’t enough.  You have to take action.   I think the best way to start is online because the cost of starting is so incredibly low.

My business started with $200.  I could have done it for nearly free if I had wanted to.

The beauty of online business is that you can start them as “Beta” prototypes.   In other words, you put them together quickly and cheaply and start fast.    Then you endlessly test, improve, get feedback, and evolve your business over time.

My first site was butt ugly… and I had a paltry few lessons to start with.  And the lessons had sketchy audio and were very limited.

But no worries–  I clearly labeled it a “Beta” site and explained that it was in “testing” mode.  I charged only $7 for membership at first.   To my utter astonishment, I got customers.  I added more lessons, and raised the price to $17.

I started a Google Ad campaign with a budget of $1 a day.  I tested the ads and compared ad cost to money made each day.   When I was making more than I was spending, I raised the ad budget to $5 a day…  waited a week.  I was still making more than I was spending on ads… so I increased the budget to $10 a day.  (I now spend nearly $400 a day).

The product (my lessons) likewise evolved.  I experimented with different lesson types and discovered the ones that students liked best.  Over time, I developed a very powerful teaching system.

Finally, the site and the business itself evolved.   I eventually changed from a membership site to a straight product sales site.   I hired a company to (still cheaply) design a custom website for me.   That helped to boost income.   Just recently, I had the whole site re-designed again  (for a higher… but still reasonable price).

All the while I have learned a tremendous amount–  from trial and error, from experiments, from customers’ feedback,  from business books and CDs, from other website owners, from blogs and podcasts.

So what’s the point I’m making?

The point is:   Just start.

I was totally clueless and nearly broke when I started.  I had NO idea how to build a successful business.  I just had a burning desire to be free,.. and I loved teaching English.  The rest, I learned along the way.

You can do this too.  Start a BETA website this month….    using a cheap or free website template…  and PayPal for accepting credit cards.    Make your cheap, fast, raw product or service.

You don’t need to be perfect when you start.  You don’t even need to be good.   Hell, if you really feel bad about it–  charge just $1 in the beginning.    Decide to learn everything as you go.

This is the Hobopoet way–  the opposite of the “Business Plan” approach.

Start cheap.  Start ugly.  Start clueless. Start micro.

Then evolve.

The Difficult “I Suck” Stage

September 19, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

Yes, I suck at singing

Yes, I suck at singing

When transforming your life in any way, be it financial, artistic, physical, etc….   the most difficult phase is the beginning.

In the beginning you have absolutely no momentum.

And perhaps more significantly, you suck.   When I started my business, I sucked.  I had no freakin idea what I was doing.  The website was ugly, the marketing was crude, the lessons were raw.

When I became a vegetarian, I sucked.  I’d manage for a week or two, then I’d sneak a hamburger.. and then another.. and soon I was chowing down on meat again.

When I lived in my car the first time, I sucked.  I was extrememly uncomfortable, and paranoid as well.

And now, as I learn singing and bass as an absolute beginner, I suck.

One of the key “secrets” to the transformations I’ve been able to make is that I have learned to shrug off my pride and revel in the chaos of the “suck stage”.

The problem most people have, in my opinion, is that they are afraid to suck.  Most people are horribly afraid of appearing stupid, foolish, incompetent, or uncool.  In fact, the more they assure you that they don’t care, the more you can be sure that they are, in fact, terrified of failure.

Worst of all are the posing cynics who attempt to hide their fear behind an air of affected disinterest.  Whenever I see such a person, my first thought is always “loser”.

When it comes down to it, you can be cool & safe or you can live your principles, dreams, and visions to the fullest extent possible.  Rarely is it possible to do both.

Therefore, a vital skill for reaching financial independence, freedom, and general all around happiness & achievement is the skill of being patient and irrationally optimistic when you suck at something. Realist never accomplish anything– to really get what you want, you’ve got to believe in yourself even when its obviously irrational to do so.

You absolutely must find a way to thrive during the “suck stage” and believe in yourself no matter what.

Cynics will make snide comments.  “Realists” will barrage you with doubts and “logic”.  Some may criticize you or laugh at you.

Ignore them all.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in the power of kaizen– in constant and never-ending tiny improvements.

Don’t focus on how far you are from your vision, focus on the fact that you are finally engaged in it– you are doing it.

Trust me– after a few months of consistent sucking action, you’ll turn a few corners.  You’ll notice some small improvements.  You’ll feel a sense of momentum.

And then, suddenly, you will feel it.  Deep down.

You feel it and you’ll know–  what once seemed insurmountable is possible.  You may still be far from your dream… but everything changes on that day when you realize that you will nevertheless do it.

And so I urge you-  go ahead and suck at something.  Look & sound like an idiot and keep on doing it.

Because that is the path of greatness.

Self-Reliance

August 28, 2008 by  
Filed under Self-Reliance

I've Got The Power!

I've Got The Power!

Self Reliance means trust in yourself.  As Alan Watts said,  “Trust yourself to react appropriately when catastrophe happens. Failure of nerve is really failure to trust yourself.”

Self-reliance is an independence of mind and spirit– the courage to live according to your own principles, needs, and desires– no matter what other people think.

Self-reliance is resourcefulness. It is inner strength– mental and emotional and physical mastery.   When you are self-reliant, you know you can handle any problem.  You are full of courage and confidence.  You are not discouraged by problems– in fact, you welcome “challenges”.

When something difficult happens to you, you rise up with strength.  Maybe you don’t know how you will succeed, but you know you will– somehow.

Self -reliance means you have discipline– the discipline to do what is most important to you.. and the discipline to avoid what does not fit your principle, goals, and values.

As a self-reliant person, you recognize that you and only you are the authority for your own life.  No guru, no religious leader, no political leader is more of an expert than you.   Yes, you value teachers…  but as guides and mentors, not as bosses. You are the only boss of your own life.

Self-reliance means you know how to take care of yourself– which gives you the freedom and energy to also help others.   You are not always trying to take from other people, because you know how to make yourself happy.

You are a student of the “Science of Achievment” and of the “Art of Fulfillment”.

You are the master of your own life.  You are the master of your destiny.

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