There is a time when we must recognize the need to simplify our life. By doing so, we remove all of the clutter and junk that prevents us from living free. The end result if having the right mindset [1], more self reliance and inevitably freedom [2] ensues.
There are steps [3] that we can take to make our lives more sustainable. Once we adopt these new found changes, our lifestyle will move into one that better supports our new way of life.
Self reliance comes in stages and the more we move toward this, the less we need. Here are some ideas for changing your lifestyle to reflect a more self reliant one.
Adapt to Change
Adapting [4] is how humans evolved, so it is not too far off course to think we can adapt to unforeseen changes. The only way to survive change is to work with it, rather than against it. When a person is out of their comfort zone, taking the good with the bad will keep one’s mindset positive. The only constant in this world is change.
Simplify
Simplify your life and keep only what you need to live. In this day and age, over consumption is almost encouraged through commercials, advertisements in magazines, and even through friends and family. In all honesty, most of the items we have around our homes are more for aesthetic reasons rather than for need. But, when a person is on the road, one must do away with certain so called “luxury” items in order to utilize needed space for necessities. The perspective of simplifying is not a new one for preppers, but we can always find another way to simplify our lives. Getting out of debt is a way of simplifying life, as well as finding ways to not use electricity, or even having a garage sale to get rid of unneeded items is a great way to simplify and make money.
Be Efficient
Keeping essential items organized and put up properly will keep everything organized for when you need it. As much as I like my “organized piles,” they are not efficient, and I need to make the necessary changes in my home. Finding new ways [5] to keep order of needed preps, tools and essential gear in the home will save on headaches and frustration of searching high and low for misplaced items. Begin by making lists, and organizing and grouping like items together. For example, if a person is organizing their toiletry items, group the items together and organize them appropriately in a spot where you can get exactly what you need when it is needed.
Share Your Knowledge
Self education and self reliance go hand in hand. In a blog I recently read, it stated that “to show self-reliance is to manifest great moral success.” The only way for real change to take place is to share knowledge with others. Have you ever heard of the hundredth monkey effect? The hundredth-monkey effect is a supposed phenomenon in which a learned behavior spreads instantaneously from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical number (100) is reached. By generalization it means the instantaneous, paranormal spreading of an idea or ability to the remainder of a population once a certain portion of that population has heard of the new idea or learned the new ability.
Just think of the effects that the movement of self reliance and personal responsibility would have on a society! Perhaps, this is what the world needs to get moving in the right direction. If enough people step out of their comfort zones, and learn to do things on their own accord, this could catapult the self reliance movement.