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" Whether it's your life skills, training, education, personal experience or something that you've seen or heard about, it's all part of your toolbox.
Let's see where most of our "tools" come from.
Family is a good source of "tools.
" That's where our culture comes from.
It's how we learn to interact with people and manage our lives.
If you're fortunate, you've been well trained by family elders and they've set a good example for you.
If not, then you'll have to bone up on some skills and stock up on "tools" from other reliable sources.
Mentors are a good source of "tools" for your self reliance toolbox.
These could be supervisors, bosses, church or community leaders, or just a neighbor who has taken you under his or her wing to help "show you the ropes.
" Again, if you're fortunate, they've shown you the right "ropes" and you're in better shape because of it.
Mentors are some of the best ways to create self improvement.
Employment is also a good teacher.
Learn what you may in formal schooling, but your real education begins when you start working for a living.
This is mainly true because you now have co-workers, business owners, customers, regulators and others that give you direct and immediate feedback about what you've done well and where you need improvement.
You also have the opportunity to learn by observing interactions and identifying cause and effect relationships.
Reading is a wonderful source of education that can help fill up your self reliance toolbox with good concepts and practical ideas.
It lets you sit down with an expert and absorb what they've learned.
Reading is a type of self education, and it can be done most anywhere when you have a little time.
Experience is probably the best teacher because seeing is believing, and getting firsthand experience will surely bring out some clear lessons and insights that you just can't get any other way.
The tried and true approach to "learning by doing" is the basis for apprenticeships in so many areas.
Now that you're more familiar with how to fill your toolbox with the right kind of "tools," there are three basic things that remain for you to do: 1) put together your life plan for more self reliance; 2) start collecting "tools" that will help you achieve some of your goals; and, 3) start using those "tools" to effect change in your life so as to enhance your independence in a way that makes sense to you.
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