Self-Reliance. It Sounds Good To Me

SELF-SUFFICIENCY, SELF- RELIANCE, SELF- DETERMINATION. ALL SOUND GOOD TO ME.

I come from a family of seven kids. We inherited several traits from our parents, as most people do. From our father, we all inherited his knack for Math, his love of learning, a skill for different styles of art, painting, drawing, sculpting, music, writing, decorating, singing, you name it, every one of us has chosen one or more of those styles to pursue, and especially an appreciation for a good sense of humor. Our Dad was the ultimate comedian, who used humor as a shield, a protection, a shelter, against the reversals of fortune, life so frequently threw at him.

So, I was not surprised when one of my brothers, a jokester himself, turned a serious discussion on emergency preparedness into a laughing riot when he said, “ I’ll tell you what to do in an emergency,” grinning while he threw me a mocking look, “find your Mormon neighbors closest to you and camp in their home. Chances are, they will all be prepared.”

Joking aside, my kid brother is not too mistaken. For years, I have followed the counsel of church leaders in preparing for any type of emergency, not just “ The Big One,” but for unemployment, illness, or any type of unexpected challenge we all may face at one time or another. All members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are counseled to prepare spiritually and temporally to face life’s trials, and those who listen, do.

From Its beginnings in 1820, the Church leaders have sought Heaven’s guidance to establish programs to bless the lives of God’s children around the world, members or nonmembers.

It is not a surprise then, that the inspired programs the church offers have blessed and continue to bless thousands of people around the world. We learn in the Book of Mormon about a prophet who counseled the ancient Americans before Christ’s birth with the following words, “ When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God. ”

With programs such as Mormon Helping Hands, the Welfare program, the Perpetual Education Fund, the Employment Resource Services and many others, church members strive to serve and do just that, while at the same time acquire the tools we ourselves need to become self-sufficient.

This translates in a state of wellness. Self-reliance by definition is the state of stability and fulfillment. It is the knowing that you are capable of taking care of yourself and those you love. It is more than self-esteem, although the understanding of your achievements is bound to raise your sense of self worth, self sufficiency is actually self-esteem deeply and securely grounded in humility and not in narcissism; in the desire of giving of oneself and not on self-centered selfishness.

The emotions that flow in such a person benefit the body and the mind by opening the channels or meridians that course our bodies and through which flows our vital energy. This, in turn, helps the organs perform their functions adequately and properly; It helps us feel good and those positive emotions help us sleep better, have less cravings because our body is actually absorbing the nutrients it needs. Increase our blood flow and circulation to vital organs, which then make our bodies feel stronger and healthier.

We can say that by helping people help themselves, we can empower them in every aspect of their lives, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Marion G. Romney said, “Our efforts must always be directed toward making able-bodied people self-reliant.” I think that by doing that, we will direct them towards feeling good, being stronger, becoming healthier, and living happier.

This is just my opinion...

As a single woman, a Mormon, and a western/ Chinese doctor.