I created Thriving Through it All to help families struggling with finding peace in a world that feels like it’s spinning out of control. To help those that want to live a self-reliant life. So that no matter what happens in life, you know you and your family will be able to thrive.
Areas to Focus on to Become Self-reliant
The best way you can create a more self-reliant life is by focusing on a few areas:
- Preparedness: Creating a food storage plan, first-aid supplies, and backup water and energy sources can be another form of insurance for your home and family.
- Frugal living: Becoming debt-free and learning to save money on your bills and groceries.
- Wellness: Maintaining your wellbeing through better mental and physical health. Developing a stronger relationship with God. And spending more time with and helping your family, friends, and community.
- Home life: Creating a healthy, happy home life as a sanctuary away from the chaos of the world for your family and friends.
4 Ways to Be More Self-reliant and Thrive in Difficult Times
- Creating a Preparedness Routine for Your Home and Family
I think we have all learned some lessons after the events of 2020-21. Many people were caught off-guard. Even those who practiced preparedness said it was a good lesson in knowing where they were weak in their preps.
Becoming self-reliant is a great way to ensure that you won’t be left out in the cold during an emergency situation. And a great way to look at it is that it is really just another form of insurance. The best thing you can do is set yourself up to not have to rely on anyone for your basic needs.
Basic preparedness does not have to be that complicated or expensive. It can be as simple as buying a couple of extra items every grocery trip, storing some juice bottles full of water in your freezer, or taking a first-aid class. No hoarding toilet paper needed.
- Becoming Debt-free and Learning to be More Frugal With Your Resources
The best way to look at debt is that it is a form of slavery. You are literally working to pay off money that was never yours in the first place. Self-reliance is all about being free from dependence on others for your needs. And being frugal with your money is a great way to break the chains of dependence.
I want to give you the tools and resources to be debt-free and live comfortably within your means. Living debt-free and frugally is the best way to give you back one of your most valuable resources, time. Wouldn’t it be an amazing feeling to have the time to do all the things you’ve been putting off? Imagine having weekends to spend with family and friends instead of working overtime to pay off a credit card? It is possible. It just takes some small steps and willpower.
- Caring for Your Body, Mind, and Soul
For many people, this area is a huge stumbling block. A lot of us are guilty of eating one too many cookies, not getting enough exercise, not taking time out of a busy day to re-center ourselves, and not devoting enough time to Bible reading. I approach this area with a slightly different perspective than most blogs would. I am a Christian and don’t apologize for it. And that is a huge part of how I approach physical, mental, and spiritual health.
The reason taking care of your body, mind, and soul is important for self-reliant living is because if one of these areas of our life is out of whack it can make life really difficult. If you’re out of shape it will be extremely difficult to avoid getting sick, working in your garden, or participating in outdoor activities. If you haven’t been taking care of your mental health it can really impact your motivation to do anything. And if your relationship with God isn’t as strong as it could be you won’t be able to weather stressful times as easily (among other things).
If you can’t rely on yourself to get through hard times how can you expect to be there for your family and friends. And you certainly won’t be able to thrive.
- Creating a Home That is a Sanctuary Away From the World
Our homes/families are the very nuclei of our culture. It is the foundation on which we stand (pun intended). The health of our homelife determines the health of our communities, states, and country. Look around and you can see the results of the lessening in the importance of the traditional family/home. This is why even though our daughter is grown and lives on her own, I still strive to make my home a place she can come and recharge or find safety if she needs it.
You don’t have to have a huge or expensive home to create a wonderful place for your friends and family to gather. It’s more about the feeling that people get when they enter your home. As long as it is neat and tidy and is a place where God dwells it can be a sanctuary away from the stress of the world.
Being self-reliant at home means doing things simply and not focusing on material possessions. Creating a garden, raising chickens, making your own soap, cooking from scratch, and preserving your food are just some of the easiest ways to become more self-reliant at home. Basically living like great-grandma did.
Living a Self-Reliant Life Doesn’t Have to be Difficult
Focusing on these 4 key areas of your life can be a great way to get started on the path to self-reliance.
I hope to help you become confident in the knowledge that you will have the skills and supplies to not be dependent on others for your well-being during difficult times. To not just survive, but thrive. And I want you to be in a position of security to also be able to help others in times of need. Self/God-reliance is true freedom.
