5) Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency are Cousins in What Now?!? (Introduction to Provident Living)

I’m about to turn your understanding of what self-reliance and self-sufficiency are upside down. Or at least clarify confusion judging by the information that’s out there.

I can tell you there are a few differences and even more commonalities. Do you know how many articles I’ve read and videos I’ve watched and courses I’ve done to figure that out? Yeah, loads! Too many to recount.

That’s a lot of time squandered that I could have used BEING both. Why? Because in the end they are simply two avenues of the same ethos...Provident Living.

That’s it. That could be the end of the discussion. Thank you. Goodbye. 

Wait, I’ve thrown a spanner in the works so let’s just recap a few ideas and then I’ll explain where I’m coming from.

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First of all, according to all those watched videos, articles read and pondered, Self-Reliance is more a case of a person’s ability to take responsibility for their own welfare in all avenues. It’s about being their own motivator, organiser and doer of what needs or wants to be done in the effort to meet needs and wants.  I can go with that.

Most of the articles pondered in this topic seem to keep it in the category of the motivation, responsibility, and mental capacity/mindset.

Self-Sufficiency, according to internet articles is more about providing all those things without dependence on outside sources for things that a person can feasibly do themselves. I get that too but I used to believe that it had a negative attitude of ‘I didn’t need anyone else’. Like, ‘I got this and don’t need help from anyone’ kind of prideful independence.

Most articles have described the terms in ways that cross over and in fact some contradict these. One suggests it’s about being independent from ALL external inputs as in a family living in isolation and producing ALL their own requirements of all sorts (impossible in my opinion in modern times without being in lack with something or other or having a community and that’s a contradiction).

Some say that the one (self-reliance) is a mental state of being and attitude and the other (self-sufficiency) is ALL practical. That’s the general theme. It’s a this or that, them or us kind of difference.

Why can’t they be separate in my own opinion? It’s because to me, you can’t have one without the other. And neither is exclusive of other people or outside inputs. Unless we are living in a Neanderthal state and living exclusively off the land which can give you everything you need, you just can’t say it’s exclusive of ALL external inputs.

You would have to have thousands of acreage with ore rich mountains, rivers with fish or be on the coast, fields of self seeding and growing crops that need no care, perennials, forests of trees for wood, shelter and then animals for not just food and clothing but to make tools too from all that ore you will mine and process, leather from animals you will have to hunt, kill and process yourself, and reeds you would have to process and make basketry (and other stuff) from to hold all you grow and harvest,  fish you will have to fish with the tools made, build your shelter and maintain it with all those tools you have made and the wood you have lumbered yourself, nails you have made yourself and so on. I could go on and on.

Imagination and the benefit of archaeology and history demonstrate that even in those times, people had to live and work in communities and share responsibilities and still had short life spans because of the extreme and intense demands of survival.

So unless you live like that and in today’s world you would have had to make millions to buy that kind of life, you just can’t live that kind of self-sufficiency. Not in the 21^st century. And seriously, knowing what we know now about that kind of life, who would want to?!?

Ok, so the urge to escape the really nasty side of the chaos we can see in the world drives some people to want that kind of life but it’s not the answer because no matter where we go in the world, there are issues.

There are also good things. There are positive solutions to every situation. For this article, I would like to stop comparing the two ideas. Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency are just two elements of that Provident Living principle as mentioned.

OK, so let’s just throw in another buzz word! Believe me; in 2024 we need to have another idea that puts to bed the confusion. Let me explain Provident Living;

It is a way of living that builds and meets our physical every day needs and social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing and resilience. Provident Living includes the following:

·       The prudent management of resources (looking after and using what we have)

·     Wise planning of financial situations (budgeting, spending and saving, wills & testaments etc)

·      Providing for our personal health (like visiting the dentist or opticians or medical aid plans)

·      Providing for our education (All types of School or secondary/tertiary or community/self education)

·      Managing our homes (including many life skills in organising, cleaning, maintenance & family needs)

·     Food production and storage (not necessarily growing your own but a level of appropriate prepping or   store cupboards and emergency provision)

·     Looking after our spirituality and mindset (religious or not).

From this list you can see both Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency covered for a more holistic approach as I mentioned in my last podcast and blog.

From where I’m standing, Self-Reliance is relying on myself for my own motivation, taking responsibility for my financial, emotional and physical wellbeing and health and education. It includes my efforts to provide for myself, family and home as far as possible without financial help from others including social welfare whenever possible. It means leaving social welfare as quickly as possible when I’m on it. It means exerting my every effort in this pursuit including also avoiding and getting out of debt asap.  

It also means not blaming others for my situation. It means finding solutions to my problems and taking action to the best of my ability.

Self-sufficiency; It’s John Seymour’s version of self-sufficiency in living off the land and producing everything we need from the land as far as possible or as far as you like; but even he said that it was neither possible nor desirable to go as far as being completely independent of others and imports.

Turns out, it’s much more than that. One of my YouTube viewers once replied to me about the idea I had about selfish independence and added to my understanding. He said that it could also mean that we acquire and have sufficient for our needs and are not necessarily stating our dependence or not on others or ourselves. I loved that. It means contentment. Now THAT’S an idea I could live with as far as self-sufficiency goes.

Wow! What a long winded way of getting to the point.

Self-Reliance and Self-Sufficiency are two aspects (cousins) in Provident Living. The whole being the ability to take care of ourselves, families, homes and provide for our needs as far as possible, managing and being responsible, wise and  prudent in our lives with all we are blessed with. It is then looking outward and sharing our surplus; contributing to society and allowing ourselves to accept help where needed after doing all we can for ourselves.

I think that’s part of the recipe for contentment, wouldn’t you?

And that’s a topic for another day. I hope this has given you greater understanding and cleared up any confusion on the ideas. As always, I love to hear from you and would love your feedback as well as suggested topics on self-reliance or rather from now on, provident living.

 I think it's time to rename the business!

Where will we go from here?