Glossary
LIVING (abundance)
Self-reliant “Living” is an intentional, wholistic approach to everyday life that is complete and balanced. It is an organic, abundant “living-style” built upon the principles of thrift, industry, and sustainable living practices. This can significantly improve quality of life, life satisfaction, and happiness.
The Living pillar is the action part of life where we apply focused energy to get things accomplished and build empowering resources. A key objective is to become more self-reliant and independent which in turn results in greater peace, comfort, and security. “Living” is in essence, how we spend our life.
LIVINGSTYLE – A personalized methodology, manner, approach, and style of living that is manifest in everything you do. It is a reflection of who you really are deep down. LivingStyle is driven by your purpose and what you stand for. It captures and reflects your beliefs and core values. It is visible and apparent to others in your actions. LivingStyle guides the lifestyle you choose (based on your interests and personal preferences). LivingStyle differs from lifestyle in that lifestyle is tangible and visible in your settings and surroundings. For example: lifestyle may include such things as: the type and style of living-quarters, the home furnishings, the ambiance of the home setting, clothing, the transportation type and quality, etc.
INTERESTS – Something that draws or captures your attention. Interests may be driven by needs and wants on one hand or by a desire to avoid pain and negative consequences on the other hand. The greater we perceive the benefits to be and/or the more intense the consequences, the greater our desire for results becomes. Our interests can be influenced by a myriad of things including: concerns, curiosity, arousal, the desire for improvement, threats, frustrations, peace of mind, hope, life satisfaction, happiness, etc.
Your interests can be used as an initial, engaging starting point or as an anchor for becoming more self-reliant and independent. The key is to start where you are with your interests then leverage what you already have to build and expand your desire, passion, and drive to greater accomplishment. This results in greater ingenuity, imagination, creativity, innovation, and resourcefulness which in turn can fan the flames of your desire and propel you to greater successes.
FRUGAL LIVING – An intentional approach to “living within our means”. The epitome of self-discipline, Frugal Living incorporates the wise use and management of all our resources not just time and money. It means to be resourceful, economical, thrifty, and to avoid unnecessary waste. It also means to avoid frivolous and impulsive choices. Frugal living is balanced, it does not mean to be miserly or extreme. As a general rule, it is easier to conserve and save than it is to generate new resources.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING – A self-sustaining approach to living that reduces or eliminates your dependence (on others and upon outside resources) while providing for your own needs. Sustainability incorporates the practices of: producing, regenerating, and leveraging resources. It means discovering and utilizing faster, less expensive, more streamlined, and efficient methodologies. This in turn reduces your personal footprint and puts you more in harmony with your natural environment.
At a minimum, Sustainable Living means taking care of yourself and your family. However, there are additional reasons to elevate your abilities. If you wish to help others, you may need to increase the level of your sustainability. And, in a world of growing uncertainty, we highly recommend that you become prepared and ready for the unexpected whether short or long-term, able to pivot and rebound at will.
Sustainable Living may incorporate areas of opportunity such as: home production, home manufacturing, investments, self-employment, renewable resources, renewable energy, etc. Recommended areas of focus include: transportation, food, water, shelter, clothing, energy, diet, financial, health, etc.
LIVING SPACE – A place of habitation with different areas used for the various needs and aspects of daily living such as: sleeping, eating, relief, sanitation, hygiene, relaxation, protection, privacy, learning, entertainment, socializing, etc. The environment, tone, ambiance, comfort, tranquility, and security are directly impacted by your choice of LivingStyle and lifestyle.
When optimized and operated for living with a self-reliant focus, your Living Space becomes an oasis, a place of order, a place of learning, a place of productivity, and a sanctuary and protection from the uncertainties and storms of life. It typically incorporates various elements of home production. It is also prepared for operation during challenging times when it is possible to be cut off from traditional resources with appropriate alternative systems such as backup heating, water, sanitation, storage, etc.
TRANSPORTATION – Any means or method of mobility utilized to move or ship anything or anybody from one location to another. This can involve the use of vehicles, aircraft, boats, motorcycles, bicycles, pipelines, power lines, tractors, trailers, horseback, backpacking, foot travel, etc. Transportation is essential to productivity and is the backbone of operations for such things as shipping, farming, construction, material handling, etc. It is a key activity in everyday living.
From the self-reliance perspective, this means having and maintaining functional, reliable transportation to meet our needs and optimized for the greatest efficiency. This not only includes our daily living needs but incorporates a special focus on transportation during any challenging times that may confront us.
PURPOSE (empowerment)
Purpose is the reason you exist. It’s the difference you strive to make in the world. It is inspired by your higher purpose, overarching beliefs, and core values. It is central to the entire program of Wholistic Self-Reliance. It provides meaning, direction, and power to everything you do.
Purpose is the core inner driver that governs your every thought and action. It fuels ambition, desire, and creativity. It is the driving force in the world of maximum accomplishment. Having a strong, clearly identified purpose elevates our beliefs, attitudes, and motives while inspiring selfless service for others! Amazingly, it is an anchor that can carry us through even the most challenging times when faced with overwhelming adversity.
BELIEFS – Assumptions and views accepted to be true or factual which directly influence thoughts and actions. They form the very foundation of a person’s reality. Beliefs rooted in actual truth can be incredibly empowering while beliefs and convictions based on false ideas and assumptions can have debilitating or catastrophic consequences in life. Essential to wholistic self-reliance, beliefs are characterized by a fearless quest for truth having the courage and commitment to align beliefs with empirical truth, willing to make the requisite LivingStyle and lifestyle changes.
ATTITUDES – A feeling, disposition, or stance with respect to another person, circumstance, situation, or subject. Attitudes reflect angles of view. They have a direct, immediate impact on outcomes. They can range from positive, healthy, can-do attitudes on one end to self-defeating, debilitating, and destructive on the other. When faced with challenging or stressful times, attitudes can be put to the ultimate tests. Never-the-less, attitudes are a choice and directly impact our world around us, staying in tune and in charge (on a positive level) can result in successful, peaceful, balanced outcomes and empowered living.
MOTIVES – The reasons, purpose, motivation, or intentions that cause us to act and move toward outcomes we wish to achieve. Motives are directly impacted by our beliefs, attitudes, and hopes. They can be pure, healthy, and selfless or self-centered, unhealthy, and counterproductive. Weak motives lead to procrastination or indifference. Learning options and discovering empowering reasons can strengthen motives and significantly enhance the probability of success.
FAITH / HOPE – Hope is a desire or the anticipation that something is true or can happen. Hope can strengthen with growing evidence until we “expect with confidence”. Faith is hoping for things which are actually true but without having a full knowledge. It is strengthened and reinforced by accumulating evidences until we reach perfect knowledge. Faith is not “idle wishing”, it is an action word, it means doing things! Building faith is a process and can continue to grow until we act with full confidence in an anticipated outcome. Hope and Faith are essential to growth and success. Together, they are the foundation building blocks of belief and motivation. Exercising faith (acting) and hope (expectations) require studying things out, then experimenting watching for validating evidence.
From a self-reliant perspective, being prepared means to develop the essential knowledge, skills, confidence, and faith you need especially during urgent and trying times.
CHARITY – Selflessly serving others. When truly understood and practiced, charity is an incredibly powerful principle that facilitates the highest levels of heartfelt joy, satisfaction, and self-worth. Driven by pure motives and intents, charity is also amazingly therapeutic and healing. It is the best remedy for overcoming self-pity, despair, boredom, selfishness, and loneliness. During extreme and trying times, charity brings greater purpose, it strengthens resolve, and enhances the ability to endure and persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.
RELATIONSHIPS – Connections, interactions, and bonds between individuals. This includes the network of individuals we live with, play with, work with, and associate with. Relationships can be our greatest source of joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment or they can be our greatest source of stress, sorrow, and disappointment. A primary goal in relationships is connecting with others at a deep heartfelt level. Truly, it’s not so important how others treat us as it is how we treat them, especially in the face of adversity. This is evidenced by unwavering love and compassion in our feelings and actions toward all others.
HEALTH (energy)
Health is the condition of being sound and whole in body, mind, and spirit free from weakness, disease, and pain. Essential to our wellbeing and independence, good health elevates our endurance levels, maximizes productivity, improves clarity of thought, amplifies our ability to achieve our goals, and it more fully enables us to fulfill our purpose.
While poor health can sap our energy levels (feeling tired, lethargic, run down, or worn out), in more moderate cases, it can become a major distraction and severely limit our abilities. In extreme cases, it may become one of the biggest hurdles we ever face in life and ultimately rob us of our dreams and our ability to serve others. A genuine investment in your health will provide amazing dividends now and during challenging times when depending upon your own abilities may not just be essential, it could be a life saver.
WELLBEING – The condition of being healthy, happy, comfortable, and prosperous. Health is generally been described as the absence of sickness and disease. Wellbeing on the other hand, is much more comprehensive. It is a wholistic and balanced approach to living incorporating the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, environmental, and social elements. Well-being is an approach and living style that is built upon a foundation of awareness, prevention, and healthy habits.
REPROGRAMMING -To alter the modus operandi (MO, method of operation) and personal patterns as it relates to or impacts health and wellbeing. The majority of health problems are related to poor habits, ignorance, false assumptions, cravings, and/or addictions. Most individuals trying to improve health treat symptoms not problems and they don’t clearly identify how they got there in the first place. Reprogramming means to change the existing paradigm, to revise, reset, and/or upgrade beliefs, attitudes, motives, and habits with the intent to recover and/or improve health and wellbeing. It requires clearly identifying anything that can negatively impact wellbeing then seeking and implementing true and effective solutions to actual problems for optimum health, strength, capability, and satisfaction.
PHYSICAL – Related to the physical, tangible body and the state of the body. Physical health is more than just the mere absence of sickness and disease, it means having a strong, capable, reliable body that when supported, maintained, and strengthened can help us perform tasks and accomplish things measurably beyond our normal capability. It can improve endurance levels substantially and help us perform without becoming faint or wearying so easily. Diet, sleep, exercise, stress, harmful substances, toxins, and attitudes have directly impact physical health and must be brought in line to support our bodies especially when called upon in challenging hours of need.
MENTAL – Related to the mind and the condition of the mind and brain. Good mental health supports and reinforces the ability to think logically and process thoughts in healthy and productive ways. It results in increased clarity and vibrancy of thought along with the ability to be more alert, aware, and awake.
Mental health does not simply refer to mental issues or a physical defect of the brain itself, it also refers to unhealthy attitudes or beliefs. While more serious mental health issues may manifest themselves as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc., improper beliefs and attitudes can manifest themselves in the form of discouragement, depression, dysfunction, and anger. Individuals can predispose themselves to mental illness and mental health problems by their habits, attitudes, relationships, diet, environments, and so on. Furthermore, mental health is immediately and directly impacted by physical and spiritual health.
SPIRITUAL – Relating to the spirit, soul, or inner self. “Spirit” is the life force that gives life and light to the physical body. “Spiritual” is a healthy, uplifting state of being… characterized by the heart and experienced through our inner feelings and emotions. “Spirituality” is our approach toward life and others. It is influenced, shaped, and defined by our values, morals, beliefs, attitudes, and motives. The hallmark of spirituality is humility. In its healthy state, this means having a kind, gentle, loving demeanor filled with love, patience, and tolerance toward others. Spirituality is the governing attribute of health. It elevates our power of discernment resulting in greater capacity to experience life satisfaction, peace, joy, happiness, and fulfillment.
SELF-RELIANCE – A condition and level of independence and readiness in self-reliant health. To proactively take charge of and manage your own health and wellbeing in all aspects of daily living, ready to transition with confidence to full independence during any challenging times. It means to build balance and optimal strength in mind, body, and spirit having the requisite knowledge, skills, and resources available for use at any time, under any circumstance, or when facing any challenge. And, where possible to generate and utilize your own renewable resources. It is built on a strong foundation of awareness and prevention.
EDUCATION (enlightenment)
Education is the knowledge, understanding, experience, and skills we acquire through the learning process. Wisely applied, education is the gateway to personal power! It enhances our ability to discover, to reason, to innovate, and to make wise choices. Education can help us avoid and mitigate the consequences of ignorance and misunderstanding. To be fully effective it must be built on a firm foundation of truth and our quest for truth. It deepens and broadens our perspective; it helps us fully utilize and leverage resources; and it empowers our ability to become self-reliant and independent.
Self-reliant education enhances our ability to adapt or pivot as needed at any time especially when faced with challenges. It helps us to see through different eyes alternative options and possibilities. Remember, if you don’t know your options, you don’t have any! A self-reliant education empowers your ability to “start where you are, use what you already have, in ways you never imagined, to accomplish things you never thought possible!”
PERSPECTIVE – A comprehensive and accurate view of things in scope, depth, and scale from all angles and viewpoints (both visually and mentally). Perspective is the way you see and understand things. Building proper perspective deepens knowledge, awareness, understanding, and personal power. It puts things in context and provides a frame of reference when evaluating news, information, ideas, options, and other viewpoints. It provides an essential foundation that can help you achieve a healthy, abundant livingstyle while helping to insulate and protect you against times of trouble in a world of growing uncertainty. The hallmark of perspective is a fearless quest for truth that results in a lifelong journey of discovery and empowerment.
FORMAL EDUCATION – Academic training received systematically from trained teachers in a classroom setting (or online) that typically results in a diploma or certification. This helps build credentials, perspective, and knowledge and may be required for certain job applications or when seeking to upgrade employment. This helps to create a marketable skill or talent, build confidence, generate more income, improve abilities, learn a discipline, and better empowers the ability to serve and help others.
SELF-RELIANCE – Learning and education for the purpose of being able to depend and rely upon your own self (capabilities, judgment, and resources) to meet personal needs and to better serve those around you. Self-Reliance Education is focused on building knowledge, understanding, and wisdom that empower greater independence and satisfaction in daily living. It also focuses on building the confidence and power to pivot at will when faced with challenging and uncertain times. This means being aware, alert, and in tune with the world around us and being prepared to respond; having the ability to adapt and improvise; knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.
SKILLS – The knowledge, expertise, experience, and ability to do something well with competence and confidence (special focus on self-reliance skills). The more skill one acquires the greater the know-how, discernment, speed, accuracy, and proficiency. This saves time, money, hassle, and frustration. It builds greater capability, elevating optimism, desire, effectiveness and empowers desired outcomes. Initial, special focus should be on acquiring the Basic Essential skills (life-sustaining skills during uncertain times).
ARCHIVES – A library of self-reliance focused materials and resources readily accessible especially in times of need. Archives are a comprehensive collection of useful, valuable, and practical information that supports and empowers abundant – productive living with a special focus on security and preparedness especially for lean or challenging times. It is highly recommended that this collection or repository is in a hard copy format (such as books and printed materials) not just in a vulnerable electronic data format. This can include: books, data, documents, records, genealogy, journals, notes, etc. Your archives should include a complete how-to, fingertip reference library of the “Basic Essentials” (life-sustaining information). They become invaluable for personal referencing or when teaching others.
COACHING – A guided method and approach to learning from someone with seasoned knowledge and experience to accelerate the learning process in a safe and productive manner. Coaching helps to build knowledge and understanding, experience and skill. It helps to build perspective; it helps to safely and effectively navigate opportunities, methodologies, and pathways; and it helps to explore options and possibilities while avoiding or minimizing costly mistakes, pitfalls, and consequences. Coaching is more than just receiving help, it’s also giving and serving. In fact, one of the most effective ways to learn is to selflessly teach and share what we have learned with others in their quest for truth and self-reliance.
RESOURCES (support)
Resources are any assets, supplies, materials, tools, sources, or support that can be drawn upon in time of want or need. They also include information, knowledge, and expertise. The greater the depth and diversity of resources we have available to us and our knowledge and ability to use them, the greater our power and capability.
Building resources empowers our ability to accomplish our goals and mission in life and ultimately to fulfill our purpose. They provide the freedom and flexibility to make choices at will. They give us options! Furthermore, they empower our ability to serve and help others. Use discernment and wisdom on the types, quantity, and quality of resources.
PERSONAL – Anything that supports, reinforces, strengthens, or builds an individual from a physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or social standpoint. “Personal Resources” include any products, services, items, or assets utilized for direct personal maintenance, self-improvement, and protection along with anything that improves personal strength, stamina, and overall well-being. This includes everything from clothing, eyeglasses, personal hygiene products, medical support devices, and exercise equipment to coaching, education, and skills development.
FINANCIAL – Anything related to job income, business ownership, investments, retirement, or other revenue streams. Also, any money, capital, funds, or financial instruments used as a common means of exchange to acquire goods and services or things of value. Financial instruments and agreements are any type of asset that can be exchanged, traded, or utilized including such things as: currency, checks, bank drafts, shares, stocks, bonds, contracts, notes, pensions, retirement accounts, credit and loan instruments, etc. Financial also encompasses the extending and receiving of credit in all forms.
While financial instruments and systems may simplify the trading process they can also be fickle and vulnerable. They only work effectively when there is trust and confidence in their value. As such, they can be extremely vulnerable to valuation shifts as a result of things such as economic instability, recessions, inflation, deflation, currency devaluation, shifting exchange rates, etc. Wealth from a self-reliance perspective incorporates a healthy balance of financial and non-financial (tangible real property) asset building. This brings significantly stronger security in challenging or extreme times.
ASSETS – Any useful, valuable items, things, resources, or property that are owned, controlled, or at our disposal for use, benefit, or protection especially in our quest for self-reliance and independence. Assets can be sold, bartered, traded, shared, or utilized. They include such things as: materials, supplies, tools, money, capital, retirement funds, skills, intellectual property, real estate, equipment, vehicles, and personal belongings. Building assets can improve our condition and position while reinforcing our ability to serve and help others. They increase our power, options, ability to make choices.
ACCELERATOR – A Self-Reliant Living program that significantly speeds up resource building and development while shortening the time required to achieve self-reliance and independence. With the Accelerator, you learn how to start where you are; use what you already have; in unique and innovative ways; to accomplish goals and objectives much more quickly and efficiently. This is accomplished utilizing innovative techniques to wisely manage, leverage, and grow existing finances, resources, and assets.
ENERGY – A material, force, or power that when harnessed or converted into usable forms can be put to work in a multitude of useful ways. Energy can be used in virtually every area of life for such things as: heating, cooling, electrical power, lighting, transportation, cooking, communications, pumping, refrigeration, sanitation, appliances, power tools, security, entertainment, engines, farming, manufacturing, and so much more. It makes life easier, more productive, comfortable, safe, and secure. Sources of energy include: hydro power, fossil fuels, combustibles, wind, solar, tidal, nuclear, geo-thermal, electro-magnetic, etc. Alternative and renewable energy coupled with wise management practices make individuals much more self-reliant and independent.
NETWORK – An interrelated association or group of individuals having shared or common interests who work with and support each other. A healthy network can provide access to a vast pool of knowledge, information, expertise, connections, and resources. To that end, networking is connecting with others to develop and nurture relationships for mutual benefit. Network building can open channels and pathways to greater success and accomplishment more quickly and efficiently than in almost any other way. The larger the network, the more expansive the possibilities. While the goal of Wholistic Self-Reliance is independence, interdependence is a more practical, empowering, accelerated, and common-sense approach to becoming independent.
SECURITY (peace)
Security is freedom from fear, anxiety, or want in the face of threats, danger, or uncertainty. Security protects and preserves. It means to have a plan, to be on guard and prepared for both the expected and the unexpected. Central to security is awareness. Having a working knowledge and understanding of what’s going on around us is essential. Security and preparedness transform concern, fear, and uncertainty into eagerness, confidence, and hope.
When faced with threats and adversity, being secure means having the knowledge and power to pivot at will. Whether threats are short-term, long-term, or even permanent in nature, being prepared can shield us from the damaging or debilitating consequences. Being prepared also includes special focus on readiness and acquiring (at a minimum) the life-sustaining essentials (the Basic Essentials) including the knowledge, skills, and resources that are of utmost importance in times of urgency. Additionally, being resilient, mobile, rebound ready are essential elements of wholistic security.
AWARENESS – The condition of being aware, informed, attentive, and on guard, having knowledge and understanding. Awareness is essential to fully empower self-reliance and to protect us against dangers, threats, and the consequences of ignorance. In a constantly changing world, it helps us avoid costly mistakes and missed opportunities while opening our eyes to a whole world of possibilities and options. This in turn can save us from loss, hassle, frustration, stress, and anxiety.
PROTECTION – The state of protecting or being protected. To shield, guard, protect, or insulate from harm, accident, loss, damage, injury, attack, etc. Common areas of consideration for protection might include: bodily, family, home, personal property, finances, identity, cybersecurity, etc. Areas of concern can range from health, relationships, and financial, on one end to natural disasters, economic collapse, and international war on the other. While it’s true that virtually anything of value can be damaged, weakened, devalued, lost, or destroyed, the good news is there is almost always a way to protect and preserve most everything. The strongest protection requires a proactive, assertive approach rather than reactively responding in time of crisis. The most effective protection is built on a foundation of awareness and prevention.
PIVOT READY – Ready, willing, and able to shift direction or change plans at any time from where you are to where you would like or need to be. It means having a viable backup plan, having the ability to shift between a daily living focus to security then back to normal daily living at will and as needed seamlessly. Pivoting can be driven from both the pain or gain perspectives. For example, it can be initiated to avoid problems, threats, and uncertainties on one hand or to improve life circumstances, and build opportunities on the other. A pivot can also be triggered by a significant event or point in life such as a wake-up call, a reality check, an aha moment, or a revelation. This ironically can lead to empowering changes.
PREPAREDNESS – The state of being adequately prepared and ready for both expected and unexpected threats and challenges. Preparedness means having the awareness and understanding along with the knowledge, skills, capabilities, and means necessary to respond properly and effectively. It addresses potential severity, longevity, and impacts. In time of need, challenges could cut individuals off from traditional resources ranging from short-term emergencies lasting a few days to much more serious national or global events lasting a year or more. Thoughtful judgment should be used in quantity, quality, and types of things to be stored and to have on hand.
MOBILE READY – Ready, willing, and able to move or relocate from where you are to a safer or preferred location especially in time of threat or urgency under your own power and ability without assistance if possible. Mobile Ready means having an action plan, checklist, and the supplies and equipment you need; ready to go at a moment’s notice including vehicles, trailers, backpacks, or whatever it takes to be ready to relocate quickly. The needs and level of mobile readiness are determined based upon the levels of potential threats, awareness, and understanding. Depending upon circumstances, a move could range from short-term, short distance to long-term, long-distance. Different levels of mobility include: foot mobile, personal powered, motorized vehicles (and trailers), recreational vehicles, and public transportation (under certain circumstances). At the very least, most individuals should be a least foot mobile ready.
REBOUND READY – Prepared and ready to stabilize, recover, and re-establish after suffering a setback, damage, or loss as from a personal challenge, trial, disaster, crisis, calamity, or other debilitating events. Rebound Ready empowers the ability to bounce back, rebuild, and operate even from seemingly frustrating, discouraging, and hopeless situations. This means having a re-establishment and rebuild plan along with the requisite materials, supplies, tools, and resources within your capability.
If perchance you may have to relocate, this means trying to anticipate the circumstances, needs, tools, and materials necessary to re-establish and rebuild at the new location. This also includes the ability to launch home production and operate sustainably. Areas of focus might include: food production, water, fuel, sanitation, and home manufacturing, etc.