"Man is his own star; and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man,
Commands all light, all influence, all fate;
Nothing to him falls early or too late.
Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still."
Self-reliance was the hallmark of the American people for most of this country's history. Our forefathers had to have very high self-reliance skills or we would not be here today. Only in the last few decades have we slipped into the complacent position of letting someone else take care of us. From government agencies like the USDA and FEMA to private organizations like the AAA, many of us have been lead down the primrose path of expecting others to take care of us and even do our thinking.
Simple little things like safely changing a tire, basic First Aid, home repairs, and self-protection are some of the more mundane every-day things everyone should have some knowledge of.
Whether it's reducing the likelihood of being a victim of crime, or preparing for bad weather, a few survival skills can help you be much more self-reliant. A few self-reliance skills can do wonders for one's feeling of self-worth.
prov·i·dence (pr
v
-d
ns, -d
ns
)
NOUN:
- Care or preparation in advance; foresight.
- Prudent management; economy.
- The care, guardianship, and control exercised by a deity; divine direction: "Some sought the key to history in the working of divine providence" (William Ebenstein).
- Providence God.
Careful use of material resources: economy, frugality, prudence, thrift, thriftiness. See save.
This word comes from Latin providentia "foresight, prudence", from pro- "ahead" + videre "to see". The current meaning of the word (Divine Providence) derives from the sense "knowledge of the future" or omniscience, which is the privilege of God. The initial meaning of providere remains in 'to provide' = "to take precautionary measures".
Destiny refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. It is a concept based on the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the universe.