Being independent is something we all aspire to be when we are young. We want to be able to make our own choices! As we grow up we naturally become more independent. We learn how to walk and talk, then we learn how to make friends, drive a car, and get our first job. Eventually, we want to have our own place, make our own money, and be able to do what we want when we want to do it. All of these things are good things and are a necessary part of maturing.
If we aren’t careful though we can begin to idolize independence. We begin to think that independence is the end goal. We trick ourselves into believing that we are so mature we can do everything on our own. We think we don’t “need “anyone.
We see this often in our society today. Couples with separate bank accounts because they want to be “independent”, stay-at-home parents that don’t feel comfortable asking for help because they don’t want to be viewed as not being capable, or the guy that pulls a muscle moving a couch on his own because his pride won’t let him ask for help.
Independence is important and it’s a huge step in our lives as we grow and mature. We no longer need someone else in order for us to survive. But if we want to accomplish greater things in life than we could accomplish on our own, then we need to realize that choosing to have others in our lives that we depend on for things is a healthy and mature way of living.
Walt Disney didn’t create Disneyland on his own. Wayne Gretzky didn’t win the Stanley Cup by himself. We are made to be in community. We are all made with different strengths and weaknesses and when we work together our strengths can be utilized to their fullest ability and so much more can be accomplished. Great things are accomplished together!
I’ll leave you with this quote from Stephen R. Covey
“I am self-reliant and capable, but I also realize that you and I working together can accomplish far more than, even at my best, I could accomplish alone.”
Alexandra Perez – Chief Leadership Advocate – The Leader Co. Inc.