For a sustainable living, self-sufficiency
is important. But to achieve self-sufficiency, the first thing we need to do is
to bring a change in the overall way we work, think and live. No specialized
course on self-sufficiency can teach us how to change ourselves. It is 'we' who
need to initiate things for our own cause; to secure our today and improve our
tomorrow without being dependent on any external source.
Here’s a quick guide on how to get one step closer to
a sustainable living.
First, let’s understand what does it mean
to become self-sufficient. It is a state of being independent where you no
longer need any aid, support, and assistance from anyone else other than
yourself to survive and sustain. So, you self-govern yourself because you have
all the resources required to lead a happy life. When you achieve the state,
you become mentally stress-free (to a large extent), and economically
independent.
Now, let’s get back to the point, "How to achieve self-sufficiency?"
As mentioned earlier, it all starts from within. You need to explore the
possibilities of what can you do depending on your abilities and resources
available. To start a sustainable living, you need not to step out of your home
in search of help. You are the power person and your home is your happy lab.
Start from doing little things, as simple
as plant your own vegetables in your own garden and save the useful seeds for
future planting, begin rain water harvesting by preserving it naturally, begin
worm farming to produce great fertilizers, raise dairy cows to get your daily
dairy products, cut tree branches to build your home furniture, use solar
panels to meet your home energy requirements, do fishing if you love to, value
the effectiveness of renewable resources instead of relying on non-renewable
resources.
These are just a few of the many ways self-sufficiency
can be achieved. It will take time in understanding, analysing, and practicing these
activities, but it will earn you a complete sense of certainty with every
passing day.
Practicing the above-mentioned things
relieves you from being dependent on any external source. Like when you plant
trees, raise cows or begin rain water harvesting, you are no longer dependent
on shop or municipality. While you become self-sufficient, you do your bit in
improving the ecology. For example,
without throwing away the dinner leftovers, when you use them into the worm
compost for worm farming, worms eat these; make great fertilizers as well as
help in maintaining ecological balance. Thereby, by becoming self-sufficient,
you are improving your abilities to raise and grow your own stuffs as well as
helping in maintaining an ideal environment where we can breathe trouble-free.
However, is it practical enough to say you
can grow all your foods on your own? Do you have enough time and resource to
live your daily life without taking anyone’s help? Perhaps, this is where the
difference between self reliance and self-sufficiency
comes. That’s the topic of our next article. Don’t miss reading.
This is the first article in our series of complete guide to self-sufficiency. I would
glad to hear from you on how you found the post.
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The author Robijyoti Bhattacharjee is an avid blogger, permaculture practitioner, new media enthusiast and a member of Varanasi Estate, who believes there’s a life beyond economic shakeout, social dogmas and mental stress. Here to share his views, learning achievements and observation on how to lead a happy, healthy
and deliberate life.
