If you got into the homesteading game, you no doubt have a desire to become self-sufficient. And if you are doing any kind of preparedness, you might be thinking about how you can survive alone.
The problem is even in times of old our ancestors were not self-sufficient. Yes, some would be more than others. But going it 100% was still rare. Let me give you an example of why I believe this concept is hard to achieve alone.
In the past, families would group together to form small communities. Often, this is where the rural towns would get their start. A few families would get together and move across the country. Each would bring a set of skills, tools, and knowledge to the table.
As a collective they could accomplish many more tasks than alone. Think of all your normal homestead chores. Or kitchen work and baking. Do you still get anything from outside sources? Now try and do all that alone. No more outside resources at all. Even simple foods like the bagels shown above take time and effort, plus flour and other ingredients.
Throw in a pregnancy, or little children, and time swiftly slips through your fingers. Or try taking a sick day. Overwhelm just kicked into high gear.
The same downfall happens today. There is never enough time in the day to achieve it all yourself. And you can’t throw money at the problem and still consider yourself self-sufficient. It’s a lose-lose situation.
So why do we teach self-sufficiency?
I believe that while going alone, you will fail. But going in with a small community of like minded individuals you will find success.
Self-sufficiency is the concept of doing what you can to support yourself and your family. In a small strong community, its members are an extension of your family. And so, self-sufficiency is possible.
Nowhere in the definition of self-sufficient does it say you can never have help. It states working on doing things without outside aid. In a community, outside aid comes from a neighboring community. It also promotes learning and working to do the most you can with the things you have, rather than buying your way out of problems.
Remember that it does not always have to be people out of your family. It could be your 3 adult children, their spouses and kids, along with you and your spouse. Each family brings skills and abilities to the fold. And still do more than you alone could achieve. A community of families working together for the good of the whole.
Trying to go alone, you are trying too hard. If your thinking is you must have everything and do everything by yourself, or only in things you control, it’s time to check your god complex. Even Heavenly Father states in the scriptures that we need each other, and we should encourage, share, and grow together.
Self-sufficient success comes from community and basic family level preparedness.