Quotes About Self-reliance

My father left us when I was 10, so I had to make enough money for us to be able to live in a house because my brother went in the service during Vietnam and I was sole support of my mother. And she had no skills, really, except to clean other people's houses. So I had to have a bunch of jobs, you know, as well as music.

Learn how to collect manna for yourself. Christians who rely on a weekly sermon to feed themselves are probably malnourished.

I don't listen to weakies.

Every once in a while, tempers would flare, but we figured out how to settle those disputes as well—after all, there was no referee to decide the outcome. You would stand up for yourself on some occasions if you had to. One way or another, every kid who laces up a pair of skates in a shinny game learns that backing down almost never helps. But it also doesn't take long to figure out that if you play by the spirit of the rules, there is usually not much trouble.

You don't have to worry about whether the car is set up right or not, you know it is, and it's down to you. Ultimately, that's what every driver wants.

I will choose my own fall, which is ascension

The road I maintained and patched with rock I had to crush myself—that road resembled my own life.

Bonnie Jo Campbell

Listen to me now I need to let you know You don't have to go it alone And it's you when I look in the mirror And it's you when I don't pick up the phone Sometimes you can't make it on your own

At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence.

It means a great deal, I think, to start off on a foundation which one has made for oneself.

Among a large class there seemed to be a dependence upon the Government for every conceivable thing. The members of this class had little ambition to create a position for themselves, but wanted the Federal officials to create one for them.

At Hampton I not only learned that it was not a disgrace to labour, but learned to love labour, not alone for its financial value, but for labour's own sake and for the independence and self-reliance which the ability to do something which the world wants done brings. At that institution I got my first taste of what it meant to live a life of unselfishness, my first knowledge of the fact that the happiest individuals are those who do the most to make others useful and happy.

It is pretty hard, however, to help a young man who has started wrong. Once he gets the idea that — because he has crammed his head full with mere book knowledge — the world owes him a living, it is hard for him to change.

disregard the old maxim which says, "Do not get others to do that which you can do yourself." My motto, on the other hand, is, "Do not do that which others can do as well.

Cast down your bucket where you are

After having been for a while at Hampton, I found myself in difficulty because I did not have books and clothing. Usually, however, I got around the trouble about books by borrowing from those who were more fortunate than myself.

I am glad that we endured all those discomforts and inconveniences... It means a great deal, I think, to start off on a foundation which one has made for one's self.

There are some things that one individual can do for another, and there are some things that one race can do for another. But, on the whole, every individual and every race must work out its own salvation.

In the assurance of strength there is strength, and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their powers.

Taking responsibility means a person no longer blames outside circumstances, or other people, or past events for the conditions of his own life.

Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish.

as your father, my instinct is to protect you ... Other people will want to protect you too. But remember that you are not a damsel in distress, waiting for some prince to rescue you. Forget the prince. With your brain and your resourcefulness, you can rescue yourself.

I never had much schooling and I don't know that the lack of it hurt me none," Nate said. "I always managed to get by...on my charm and good looks." He smiled. "and my expert pool playing." "You forgot to mention your humble nature." "Modesty prevented it.