SELF-RELIANCE

New Zealand Tablet, 9 July 1908, Page 37

SELF-RELIANCE

To be able to meet an emergency in life, no matter what it may be, is a form of self-reliance that every woman should train and develop herself for. It expresses "itself in an ability to make quick decisions, and having done that, acting without doubt and hesitation, straining at every point to justify the actions by bringing it to a successful finish. More than half the women in the world fail, not only in important, but trivial, things, because they are afraid. Necessity, in some ( form obliges them to make a decision, and of their obligation to this they have no doubt ; but as there is always the possibility of another way being better than that decided upon, they lacked self-reliance. They were not sure of themselves, either of their ability or wisdom, and neither is strengthened. Self-reliance does not preclude doubt of one's infallibility, but it does mean faith to' do whatever has been undertaken. A. self-reliant woman does not say * I cannot,' but ' I will,' even at the time she does not know how she will accomplish the task. But her very faith in herself is a help ; she trains herself to be alert for anything that may further the end, and her self-reliance begets the confidence of others.