How to Be Independent

So you've finally grown up and you're now of legal age and perhaps you begin to feel, how can I be independent? There are plenty of good reasons for being independent such as the fact that you're responsible for your own decisions, you are not held by anyone else, you work for yourself and you enjoy your own life. These are all very real benefits and it's important to understand them as they pertain to you. One thing is for sure though, it will take a bit of effort on your part to understand how to be independent in this lifetime. The following tips on how to be independent are here to assist.


First of all, there are some things that are irreplaceable such as love, friendship, good health, family, friends, a roof over your head and possibly even a retirement account. These things are too precious to ever lose and if you do, your independence ends immediately. For many people, these things represent long-term investments and independence that must be protected. This is where a savings account becomes important because it protects these important investments for your long-term independence.

Another step on how to be independent is to learn to be assertive. Being assertive means, you don't take for granted what you have and you always seek to gain independence. For this reason, you're also going to need to learn how to assertively communicate your needs to those that are in a position to help you. You might not know how to do this, but it is one of those skills that is absolutely necessary to gain independence in this lifetime.

Next, learning to be assertive means saying no. This may not sound like an easy task but it is done through forgiveness. Forgiving someone or something that hurts you is very tough; it takes a lot of patience and determination and sometimes even a lifetime of learning. Forgiveness is a very powerful tool that helps you to build up the strength within yourself so that you can continue to move forward. However, if you are saying yes to too many things, you are actually saying yes to being dependent.

You'll need to do some self reflection and ask yourself some questions if you want to be more independent and that includes saying no to those in your life that you don't feel comfortable with. When you start saying no, this changes your relationship with them and when you build up the strength within yourself, you become much more independent. Your needs will change and when you gain independence, your needs will change.

Learning how to be independent is also about assertive behavior. For example, when you're at home alone time, do you let your kids beg for your attention? Do you let your husband yell at you because he's upset with something you did? These things are not acceptable and they negatively affect your relationship with them. You have to learn to say no and be assertive.

If you're not feeling confident in yourself and really believe that you can never be independent, then you might want to try some personality tests. Personality tests can help you realize what you like about yourself and what you dislike. If you find that you have qualities that you would like to change about yourself and you want to gain independence, then this is a great time to take some personality tests.

When you learn how to be more independent by forgiveness, you become more self-sufficient and capable of standing on your own two feet. Being able to do this by forgiveness makes you more forgiving to someone else. When you learn how to do this, you will see your life go a lot easier and this is a great way to gain more peace of mind.