First of all, I want to say that I believe temporal AND spiritual self-reliance to go hand-in-hand, and that they are both crucial for happiness but this lesson is about temporal self-reliance, so that is my focus.
Since childhood, we
have all become familiar with the archetypal “damsel-in-distress” a woman, placed
in peril is helpless to save herself and requires rescuing by someone else,
usually a man. Although certainly self-reliance applies to all of us, I think
that because of these examples, it is more socially acceptable for a woman to
not be self-reliant. We can’t let ourselves fall into this line of thinking. Don’t
be Rapunzels, Sleeping Beauties or Snow Whites.
How
do we avoid being the “damsel in distress”? Besides not eating poisoned apples
or using spinning wheels, obviously.
President Hinckley’s first suggestion is
hard work. Be a damsel industrious. See what I did there? Damsel in distress becomes damsel industrious. I'm super clever.
Read
Quote 1 “I believe in the gospel of work. There is no substitute under the
heavens for productive labor. It is the process by which dreams become
realities. It is the process by which idle visions become dynamic achievements.”
–Gordon B. Hinckley. Not surprisingly, Pres. Hinckley isn’t the only person to
feel this way.
Read Quote 2 “Talent is cheaper than table
salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot
of hard work.” -Stephen King
Read Quote 3 “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Colin Powell
Read Quote 3 “A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Colin Powell
Read Quote 4 “Without hard work, nothing
grows but weeds.” Gordon B. Hinckley
Can you think of people who achieved great
success with nothing but hard work?
My damsel industrious is J.K. Rowling. Seven years after graduating from university, Rowling saw herself as a failure. Her marriage had failed, and she was jobless with a dependent child, but she described her failure as liberating and allowing her to focus on writing. During this period, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Rowling signed up for welfare benefits, describing her economic status as being "poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.”
My damsel industrious is J.K. Rowling. Seven years after graduating from university, Rowling saw herself as a failure. Her marriage had failed, and she was jobless with a dependent child, but she described her failure as liberating and allowing her to focus on writing. During this period, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Rowling signed up for welfare benefits, describing her economic status as being "poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless.”
Something
I struggle with is how to teach hard work to my kids. Any suggestions or ideas?
Read yourself “I
have observed that it is not the geniuses that make the difference in this
world. I have observed that the work of the world is done largely by men and
women of ordinary talent who have worked in an extraordinary manner.” –Gordon B.
Hinckley
He also suggests that we try to solve our own problems.
Be a damsel ingenious
In order for
us to learn and grow, we have to develop the ability to solve problems. Then
when we have a solution, we can bring it before the Lord and ask for
confirmation that it is a good solution.
Albert Einstein was perhaps the greatest problem
solver in history. His biggest secret: know what the problem is, and use new
ideas to solve it.
Quote 5 “We
cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used the create them.” –Albert
Einstein.
My damsel ingenious is Princess Leia. When
trapped with her friends and being fired at by storm troopers, she saved them
all by creating her own exit.
Seek Learning and Wisdom. Be a damsel intelligent
Whatever principle of
intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the
resurrection. –D&C 130:18
Quote 6 “Education will
prepare you for greater service in the world and in the church. It will help
you better provide for yourself, your family, and those in need. It will also
help you be a wise counselor and companion to your future spouse and an informed
and effective teacher of your future children.” –For the Strenth of Youth
Quote 7 “The acquisition
of knowledge is a lifelong, sacred activity, pleasing to our Father in heaven
and favored by his servants.” –Ensign, Apr. 2009
My damsel intelligent is Hermione Granger. She wasn’t born of a wizarding family, but she knew if she
studied enough, learned enough, that she could make up for not being raised in
the magic world. And she was right.
Have someone read section 2
paragraph 3 of manual: Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we
must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives
upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training. Education is the
key to opportunity.
Lift others through self-reliance. Be a damsel in service
We are to use our self-reliance to
help others. Gordon B. Hinckley said “It is our solemn obligation as found in
the doctrine and covenants to succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang
down and strengthen feeble knees” We must help them to become self-reliant and
successful.
Quote 8 “Can we see
how critical self-reliance becomes when looked upon as the prerequisite to
service, when we also know service is what Godhood is all about? Without
self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we
give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty
shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and
understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come
from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come
from the spiritually weak. –Marion G Romney
My damsel in
service is Princess Diana. She worked with many charities, but is most known
for her work with land mines and her charity on behalf of AIDS patients.
Ask: Why is self-reliance important?
-President Hinckley suggests that it is so we can be prepared,
for calamities to come. If we are capable of taking care of ourselves in times
of peace, we will be better prepared for if and when things fall apart.
-Marion G. Romney said that it is to ensure our freedom. Have
someone read quote
Quote 9 “Whenever we get into a situation which threatens our
self-reliance, we will find our freedom threatened as well. If we increase our
dependence, we will find an immediate decrease in our freedom to act. –Marion G
Romney
-I
think self-reliance makes us independent and perhaps it is the value I place on
independence that makes this more important to me, but knowing that I will be
okay and the self-confidence that true independence imparts is invaluable.
Be a damsel independent
Susan B. Anthony said "Independence is happiness." I thought that ending with independence was important since we just celebrated our Independence Day this week.
Susan B. Anthony said "Independence is happiness." I thought that ending with independence was important since we just celebrated our Independence Day this week.
Quote 10 “Those who won our independence...
valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret
of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.” Louis D. Brandeis
This applies
to individuals as much as countries.
My damsel independent is you. It
is me. It is everyone who is trying to stand on their own two feet and fight
their personal battles. It will take work and it will take intelligence and it
will take ingenuity, but when we achieve it, we will receive the greatest of
all blessings, liberty.
Quotes
1 “I believe in the gospel of work.
There is no substitute under the heavens for productive labor. It is the
process by which dreams become realities. It is the process by which idle visions
become dynamic achievements.” –Gordon B. Hinckley
2 “Talent is
cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the
successful one is a lot of hard work.” -Stephen King
3 “A dream doesn't become reality through
magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” Colin Powell
4 Read Quote 4 “Without hard work, nothing
grows but weeds.” Gordon B. Hinckley
6 “Education will prepare
you for greater service in the world and in the church. It will help you better
provide for yourself, your family, and those in need. It will also help you be a
wise counselor and companion to your future spouse and an informed and
effective teacher of your future children.” –For the Strenth of Youth
7 “The acquisition of
knowledge is a lifelong, sacred activity, pleasing to our Father in heaven and
favored by his servants.” –Ensign, Apr. 2009
8 “Can we see how
critical self-reliance becomes when looked upon as the prerequisite to service,
when we also know service is what Godhood is all about? Without self-reliance
one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is
nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to
assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding
cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the
unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the
spiritually weak. –Marion G Romney
9 “Whenever we get
into a situation which threatens our self-reliance, we will find our freedom threatened
as well. If we increase our dependence, we will find an immediate decrease in
our freedom to act. –Marion G Romney
10 “Those who won our independence...
valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret
of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.” Louis D. Brandeis
