Here's a reality crash course for you: No one on this earth is going to help you. A dismal, yet liberating thought. How is it liberating to think that you're on your own in the universe? Because once you realize and fully accept that no one is here to cater to your needs, you can throw off the chains that bind you and move toward self-sufficiency.

Do you ask many questions of people? If so that's a good thing. We can never learn enough. But part of learning and growing is hands-on experience. What good are endless questions, if you never turn that information into action? Did you learn something new today? If so, test it out. Never regard someone else's answer as law. Form your opinions based on personal experience.

I'm always surprised to see folks sitting on their laurels saying, "Help me, help me, I can't do it by myself!" Of course you can do it! Life is one big buffet table, and you can fill your plate as many times as you wish.

Think about the most helpless in our world. Take the family dog, for example. That poor mutt is so dependent on others to meet his needs, that he can't even walk himself outside to use the bathroom. Some might say that with humans to feed him and care for him, he's got it made. But does he? What if the dog wants to catch a scent on the breeze and enjoy the warm sunshine, but his keeper has left him alone and locked in the house all day?

Are YOU the family dog? Do you rely on others to orchestrate what happens in your life? You do if you stay in a job that you hate. You do if you remain single and alone because that special someone hasn't yet launched themselves into your lap. You do if you complain about how the country is run, yet you take no action for improvement.

If you need some inspiration, look to the Unstoppable Two-Year old as a model of what you should be doing with your life. A two-year-old child has just learned of his own independence. He has recognized himself as a free entity in the world, and is eager to touch, taste, listen, explore, learn, and take action because he's free to do those things!

Take that mindset, and put it to use in your own life. Take responsibility for your own actions. If you mess up, forgive yourself, move on and right the situation. I repeat: nobody here is going to help you, other than you. So, do yourself the favor of a lifetime and help yourself! The buffet table of life is overflowing with good things. Isn't it time you dug in?

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.