Being Independent (part 1)

Independence can be a very personal thing! You have to decide how independent you want to be and what independence means to you. It doesn’t always mean living alone and it’s not just about where you live. Independence includes things like good decision-making and learning about all of the areas in your life where you can take charge!

Independence doesn’t mean you have to be alone and make decisions by yourself. Something that’s really important to know is this:

“We are all INTER-dependent.”

What does that mean? It means no one has to be on their own without any help or support. Our ultimate goal should be interdependence. That means having the drive to tackle our goals alone, but also having the wisdom to ask for helps when we need it.

We all need some support from friends and family to get to where we are going, to reach our goals, and to get a little help when we’ve dug ourselves into a hole! So you can be independent and interdependent at the same time. Hey, a good support is one thing that makes being independent a lot easier.

Knowing it's Important:

Most of us want to be more independent some day. Just about every teen at The Youth hood has talked about moving out on their own and having their own place. But one thing we’ve learned is that making plans early is important so that you have more choices. If you wait until the last minute, you might have to settle for what is available rather than what you want.

Having a safe, comfortable, and convenient place to live makes lots of other things in life easier, like finding a good job, making friends, and getting involved in your community.

Understanding all of the other things that go into living independently is the key.