Be an Independent Person

The world is a cruel place. You make friends and lose friends, but in the end, the one person you always have to depend on is yourself. Read on to learn how to embrace your independence.

Steps

 * 1)  Accept the world. Independent people are not vain, nor do they believe the entire human race is cruel. Independent people are those who see the world, with its good and its bad, and consciously choose to be strong for themselves and others. You are not independent because you do not trust anyone. You are not independent because you think highly of yourself. Master this technique. Learn to accept the world, and decide to be strong.
 * 2)  Accept yourself. You cannot build a strong, independent you if you can't live with yourself. Accept your body, your personality, your opinions, your choices, your preferences, and your life story. Do not say things against yourself. Everyone can be strong enough. Everyone has put up with something, proving their strength. Put behind you your mistakes and learn from them. Make an effort to be a better you.
 * 3)  Be your own hero. Something people do too often is create a rolemodel for themselves. This is something I myself have sworn off of, and I want you to do the same. Do not look up to anyone. Be your own rolemodel. Aim to be yourself, and be the best you you can be. If you can't look up to yourself, you can't be independent.
 * 4)  Be there. You don't have to throw away your friends to be independent. In fact, your independence is reinforced with good friends. When your friend needs someone to talk to, be there for them. Be trustworthy. Do not gossip or tell anyone about your friends secrets or personal matters. Even if they didn't say anything about it. Be a strong person for your friends and loved ones. It not only shows you're selfless, but pretty soon you'll learn how to deal with any situation that comes your way because of your friends' experiences.
 * 5)  Don't settle. For anything. Not comfort, ease, or to "be nice". Work hard at everything you do. Defend your opinions. And, for you girls, don't let a man feel he has to pamper you. If you're capable of doing something good, do it. So long as it doesn't have a bad affect, you should do it. That doesn't mean do absolutely everything, but you shouldn't feel it's neccessary for people to do things for you that you could do for yourself. Work your best and hardest to leave people saying "That person doesn't rely on anyone to do things for them. What a strong, independent person.".
 * 6)  Do things for you. You shouldn't compremise for someone else. If you're independent, you have your own independent way of thinking, and you will do things as you see them fit to be done. Being independent also means you're a leader, not a follower. When someone expresses their hatred of something, don't be afraid to express your interest in that something. No need to be rude, but debates are a healthy conversation topic.
 * 7)  Learn to feel. Remember to express your emotions when you can. If you are happy, show that you are happy! If you are angry, express that. Cry often when you are alone, as crying lightens the load. Think of anything that has happened that has made you sad and let it out. Unburden yourself. If you feel so inclined, write a secret blog (one which no one can see due to passwords and such) where you can vent your feelings. Secret blogs are easier to hide from the public. If you find it too hard to talk to no one about what is going on, you can always talk to a best friend. No one is 100% independent. Don't talk to everyone you know, though. That's being interdependent.
 * 8)  Take things lightly. Rome wasn't built in a day, and no one is completely independent. This isn't a hard-and-fast guide that you must stick to. If you don't want to do something, don't do it. This is here to tell you how to be independent, if you want to be, and is in no way here to say "Be independent and only independent. Wouldn't want to get close to anyone. Follow this as strictly as a manual on how to be a billionaire.". Good luck on your road to being independent. :]