RAY STENDALL & JIM CATHCART
THE RISE AND FALL
OF SELF-RELIANCE
IN AMERICA
Table of Contents
Introduction and Definition of Self-Reliance
1
Why Now in Today's World and Who is This For?
3
Myths People Believe about Self-Reliance
5
Part 1 of the Blueprint – 5CR Model
7
Part 2 of the Blueprint – 5CR Model
9
The Emotional Payoff and Roadblocks
12
Strategies to Deal with Roadblocks and First Physical Action Step
14
Introduction And Definition Of Self-Reliance
video 1
Click here to watch the video.
“If you spend an hour each day studying your
chosen field, five years down the road you will be
an expert in that field.” Earl Nightingale!
In this video, Jim and I define Self-Reliance and
what it meant when America was founded. The
philosophy of our day is gradually shifting, and as
a result we see a more dependent society as
opposed to a self-reliant one. !
By following the right formulas and developing the
right mindset, you can become a “somebody” in
your chosen field of expertise. Being self-reliant is
all about being the exception to the rule and being
the one who stands out and makes a difference in
the world. !
What does it mean to be self-reliant? It means
that when challenges come, you don’t have to find
somebody else to come and rescue you. You can
tell yourself, “I can handle my own finances, my
own health, my own education; and I can
determine for myself how I want my life to be.”
You can change it from what it has been into what
you want it to be. You can overcome almost
anything, if you decide to do it. The commitment
starts with You. Self-Reliance is the capacity to
rely on oneself for survival and advancement. It is
NOT about finding someone or something to
blame, or accusing other people or your
circumstances. !
Much of the world encourages us to be reliant on
someone or something else. Achievers do not
reach their goals because somebody gives them
a hand up; rather, it is their willingness and
commitment to say, “If it is to be, it is up to me.”!
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It all boils down to not what you have to start with,
but what you choose to do with what you have. !
What did Self-Reliance mean when the
country was founded?!
Much has changed since the U.S. was founded,
and the true meaning of self-reliance is no
exception. In the past, self-reliance meant that
you had to hunt for your food or farm your food.
And not too long ago, it was common practice for
a family to can their food and store it for the day
when they didn’t have enough food resources –
no longer such a common practice.!
Regarding education, very young children had
real jobs to do, where family members depended
on them. They were taught fundamental skills to
take care of themselves and relate to other
people. They learned from an early age what to
eat and what not to eat. They learned how to use
various tools to contribute to the goals of the
family. Reading, writing and mathematics were
taught later on as second priority.
When the country was founded, no housing
development companies existed, where you just
paid someone and moved into your new home.
You built your home from the ground up, and most
often with the help of your neighbors. When you
are self-reliant, other people are more willing to
help you, and that remains true today.!
2
Why Now In Today's World And Who Is This For?
video 2
Click here to watch the video.
In this video, we highlight some issues that are
vastly different from what the world was like when
the country was founded. !
Millions of people are now working for the
government instead of for a private enterprise.
About 100 million people today generate income
through their work and pay taxes through a
system that is supporting 313 million people,
including themselves. The government’s role is to
provide a business friendly environment. An
individual’s role is to grow the business. !
The definition of a bureaucrat is someone who is
committed more to the “process and procedures”
than to the effect they have. Today, the U.S. has
an enormous number of people who work for the
government in positions that previously have
been proven to be “useless” jobs; jobs and
agencies that no longer have a reason to continue
to exist. The government today has grown in
power both politically and economically, and civil
liberties are a shadow of what they once were.
Government enterprises are always less
productive, more wasteful, and more bureaucratic
than private institutions. !
Let’s shift from the government to the state of the
world. The sad truth is that the world is in chaos.
Wars abound, terrorism is expanding, refugees
are encroaching everywhere, including the U.S.,
and business is uncertain. In addition, legislation
is being applied without congressional review, and
because of that, new laws are passed almost
daily and regulation is greater than at any time in
history. Political correctness is taking dominance
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over common sense and markets are in turmoil.
So, if you can’t rely on yourself in a crisis, you
become a victim.!
What does self-reliance mean now? Regarding
food, we are now completely dependent on a
“just-in-time” food system. As oil prices go up and
there is not enough gas to get the trucks to the
grocery store to deliver the goods, you might not
be able to eat for the next couple of days. The
average person does not have more than five
days’ worth of food to sustain them. !
Another example is fuel. Today, only a few people
have reserve gasoline in their tank; instead, they
have only “what’s left in their tank” and are
dependent on their local service stations to have
fuel when they go there. !
Regarding today’s education system, you can go
all the way through grade school, high school and
college and not know basic macroeconomic
principles that affect the quality and standard of
life. Also, important concepts related to selling
and marketing products is not taught, which is
fundamental to any business. !
This video is for people who:!
• Want to Reduce Dependency in America !
• Want the Freedom to pursue their dreams and
make life better !
• Are Truth Seekers and want to become
Problem Solvers!
• Want to Change their thinking so that they can
change their life !
• Want to Learn certain skills that will make
them competent!
• Want to Feel More Confident!
• Want to Feel good while taking actions that
lead to self-reliance!
Let’s look at the role of a manager, which is to
become progressively less necessary. The more
you teach others to become self-reliant, the less
they need that level of You. Once that is achieved,
the more you can progress to something else and
bring in even bigger value.
It is important to understand that the idea of selfreliance is core to who we are as people with the
freedom to pursue our dreams and make life
better for ourselves and our families.!
4
Myths People Believe About Self-Reliance
video 3
Click here to watch the video.
In this video we consider different Myths people
believe about Self-Reliance. !
The first Myth is that today’s world is very
advanced, and because of that, self-reliance is
less needed. Here are some reasons people
believe this is true and why it is NOT true:!
• With voice commands you won’t need to type
with keyboards and you don’t need to know
cursive penmanship.!
‣ If the Internet is brought down for weeks
at a time, then you’ll still have to
communicate and learn what you need to
know. If you can’t print a message, then
you’ll have to write it down. !
‣ If food distribution is interrupted you’ll
have to get food, despite empty store
shelves. !
• With cars you don’t need bikes or the ability to
walk long distances while carrying things.!
‣ Wrong! If gas is rationed or eliminated for
months, then you’re stuck.!
Another myth is that self-reliant people are
isolationists and survivalists. Well, it is actually the
other way around. Isolationists and Survivalists
are Self-Reliant People, and that’s because they
have to be. Self-reliance is not about separating
yourself from the rest of the world that denies the
existence of others. !
• With grocery stores and restaurants you don’t
need to know how to grow food or hunt for it.!
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Another myth is that home schooling is a radical
concept. What is being taught, and even more
importantly not being taught to our youth has a
significant impact on their development. When a
parent decides to be self-reliant and take on the
responsibility of educating their own children, it is
not a radical concept, rather a fundamental
concept. !
Finally, people think that there is still time to
correct it and we are overreacting. The process of
living in the U.S. has become so complex
because of the legal fears that we have multiple
“forms” and “can’t do’s” that have nothing to do
with productivity and getting the right result. We
need to have less “must do” and more of “what
works” in our world.
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Part 1 Of The Blueprint – 5CR Model
video 4
Click here to watch the video.
In this video, you will learn the blueprint that Jim
and I set up to help you get out of the mess we
talked about earlier. We call it the 5CR Model,
designed to make it easy for you to remember. It
basically consists of 5Cs and 1R. Let’s begin with
the first C – Competence. You will learn why
having an important skill base is vital in order to
be self-reliant.!
Competence!
Number one on the list is Skills. You must make
the skills of survival and success a main societal
priority. Without Competence, never mind the rest
of the Cs. !
We must raise our kids to become competent
adults, and one way of achieving that is by
changing how our schools educate our children.
Their goal should be to ultimately produce selfreliant graduates and change our culture to
reward self-reliance above all else. A clear
example of this is “The Good Samaritan.” He had
to have his own act together before he could
assist someone else. !
Other aspects in life and business that need more
focus include money management, problem
solving, critical thinking, communication and
influence, systems design, physical wellness,
math, science, biology and physics. When we
start sharing all of these skills, we acquire the
competence to survive and contribute to others. !
Ask yourself this: “What are the areas in your life
and business where you need to increase your
skill set?” Re-evaluate where you are right now
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and how to narrow the gap to you becoming more
self-reliant and less dependent on others. !
How do you build competence? First, you must
define the skill set needed. Once you have figured
that out, identify who does it well and then create
a learning path. Learn the theory first, then put it
into practice. Remember, it is the application of
the theory that gets you results. !
Confidence!
The next C in the 5CR Model is all about
Confidence and how to build it, but first, you must
develop Competence. Remember: Without
Competence, the other C’s won’t mean as much
as they should. !
Next, improve on your public speaking skills,
where you talk about what you know and the
results you can drive. Why is this important?
When you can stand up and articulate what you
are capable of doing, it builds your self-esteem
and makes you a more confident person. !
A good example is Dale Carnegie, who taught
public speaking at YMCAs. People flocked into
his sessions due to their big, positive impact. But
the main output was the confidence of his
students, not the public speaking. You see, when
you learn to speak effectively with people, there is
a lot more going on than just speaking. You must
believe in what you want to express and choose
words that enable people to understand your
message. It’s not simply about being able to
articulate, but also having the ability to express
your thoughts in ways that affect your listeners in
the appropriate way. !
You must have the competence, the skills of what
to do, and then put that competence into action in
order to gain confidence. Remember, confidence
only comes from “doing.”
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Part 2 Of The Blueprint – 5CR Model
video 5
Click here to watch the video.
Courage!
Courage is not something you do when you are
not afraid. Courage is acting despite being afraid,
because courage doesn’t exist in the absence of
fear. !
How do you obtain courage? It comes from fully
understanding life’s Natural Laws. You must take
rational action in spite of fear. You must look at
the situation and determine if it is something you
want to do or not do. Often, people are
intimidated into not acting, not because they are
not right, but because they didn’t have the
courage to speak up. !
How do you build courage? Courage is built by
doing what you think and feel is the right thing to
do and seeing that the outcome is not as bad as
you imagined it would be. Courage comes from
Competence built into Confidence through
practice. Our mind is so well built that, when we
get into an unknown situation, it fabricates
potential obstacles, which is part of the problem
solving process. What people tend to do is
abandon their intellect and go into the emotional
side only, and that’s where they run into trouble. !
Congruent with Strong Ethics !
The fourth C, Congruent with Strong Ethics,
enables you to formulate how you behave with
yourself and others. Having a strong Ethical Base
helps you to develop this next component of this
Blueprint. !
Important resources you can research are:!
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Aristotle!
Ayn Rand !
Ralph Waldo Emerson !
Napoleon Hill!
Buckminster Fuller !
You must know that what you believe is right and
let that be the foundation of your ethical base, so
that everything you do grows out of that. If you
know what you believe is right and you live your
life accordingly, you can become a more ethical
and congruent person. When you know what you
stand for, you become more self-reliant. It’s
important that you exercise this approach in the
face of hard decisions, as it will enable you to
gauge where you stand in terms of being ethical
and congruent. !
1.
The practice of living consciously – This
pillar rests on the premise that individuals
must seek to be aware of everything that
results from their actions, purposes, values
and goals. !
2.
The practice of self-acceptance – This
pillar is about refusing to be in an adversarial
relationship with oneself. !
3.
The practice of self-responsibility – We’re
responsible when we’re “able to respond” to
life’s challenges as healthy, autonomous
human beings. NOT as victims, blaming this
or that for our challenges or feeling guilt for
not living up to society’s standards. !
4.
The practice of self-assertiveness – To
practice self-assertiveness is to live
authentically, to speak and act from your
innermost convictions and feelings – as a
way of life, as a rule. The essence of this
pillar is to be REAL.!
5.
The practice of living purposefully – To
live purposefully is to use your powers for the
attainment of goals you have selected. !
6.
The practice of personal integrity –
Integrity is the integration of ideals,
convictions, standards, beliefs – and
behavior. When our behavior is congruent
with our professed values, when ideas and
practice match up, we have integrity. !
Impervious to Criticism !
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates!
When you are Impervious to Criticism, you won’t
worry if someone doesn’t agree with you because
you know what you believe. You can say what you
believe in and talk about it without getting angry
or offended. !
If you don’t hold up your belief system to criticism,
then you really don’t know whether or not it is
true. Being impervious to criticism is about being
authentic to “You” and trying to find the truth by
seeking it, by trying to understand the reality and
perceive it correctly. !
How do you build this trait? Being impervious to
criticism comes from strong Self-Esteem. A good
reference to building self-esteem is Nathaniel
Branden’s Six Pillars of Self Esteem, which is
summarized below.!
!
Relationship Intelligence®!
The last component of the 5CR Model is
Relationship Intelligence, and it takes us down the
path of how to take all of these aspects of being a
self-reliant individual and be able to connect and
interact with others in a meaningful way that leads
to harmony. !
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What is a relationship? A relationship is a direct
connection between people in which value is
exchanged. !
To recap, here are the 5Cs and 1R that make up
this important Blueprint to help you become more
self-reliant:!
Relationship Intelligence is looking at
relationships as assets or potential liabilities.
Whom you choose to spend your time with most
determines the nature or quality of your life at that
particular point in time. !
1. Competency!
2. Confidence!
3. Courage!
4. Congruent with Strong Ethics!
5. Impervious to Criticism!
6. Relationship Intelligence!
We can be more reflective and objective in
looking at our relationships more intelligently and
think to ourselves, “Whom do I need more time
with?” What kinds of people are not in my life that
I really need to find? Which people in my life are
affecting me negatively, and how can I reduce the
amount of time I spend with them or change the
nature of my relationship with them? We need to
think intelligently about all of this and come back
to the fundamentals of why relationships exist and
what makes them work. !
We talked about the importance of being a truth
seeker, trying to understand the world around us
so we can make informed and smart decisions
that move us forward, so that we can experience
more of what life has to offer. !
We provide a perspective that goes to the core of
the problem and the solution to make things
better.
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The Emotional Payoff And Roadblocks
video 6
Click here to watch the video.
In this video, you will understand the emotional
payoff from all that has been discussed. You will
discover what is possible for you if you genuinely
take to heart and apply everything we talked
about. You will also learn some specific
Roadblocks that keep you from achieving your
goals.!
It all starts with making an absolute commitment
to do it. With that, the emotional payoff is in
knowing that you can take care of yourself and
your family no matter what challenges life throws
at you. !
You wake up every day excited to face the world
because you have more meaning in your life,
because you know you are making a difference.
Because of that, your life grows and becomes
more abundant. The purpose of life is to really live
it fully and abundantly, to contribute to society
through all your gifts. This is a way that guides
you to a full expression of who you are as a
person as you continue to grow and achieve
greater things in life. !
When you bring abundant positivity to the world,
other people want to be around you and will look
up to you as a role model. The ultimate payoff of
being self-reliant is that no one sees you as
“needy.” Being self-reliant makes the world want
more of YOU. It’s living life more fully and more
openly, and being a magnet for all the good things
this world has to offer. !
!
!
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Roadblocks !
“The reason why most people don’t recognize
opportunity is because it comes dressed in
overalls and looks like hard work.” - Thomas
Edison!
To be successful in life, people sometimes need
to start from the bottom and work hard to achieve
their goals. People tend to look for reasons not to
take that first step because they are afraid of
facing resistance and the judgment of others. It
will be a lonely journey that you must take, but
then again, the payoff is worth it all.!
Let’s recall the Blueprint we discussed earlier, and
keep in mind that this all begins with one step that
is non-negotiable, and that is the absolute
permanent commitment to do it.
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Strategies To Deal With Roadblocks And
First Physical Action Step
video 7
Click here to watch the video.
In this video, you will learn some of the strategies
that will help you deal with the roadblocks
discussed in the previous section: !
1.
Surround yourself with likeminded, selfreliant individuals who are committed and
interested in the success that you will have. !
2.
Increase awareness for the ideas we shared
to make it easier to face resistance.!
3.
Establish little disciplines that build into big
disciplines.!
4.
Get support from books, recordings and
proven mentors who can bring to you that
healthier, bigger, more abundant part of you.
There are millions of resources online that
you can leverage.!
5.
Surround yourself with inputs, shape your
own environment intentionally to give you the
inputs you need.!
6.
Success is MADE:!
•
•
•
•
Mindset !
Affirmation!
Daily habits that lead you in a new path!
Environmental influencers that reinforce
your new point of view!
!
!
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First Physical Action Step!
We have five key points in terms of the Physical
Action Steps you must take to get yourself closer
to your goal – to become more Self-Reliant: !
1.
Declare Your Personal Independence From
Others - You need to write your own
declaration of independence. !
2.
Define Your Personal Constitution (Beliefs,
Character Traits, Values, Morals). !
3.
Establish Your Personal Bill of Rights and
define them in the context of a society you
choose to live in: !
a.
Freedom of Speech - Be confident to
state what is on your mind. !
b.
Freedom of Belief - None of this is
about believing anything that is
antagonistic to other people. !
c.
Right to Bear Arms - You must learn
how to personally defend yourself in
the face of danger. !
d.
Right to Private property - There are
some things in life that are just yours. !
4.
5.
Define The Laws You Will Live by: !
a.
Ethics you hold yourself accountable to!
b.
Rules of daily living !
Implement the 5CR Model starting with your
skill set to build those competencies. !
Our goal is to help motivate, instruct, and inspire
your life and the role you have in it. Objective
reality must be embraced and perceived correctly
so that challenges can be dealt with accordingly.
We hope that this video series has served you
and helps you get closer to your goals.
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Jim Cathcart
In December of 2012 Jim Cathcart was inducted into the Sales &
Marketing Hall of Fame in London, England. This is in addition to his
existing Speaker Hall of Fame listing.
For four years in a row Jim Cathcart has been selected as one of the Top 5
Speakers on Sales & Service in an online survey of over 11,000 people.
With over 36 years of professional speaking around the world, Jim
Cathcart is one of the best known and most award-winning motivational
speakers in the business. He has delivered more than 2,800 presentations
to audiences in every state of the US, most provinces of Canada and
countries from Scotland to Singapore. A business strategist, pyschological
researcher and philosopher at heart, Jim is also a down to earth regular
guy. He has worked in warehouses, driven trucks, sold donuts door to
door, been a bank teller, plays guitar in night clubs and pubs, and has
toured much of the world on a motorcycle.
A TV interviewer said, “Jim Cathcart is what ‘Fonzie’ would have been if
he’d gone to business school.” Jim was an insurance agent for many
years, an Army officer and a bill collector who, while in his twenties, had to
repossess log trucks in the mountains of northern Arkansas. From this
varied background he decided in 1972 to become an authority on the
subject of motivation and through decades of dedication, study and hard
work, he made it happen.
You can learn more through his website: http://cathcart.com
Ray Stendall
!
Ray Stendall is one of America’s leading
authorities on the development of human
potential and personal effectiveness. He
specializes in the Art and Science behind
Full Customer Engagement helping
organizations build, market and sell
amazing products and services that make
difference through empowering employees
to empower and engage end customers.
He is a dynamic and entertaining speaker
with a wonderful ability to inform and
inspire audiences toward peak
performance and higher levels of
achievement. He can be reached through
his website: http://www.raystendall.com
Ray Stendall International, Inc.
14 Corporate Plaza, Suite 120, Newport Beach CA 92660, United States
© 2008-2014 Ray Stendall International, Inc. All rights reserved.
The contents of this report, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form for any purpose without the written permission of Ray Stendall.