Why Women Should be Selfreliant.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIX, Issue 21, 23 November 1907, Page 47

Why Women Should be Selfreliant.

To be able to meet an emergency in life, no matter what it may be, is a form of self-reliance that every woman should train and develop herself for. It expresses itself in an ability to make quick decisions, and, having done that, acting without doubt and hesitation, straining at every joint to justify the action by bringing it to a successful finish. More than half the women in the world fail not only in important, bat trivial things, because they are afraid. Necessity in some form obliges them to make decision. Of their obligation to do this they have no doubt, but as there is always the possibility of another way

being better than that decided upon, they waver, go ahead half-heartedly, and, in the end, either fail entirely or achieve only partial success, because they lack self-reliance. They are not sure of themselves, either of their ability or wisdom, and neither is strengthened. Doubt, after a positiye step in any positive direction has been taken, is weakening. Nothing is gained, in fact, either in work or in daily domestic routine, without effort. If a woman tries to make a cake, and during the mixing part her mind is qccup-ed with wondering if it would have been better to have used another recipe, the chances are against her turning out as good a cake as it would have been had all her mind been concentrated upon the work in hand, when materials would have been more accurately measured, and strength of conviction would have lent more power to her arm to beat the mixture well.