--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if we are aiming to be genuinely…" description: "\"“if we are aiming to be genuinely self-reliant, we must learn to embrace uncertainty and anxiety. If we fail, there will be nothing to break our fall—n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/susan-wittig-albert-23595_doubt_if-we-are-aiming-to-be-genuinely-self-re_366990.jpg" --- # if we are aiming to be genuinely self-reliant, we must… ![“if we are aiming to be genuinely self-reliant, we must learn to embrace uncertainty and anxiety. If we fail, there will be nothing to break our fall—nothing but whatever cushion we have managed to create for ourselves.” quote by Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/susan-wittig-albert-23595_doubt_if-we-are-aiming-to-be-genuinely-self-re_366990.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/susan-wittig-albert-23595_doubt_if-we-are-aiming-to-be-genuinely-self-re_366990.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/susan-wittig-albert-23595_doubt_if-we-are-aiming-to-be-genuinely-self-re_366990.jpg) > ““if we are aiming to be genuinely self-reliant, we must learn to embrace uncertainty and anxiety. If we fail, there will be nothing to break our fall—nothing but whatever cushion we have managed to create for ourselves.”” [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑reliance requires accepting uncertainty and anxiety, building personal cushions to soften potential failures. **In simple terms:** Being self‑reliant means embracing uncertainty and creating safety nets. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty, build resilience. Themes self‑reliance uncertainty anxiety resilience personal growth Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - starting a business - personal finance - career change - creative projects Key Concepts psychology philosophy risk management Questions to Reflect On - What personal safety nets can you create? - When is it wise to seek external support? 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Embrace the uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-hale/trust-the-wait-embrace-the-uncertainty-enjoy-the-beauty-of-becoming/) [Mandy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-hale/) > [“Be okay about the things you do not understand. In fact, embrace the uncertainty, but do not allow it to bring you down. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-c-adams/be-okay-about-the-things-you-do-not-understand-in-fact-embrace-the/) Mike C. Adams > [Most happy is he, who is entirely self-reliant, and who centres all his requirements in himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/most-happy-is-he-who-is-entirely-self-reliant-and-who-centres-all-his/) Senoraroy ## More by Susan Wittig Albert > [The healing that can grow out of the simple act of telling our stories is often quite remarkable. Even more remarkably, this healing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/the-healing-that-can-grow-out-of-the-simple-act-of-telling-our/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [“So the badger poked up the fire, poured himself another cup of tea, and went back to the History to read the curious story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/so-the-badger-poked-up-the-fire-poured-himself-another-cup-of-tea-and/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [“Grown up at last and required to live all day long in the real world, it now seemed to Beatrix that imaginary fairies were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/grown-up-at-last-and-required-to-live-all-day-long-in-the-real-world/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [“Maude regards the ones who don't make it as her own personal failures. 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And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/i-am-often-surprised-when-i-think-to-count-my-graces-for-the-more-i/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [Music keeps time and defies time, simultaneously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/music-keeps-time-and-defies-time-simultaneously/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [The healing that can grow out of the simple act of telling our stories is often quite remarkable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/the-healing-that-can-grow-out-of-the-simple-act-of-telling-our-2/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [“And Miss Potter? Well, having believed in fairies when she was a child and continuing to believe in the creative power of the imagination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/and-miss-potter-well-having-believed-in-fairies-when-she-was-a-child/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) > [“every American is governed only by the principle of personal responsibility and that his or her most important freedom is the absolute freedom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wittig-albert/every-american-is-governed-only-by-the-principle-of-personal/) [Susan Wittig Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) [Explore all 25 Susan Wittig Albert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wittig-albert/) ## More Doubt quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [“Where there is doubt (shanka), there is misery. The moment one begins to doubt the knowledge that, 'I am Chandubhai,' misery arises. Once one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/where-there-is-doubt-shanka-there-is-misery-the-moment-one-begins-to/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [There is no doubt in my mind and I know in my time, there will be a Canadian basketball player playing for Toronto Raptors, 100%](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/there-is-no-doubt-in-my-mind-and-i-know-in-my-time-there-will-be-a/) [Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Vision motivates, sustains and dispels doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-young/vision-motivates-sustains-and-dispels-doubt/) [Thomas Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-young/) > [One may not doubt that, somehow Good Shall come of Water and of Mud; And sure, the reverent eye must see A purpose in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-brooke/one-may-not-doubt-that-somehow-good-shall-come-of-water-and-of-mud/) [Rupert Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-brooke/) > [Let smiles overshadow sadness. Let faith make you believe. Let confidence wash away doubts. 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