When you face a hard decision, the people you let in matter as much as the counsel they give — but in the end, the deciding is yours, and it cannot be handed to anyone else. On who is worth counseling with, who isn’t, the ways we give our decisions away, and the one thing even the best counsel can never do for you.
Most of us spend time on Mount Stupidity before the descent begins. The view is wonderful, the confidence is complete — and the fall, when it comes, is steeper than we ever imagined. Here is what we saw from the top, and what it cost us.
Self-reliance is not about distrust, or selfishness, or preparing for the worst. It is one of the most loving things you can develop — for yourself, for the people who depend on you, and for any relationship you hope to build.