Shawn James - My Self Reliance

Hi, welcome back to the cabin.

I finally wrote my first book.

If you've followed my journey for the last ten years, you know that I've had many ups and downs throughout my life. One of the "ups" was when my first articles were published in several magazines starting in 2016. I was particularly proud of that first article because I had ironically failed English four times in high school and never graduated as a result.

An avid lifetime reader, I always wanted to write a book, so I started one seven or eight years ago. My life changed dramatically during those years and I shelved the idea as I was documenting my life on video instead, which took all of my non-working time.

But I didn't let go of the dream - I kept a detailed journal with updated thoughts and ideas, a growing table of contents, and a list of resource links. That table of contents alone grew to become several pages long, and honestly, it overwhelmed me.

Finally, last winter, I started organizing my thoughts more clearly and wrote a couple of chapters. The book I had in mind was (is) a documentary of the road to my self-reliance - the problems we all face, my own struggles and successes, and finally, the steps, habits, tools, and resources I used to overcome those challenges and achieve the life I always dreamed about.

In the process of writing that book, I realized it was maybe too much information for someone who wants or needs to make a major life change right now. I know that because that person was me not too long ago. I was massively in debt and desperately needed a fresh start - I just wanted a concise roadmap to help motivate and guide me.

So I wrote that book first, and this is it - 52 Weeks to Self-Reliance: One Year of Deliberate Decisions to Take Back Your Time, Money, and Freedom.

You can find the downloadable eBook on my website here: myselfreliance.com/products/52-weeks-to-self-relia…

I'm working on a printed copy, but it will be a while before it's ready - I'm new to this process, so I'm not there yet.

Thank you for the encouragement you've given me over the years. Take care.
- Shawn

3 days ago | [YT] | 639

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

Every spring I catch the first brook trout of the season and pan-fry it in butter over the woodstove. It takes about eight minutes and it's the best meal I've had all year.
I wrote down five recipes like that one. Things I actually cook up here at the cabin using what the land gives in early summer. Brook trout, wild turkey soup, foraged mushrooms on toast, asparagus with a fried egg, strawberry rhubarb compote with maple syrup.
No special equipment. No hard-to-find ingredients. Just cast iron, a fire, and what's in season.
I'm giving it away free. Drop your email at the link and I'll send it straight to you.
myselfreliance.com/pages/five-recipes-from-the-cab…

5 days ago | [YT] | 263

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

I built something.
For the past few months I've been putting together a membership called The Hearthside; a place for the parts of this life that never make it into a YouTube video. Peaceful moments that YouTube doesn't show you because it doesn't please the algorithm. The quiet mornings. The half-finished thoughts by the fire. A monthly letter from the land. Members-only videos, commercial-free. A podcast recorded out here by the fire. And twice a year, something in the mail from the cabin.
It opens tomorrow — July 1st. $12 a month if joined by July 15.
$15/m if you join after July 15th.
If you've ever watched a video from here and thought "I needed that today" — this is for you.
myselfreliance.com/pages/hearthside

Cali's already inside. Pull up a chair. Welcome to the Cabin.
Shawn

1 week ago | [YT] | 528

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

It was an interesting day! I spent the day butchering a bear that tried to break into the cabin last night and a moose attacked Cali when I sat down to tell you about it… she’s fine, it missed her with its front hooves and she ran it off. Crazy dog!

1 month ago | [YT] | 1,285

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

Well, black fly season officially started yesterday! 2-1/2 months of annoyance begins.
What are the bugs like where you live, are they bad all day, just in the evening or not at all?

2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 923

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

Check out this week's long video on My Self Reliance - so much going on!
https://youtu.be/fiHgahbmHR8

2 months ago | [YT] | 673

Shawn James - My Self Reliance

Check out my latest video on My Self Reliance!
Back to my Roots - Log Harvesting for my Next Cabin, Rabbit in Cream Sauce and Cabin Maintenance
https://youtu.be/fKIfHazB5sQ

2 months ago | [YT] | 57