One of the greatest dividends of self-reliance is that of personal freedom. Liberating oneself from the controlling yoke of 9 to 5 employment can be both frightening and exhilarating.
Tasting that sort of freedom was almost intoxicating for me, in the beginning, but I soon grew accustomed to being my own boss. It's a fundamental state of independence that, if achieved, enhances every other area of a person's life.
But I could not do it without the support of my wife.