Thanks! Sandrawg stated something similar, so her post might answer this question too.
I too find that being independent brings a sense of self confidence that I didn't know I had.
When life gets hard(er) how do you get back up on that horse? i.e. when self esteem is depleted? I see people who live through so much and they seem to handle mishaps with grace, courage and determination. I wish that I could be in that mode more often. For me it is a state that I go in and out of, not a permanent state of being. I too am interested in what others write.