paddle your own canoe
US /ˈpæd.əl jʊər oʊn kəˈnuː/
UK /ˈpæd.əl jʊər oʊn kəˈnuː/
1.
to be independent and self-reliant; to manage one's own affairs without help from others
:
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After college, she decided to paddle her own canoe and start her own business.
•
His parents always encouraged him to paddle his own canoe.