Resourcefulness has nothing to do with access to resources. W e have more resources than ever before. That’s not what makes us resourceful.
Early this morning, I headed to a favorite place just down the street to bring home a couple of lattes for my wife and me.
I think Jefferson or Franklin … or maybe all of our forefathers … was looking down at that moment, shaking their heads in wonder.
I’m pretty sure they looked a little disgusted at our (my?) lack of self-sufficiency.
Would You Work This Hard for a Cup of Coffee?
Our ancestors would have awakened in woolen underwear, stepped onto a cold wooden or dirt floor, and would have gone outside to chop some wood to start a fire in the cook stove or build a campfire with a few nearby rocks.
They would have tossed some coffee grounds into a beat-up metal pot … grounds they may have already used for several days … filled it with water, put it on the fire and boiled it … and at some point, would finally get that first bitter cup of java.
- No coffee house down the road,
- No car to get there,
- Certainly no latte or cappuccino.
In their world. It was eat what you kill.
Literally.
If you ain’t got it, you ain’t gonna get it.
Have we lost our resourcefulness?
In many ways, we’re much less resourceful than our forefathers.
While we may have expanded the definition of community in many positive ways, using our physical and social media “mobility” to create unimagined connections, we’ve also become more dependent on external resources to get through our day.
Maybe it does take a village.
Maybe the extraordinary speed with which we can communicate … mind boggling to our forefathers who sent letters to their European counterparts via a sailing ship … suggests to some that with this abundance of resources at our command, self-sufficiency is no longer important.
Is there a downside to all of this?
We do have access to extraordinary resources across the globe, but does access to those resources actually make us more resourceful?
It’s certainly progress that we don’t have to ride horseback for three days to get to the next town.
But are we more resourceful? I think not.
Resourcefulness is not about access to resources. It’s about your commitment to never say never, to never take no for an answer … to “never give up”.
Resourcefulness is our ability to respond to difficulties, to face challenging situations and instead of giving up, finding another way to get something done.
[pullquote]Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient. ~ Aristotle[/pullquote]
We Need to Stand up for Ourselves
It’s not about starving when you’re in woods without food … it’s about discovering unexpected food sources in the woods that will keep you from starving until you make your way back to civilization.
It’s about not giving up because the answer isn’t obvious. It’s finding another way to get it done, a willingness to climb down the chimney if the doors and windows are locked.
That’s the kind of commitment it takes to be a successful leader.
How I Make $1 Million Per Year from my Wheelchair
If you want to be inspired, make sure you don’t miss my friend Jon Morrow’s video, How I Make $1 Million Per Year from my Wheelchair.
In large part, this is a matter of attitude.
Either your attitude is you will take care of yourself and your family, and do whatever it takes to achieve that … or you’ll take a backseat to someone else’s leadership and expect things to be done for you.
As you finalize your plans for the new year, put yourself front and center. Focus only on what you can control … and exert control over your life so you can steer your ship to victory.
It may take a village … but first, you need to put down your roots
Yes, it may take a village … but even a village isn’t enough if you don’t take ownership of your destiny and apply every ounce of your strength and fortitude to accomplish your goals.
So, step up. Take ownership. Rely on your wits and wisdom to get things done.
If you want to become a More Effective Leader and Build a More Successful Business, no one will do it for you.
Don’t look through the window seeking someone to blame. Look in the mirror.
It’s on you. No one else. You’re the Boss of You!
Question: What is one example of extraordinary resourcefulness you have seen?
How would you answer that? Let me know and we’ll build on that to expand our discussion of these ideas and concepts. If you’re active there, you can connect with me on LinkedIn. You can also find me on our Building a Business page on Facebook or on Twitter.