Be Resourceful
Work With What You Have
It's not about the resources you have. It's about how resourceful you are with what you have. - Tony Robbins
When I was a young child in the early sixties, I believed there was no such thing as new gift-wrapping paper or ribbon. I understood wrapping paper was a precious resource in constant circulation. When you received a gift, you opened it carefully so as not to tear the paper. Then you stored it in the gift paper drawer until you needed it to wrap a gift for someone else. To this day I can’t bring myself to tear open a wrapped present. If you’ve ever received a gift from me, you probably are the recipient of recycled gift paper!
This was common practice in those days as the country struggled to recover from the loss and devastation of World War II. Post-war Britain was an austere place. My dairy farming family was resourceful, hardworking and prudent, conserving resources and money. The Sunday roast became cold cuts on Monday, Shepherd’s pie on Tuesday and soup on Wednesday. My mother darned socks, my father grew vegetables, and we discarded the occasional things we knew we would never need. There was no hoarding for hoarding's sake. Everything was reused, adapted for future use or given away.
Human evolution can be seen as an epic tale of mankind's ability to be endlessly resourceful in the face of adversity. We’ve always had to figure out clever ways to deal with whatever life presents. That’s how we’ve managed to proliferate as a species - by solving problems with whatever we’ve got.
Today, as previously written*, we live in a time when resilience is crucial and being resourceful plays a vital role in our collective well-being. The past few decades have been characterized by one crisis after another: climate change, the pandemic, the gig economy, AI, a volatile and increasingly unpredictable political and economic environment. The status quo is being challenged. There is no room for coasting, for "business as usual."
The truth is, just having things—money, tools, whatever—isn’t enough anymore. Like Tony Robbins says, “It’s not about the resources you have. It’s about how resourceful you are with what you have.” The most resourceful people I know don’t wait around for everything to be perfect. They get on with it, making the most of whatever’s in front of them.
Ironically, not having much can make you more creatively resourceful. I experienced this when I helped produce a play with RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts) at the Woodbourne high-security prison up in the Catskills. Our play was set in a holding cell (in other words, it was a play about prison, set in a prison). Our set designer, who was one of the inmates, drew up detailed plans and put together a list of materials he needed. However, as the performance drew closer, the authorities denied access to the wood or materials he’d requested.
We were almost out of time and it looked like the whole thing might fall apart. But instead of giving up, the set designer took the leadership role and said, “We work with what we have.” And that’s precisely what we did. With nothing but a pad of paper, some sticky tape and a Sharpie, he created a backdrop that worked perfectly. He completed everything in under two hours, just in time for the show.
Being resourceful depends on your mindset and, where possible, taking care of your physical health. It’s about being resilient, disciplined, learning new skills, gaining knowledge and thinking critically. Recognizing that you are resourceful, with effective problem-solving skills, the ability to improve situations and the capacity to seize opportunities, will bring you greater inner peace and enhance your resilience. People will naturally be drawn to you.
Even if you feel like you have nothing, you can still choose to be resourceful. Don’t wait for everything to line up perfectly, because it probably never will. Just start. Use what you have. Don’t delay or make excuses. Embrace the unknown, stay open, take action, be organized yet flexible, work with people who have different skills and share your knowledge.
The more resourceful you are, the more confident and creative you’ll become. You’ll get better at adapting, solving problems, and helping others out - all the while caring for precious resources and nurturing those around you. Being resourceful will help you make our world a better place for everyone in the days ahead.
