“Most people live, whether physically, intellectually or morally, in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make use of a very small portion of their possible consciousness, and of their soul’s resources in general, much like a man who, out of his whole bodily organism, should get into the habit of using and moving only his little finger. Great emergencies and crises show us how much greater our vital resources are than we had supposed” (William James).
IT’S A RARE PERSON WHO USES MORE THAN A FEW OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO HIM. Most of us, to our great detriment, overlook many of the advantages we’ve been blessed with — there is far too much untapped potential in our lives.
For today’s discussion, let’s define a “resource” simply as something that can be used to meet our needs or reach our goals. It might be internal (a personality trait, a talent, a skill, etc.) or it might be external (a relationship, a circumstance, an opportunity, etc.). But whether it’s inside or outside, a resource is something that could be used to solve a problem. When we “count our blessings,” we are almost always counting things that could be thought of as resources.
If that’s what “resources” are, then what is “resourcefulness”? That would be the knack of getting the most out of our resources. If we’re resourceful, we’re efficient in the use of our blessings, milking every drop of help out of them in the accomplishment of good works.
Creativity. When we’re frustrated and think we’ve reached a dead end, we need to be more resourceful. That is, we need to be more creative in the search for alternatives. Sometimes the best resources are not immediately obvious. Resourceful people dig deeper.
Determination. Another trait that resourceful people have is a greater commitment to their objectives. They work harder, demonstrating a doggedness that is not easily defeated. Coupled with their creativity, their determination refuses to take no for an answer.
Most of us need a greater vision of our resources. We will rarely, if ever, be in a situation where no resources exist, but sometimes we don’t recognize the resources that do exist. We need to open our eyes and count the blessings that are either ours or could be ours. We need to see how much opportunity there may be, even in seemingly desperate situations. In a word, we need to be more resourceful.
“Enjoy to the full the resources that are within thy reach” (Pythian Odes).
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
