It’s not the lack of resources, it’s your lack of resourcefulness that stops you.

It’s not the lack of resources, it’s your lack of resourcefulness that stops you. – Tony Robbins and here

When trees started getting harder to come by, many trains switched to coal. This is just one example of how resourcefulness can beat a lack of resources. This is a coal powered passenger train engine from the late 1800’s, from my home town of Chicago.

What does that mean?
This quote is a shout-out to all the self-made people of the world. Not everyone starts life with money, privilege, or connections. Some people make their fortunes by finding a need and filling it.

For some, their fortune is cold hard cash. For others it’s helping others and making a nice living. But no matter how you measure your success, you will never be there if you are busy making excuses. The Steves (Jobs and Wozniak, of Apple) started with little more than resourcefulness and a dream.

Yes, it’s far easier to throw out excuses and live a mediocre life. But I think that with a little resourcefulness and a dream to drive you forward, anyone can make something wonderful happen. You might not make as much money as Steve did, or even become as famous, but that’s not the only measure of success, is it?

Why is a lack of resources important?  
Lack of resources is what drives technology forward. At one point in history, we were afraid we would run out of trees. That impending lack of resource lead to coal becoming an economically feasible replacement for trees. Now we have plenty of trees.

Then, when we thought we were going to run out of coal, the internal combustion engine and oil came forward as an alternative. That also left us with plenty of coal for other uses, and we kept finding more and more coal as mining technology progressed.

At one point in ancient history, a war disrupted the copper trade routes. This lack of resource was the inspiration for change, and the smelting, casting, and forging of iron became the norm. A lack of resources, and the resourcefulness of the metal workers, moved us from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

Through out history one can find examples of people, cultures, and societal changes that occurred because their resourcefulness overcame a lack of resources. To say the opposite is driving your life is to trade your potential for a handful of excuses. Not a good trade, in my humble opinion.

Where can I apply this in my life?
We all have one. An excuse, that is. Something we’re going to get around to doing, if only we had the resources. It might be a lack of time, money, knowledge, or manpower. Or it might be something else entirely. But the point is we all have something we’d love to do “if only I had…”

For many of us, it’s more of a nice idea, or an idle thought than a dream for our future. But still, we need to be honest with ourselves and recognize an excuse when we see one. That’s the main reason why we examine our lives from time to time, right?

Are there any thoughts that really interest you, something you think could really be useful, helpful, enriching, or wealth generating for you or for others? Grab some paper and write a few of your more interesting thoughts down, along with your ‘lack of resources’ excuses. Also write down a few ideas that motivate you and your excuses for them as well.

For me, I’ve never had enough time. Until I chose to make time for this blog. It takes me between an hour and a half and three hours each and every day, depending on how long it takes me to select a quote, and find a picture (the two things that eat the most time).

I now know better than to use lack of time as an excuse. The truth is we have enough time to do the things that must get done. The problem is what we decide must be done. Must we watch every single sports game that the TV provides for our amusement, or can we skip a game and get something done?

Some people don’t have enough money. If you want to become a real estate magnate, and you don’t have any money, it might take some time to save up enough to get started. Or perhaps you could find some way to make some extra cash to get you there sooner. A second job, or more hours at your present job are just two ideas.

The two biggest things to remember is to prioritize whatever resource you are low on, and to be creative about how you get more. Please note that robbing banks is not creative, it’s criminal. Just wanted to make sure we stayed within certain limits. But besides the legal limits, go crazy and see what you can come up with to help you get what you need.

That creativity extends to finding alternatives. Just like coal was a substitute for wood, and then the internal combustion engine for steam power, what could you do to use something you can get more easily? This is where the resourcefulness can help you overcome your lack of resources.

And don’t ever forget your friends and the resources they represent. The library and the internet are also great ways to find additional help, ideas, and resources. Who knows, you might be the resource someone else needs to get their dream off the ground.

From: Twitter, @tonyrobbins
confirmed at : https://twitter.com/tonyrobbins/statuses/233754575537061889
Photo by cta web

About philosiblog

I am a thinker, who is spending some time examining those short twitter quotes in greater detail on my blog.
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4 Responses to It’s not the lack of resources, it’s your lack of resourcefulness that stops you.

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  3. Chelle says:

    I really love this Tony Robbins quote. I used to think that I needed money, more time, more [insert whatever excuse here] to really make any difference in my life, but I’ve since learned to appreciate more of what I have and see opportunities in things that already exist in my life. Great post!

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