Learn how resilient, resourceful living goes beyond self-reliance to bring peace, steadiness, and strength in everyday life. Not quite the same as self-reliance or self-sufficiency - here's how to start a life of quiet strength and resilience.
How resilience and resourcefulness go beyond self-reliance and self-sufficiency
I’ve moved more than thirty times in my fifty years of marriage.
I stopped counting after thirty.
Every move meant leaving behind gardens, friends, and familiar routines. Each time we had to start over: new apartment or rented house, new town, new soil beneath my feet. And all I wanted was to put down roots.
I knew what I was in for when I married a military man - but I didn’t realize it meant moving so often! From one coast to the other and back again, and overseas a few times too…
Sometimes I had room for a garden. Other times, all I could manage was a single tomato plant in a pot, or a pot of chives on the balcony. But even then, that one plant became my anchor, my way of creating stability and belonging in the middle of change - my “roots.”
Over the years, I faced more than just multiple moves. There was the barn fire that destroyed so much in a single afternoon, and the loss of our goats. Ice storms that left us without power for days. The tornado that reminded us how fragile life and property can be.
Through it all, I learned something important: making a simple, joyful life is up to me. No one else can do it for me. And it isn’t about where you live or how much land you have - if any - it’s about how you choose to live. It’s about your attitude.
That’s the heart of what I call resilient, resourceful living.
subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly newsletter and get my ebook "How to Make Vinegar at Home for Pennies" for free.
Defining resilient, resourceful living
When people hear words like self-sufficiency or self-reliance, they often picture an all-or-nothing lifestyle.
Self-sufficiency sounds like you’re expected to raise every bite of food, weave your own fabric for clothing, and never need a grocery store again. For most of us, that isn’t realistic. And honestly, I think it would be overwhelming.
The term self-reliance feels a little closer to how I want to live, but it still suggests going it alone. It carries the weight of independence without acknowledging that life is unpredictable, and sometimes we need each other.
In some of my articles I’ve defined self-reliant as not needing anyone’s input, that in case of an emergency you can take care of yourself and your family without depending on the kindness of others. But the term self-reliant still isn’t quite what I mean.
Resilient, resourceful living is different.
It isn’t about doing everything yourself or cutting yourself off from the world. It’s about learning how to bend instead of break, and how to make do with what you already have.
It’s about building a mindset that says: I may not have everything, but I have enough, and I know how to use it well.
It’s the quiet confidence that comes from knowing how to do things, like cooking from scratch, mending a seam, starting a garden, or using what you have on hand. These “old ways” aren’t outdated; they’re the foundation of resilience.
And it’s the peace that comes when you know that even if life changes suddenly, you have the skills, knowledge, and habits to carry you through.
The pillars of resilient, resourceful living
So what does resilient, resourceful living look like in daily life?
For me, it comes down to four simple pillars:
Grow and Preserve → Whether it’s a full backyard garden or a single herb in a pot, growing something of your own teaches you how to adapt and provide. And learning to preserve what you grow - by freezing, canning, dehydrating or other methods - means that one good harvest can carry you through leaner seasons.
Prepare and Protect → Life is full of “what-ifs.” Resilient, resourceful living means keeping your important documents and information in order, knowing where your utility shut-off valves are, and being ready for emergencies both big and small. Being prepared doesn’t remove the storm, but it keeps you steady when the storm hits.
My dad always taught us kids to look ahead, to think about what could happen and make changes before those “what if’s” occurred. In our house, nothing was ever left sitting on the stairs, because we might have to go up or down in a hurry. He told us to “look before you leap,” so we’d know where we were going to land. We learned to think through possible consequences and outcomes.
For instance, before you let the goats out in a new field, you walk the field to look for issues and to check the fencing. Before winter, you check your chicken coop for weak spots that predators might be able to breach. You watch the weather forecast for frost warnings so you can cover your frost-tender garden plants.
 |
| Walking the fenceline with my dog before we let the goats into the field. |
That’s the heart of preparation. It isn’t living in fear of what might happen - it’s being ready so that, when it does happen, you can move quickly and calmly.
Live Resourcefully → This is the heart of it all: using what you have, making wise choices with your money, and finding creative solutions.
Sometimes that looks like mending instead of tossing, making mixed fruit jelly with the last peach and a half cup of blackberries and an apple or two, fashioning a bean trellis with some old fencing, composting kitchen waste, or finding a new use for something that might otherwise go in the trash.
It’s also about simply knowing things, the kind of basic skills that used to be passed down through families but are rare today.
Care and Stewardship → Resilience isn’t only about yourself. It’s about caring for your family, your pets, your neighbors and community, and the home you’ve been entrusted with. Stewardship creates a ripple effect of stability and kindness that goes far beyond our own homes.
These pillars aren’t a checklist or a rigid formula. They might look different for each of us. They’re a way of thinking: a mindset that can shape the way you live, no matter where you are or what stage of life you’re in.
Because in the end, resilient, resourceful living isn’t about perfection. It’s about building a life that bends but doesn’t break. It’s knowing that you’ll get through this: this next move, the next goodbye, the next “storm.”
You were created for such a time as this
Sometimes I’ve joked that I was born in the wrong era. But the older I get, the more I realize I’m exactly where I was meant to be.
All those moves, storms, and unexpected twists and turns gave me the chance to learn and to use old-fashioned skills and mindsets that aren’t common anymore.
And now I see the bigger picture: I was meant to keep those ways alive, and to pass them on to you, to help you prepare for your own future.
That’s what resilient, resourceful living is about: learning from the past so we can live with strength and steadiness in the present, and leave something lasting for the future.
subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly-ish newsletter and get my ebook "How to Make Vinegar at Home for Pennies" for free.
Why resilient, resourceful living matters
When most people think of “resilience,” they picture the big stuff: natural disasters, emergencies, or life-changing events. And yes, those moments matter. But resilience shows up in the everyday, too.
- It’s when the refrigerator dies and you find a way to save the food without losing your cool.
- An unexpected job loss or a cancer diagnosis shakes your world, but resilience helps you take the next step.
- The power goes out on a winter night, and you know how to keep everyone warm and safe until it comes back on.
- You ran out of an ingredient for tonight’s dinner recipe, but you know how to substitute or make it from scratch.
- A storm cancels your plans, and instead of frustration, you use the time for something meaningful at home.
You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. And you do it without becoming frustrated or bitter.
We have two choices: we can keep going, or we can quit. And we, my friend, are not quitters!
We persevere, we adapt, and we emerge on the other side, stronger and wiser, but also more resilient and more understanding.
Resilient, resourceful living doesn’t erase the hard things. It simply means you’re less shaken when they happen, and that you can cope and get through them.
The truth is, life will always bring surprises. Some are small inconveniences, and some knock the breath right out of you. But when you’ve built resilience into your daily rhythms and habits - through practice, resourcefulness, and mindset - you don’t have to live in fear of the “what-ifs.”
Instead, you can move through them with quiet strength, knowing: We’ll make it through this too.
Start Small, Live Steady
The good news is, you don’t have to overhaul your whole life to begin living more resiliently. In fact, the most lasting changes come from small, steady steps.
Here are a few simple places to start this week:
- Print one important phone list. Keep it by the fridge or in a drawer so everyone in the house knows who to call when something breaks.
- Grow something small. A pot of basil on the windowsill, a tomato on the porch, or even a houseplant can help you put down roots and feel at home.
- Try one resourceful swap. Mend instead of toss, use a creative solution instead of buying something new, or challenge yourself to use up what you already have in the pantry.
Resilient, resourceful living isn’t about being perfect or preparing for every possible scenario. It’s about cultivating a mindset and a lifestyle that give you peace, strength, and confidence - even when life takes an unexpected turn.
And remember: every step you take today is a gift to your future self.
Stepping into resilient, resourceful living
I’ve learned resilience and resourcefulness through moves and storms, through fires and frustrations, and through the quiet, ordinary days in between. And now I want to pass the knowledge on to you.
At the end of the day, resilient, resourceful living isn’t about doing it all or doing it perfectly. It’s about creating steadiness when life feels uncertain, and giving your future self the gift of peace of mind.
Your safe harbor in the storms of life
If you’d like a simple way to start, the SafeHarbor Emergency Binder System is one of the tools I’ve created to help.
This simple system walks you step by step through organizing the vital details of your household, so when life throws a curveball, you’re not left scrambling.
Learn more about the SafeHarbor Binder in this article - or start your own emergency binder here.
subscribe to The Acorn, Oak Hill Homestead's weekly-ish newsletter and get my ebook "How to Make Vinegar at Home for Pennies" for free.
Kathi Rodgers is the gardener and writer behind Oak Hill Homestead (est. 2006) and the host of HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast. With over 30 years of gardening experience in a variety of climates and soils, she helps new and aspiring gardeners grow healthy, organic food right in their own backyards.
A passionate advocate for simple, self-reliant living, Kathi is the author of multiple ebooks, a published magazine contributor, and shares practical advice with readers who want real-life solutions they can trust.
Kathi lives in Oklahoma, where she grows more cherry tomatoes than she can count and keeps a watchful eye on tornado season. A proud grandma and great-grandma, she believes that wisdom - like a bountiful garden harvest - should be shared.
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Subscribe
