We’ve long been taught to equate success with money. Society measures wealth by bank balances and possessions, suggesting that financial security equates to resilience. But what happens when the shelves are empty? When supply chains falter, when money can’t conjure food out of thin air, what then? In such moments, it becomes clear that true wealth lies not in currency, but in skills—specifically, the ability to sustain ourselves.
Modern life has distanced most of us from the origins of our food. We rely on supermarkets, restaurants, and delivery services to fill our plates, often oblivious to how fragile these systems are. A disruption—be it from climate events, economic instability, or geopolitical conflict—can turn abundance into scarcity overnight. And no amount of money can solve a problem if the resources simply aren’t there.
In contrast, those who possess the skills to grow, hunt, and forage for their own food embody a different kind of wealth. A garden bursting with vegetables, a pantry stocked with preserved harvests, or the knowledge of where to find wild edibles in your local area—these are assets that don’t depreciate with market crashes. They’re investments in resilience and independence.
The shift from viewing money as the ultimate goal to valuing self-sufficiency requires a fundamental change in mindset. It means redefining success as the ability to provide for yourself and your community, regardless of external circumstances. It’s about building skillsets that ensure survival and, more importantly, a meaningful connection to the land and resources that sustain us.
Of course, this kind of wealth doesn’t come without effort. Learning to grow food takes time, experimentation, and patience. Hunting and fishing require knowledge and respect for the ecosystems involved. Foraging demands careful study to distinguish between what nourishes and what harms. Yet these skills are inherently rewarding, offering not just sustenance but also a deeper appreciation for the cycles of nature.
Potential barriers exist, including lack of space, knowledge, or confidence. But even small steps—starting a container garden, joining a local community garden, or attending a foraging workshop—can begin the journey toward self-sufficiency.
In the end, when the shelves are empty, it’s not money that will matter. It’s the ability to transform seeds into food, to find nourishment in the wild, and to thrive within nature’s limits. True wealth lies in knowing how to provide for yourself and others, regardless of what’s happening in the outside world. In this way, success becomes resilience, and resilience becomes freedom.