Resilience needed to overcome hard times

If you look at the meaning, it is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

The word 'culture' is also bandied about a lot - its general meaning is a way of life, and customs for a particular group of people.

I was recently on a trip with Operation Flinders as a field volunteer in the Northern Flinders Ranges. In my view, this organisation personifies both resilience and culture.

Operation Flinders gives a new direction to at-risk youth, via its flagship program that entails an outback adventure program at Yankaninna Station.

It was very cold, wet and windy, and the terrain was rough, so resilience was a prerequisite for this trip. We hiked for eight days, and covered about 100 kilometres in this time, carrying backpacks, food for during the day, and our bedding. It was very physically and emotionally challenging for all involved.

We were in the Flinders the same time that snow fell at Wilpena Pound. While it didn't snow where we were, it must have come close. We slept pretty much out in the open, and our bedding comprised a piece of canvas as a groundsheet, a 15-millimetre piece of rubber as a mattress, and a sleeping bag. We also had an army "hoochie", which is a waterproof piece of thin plastic that is strung between two trees. The hoochie keeps the rain off, but doesn't keep the wind out.

I must admit that on a few occasions when it was bitterly cold, I wished I was in the comfort of my own bed. But then I thought about all the people who sleep out in the elements most nights. My discomfort was a minor inconvenience in the overall scheme of things.

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We had one participant sit down on day two and refuse to walk. After realising there was no alternative, and with some encouragement from the group, he kept walking, albeit slowly for a while. He completed the 100km, as did everyone else. This was a big achievement for the participants, as some of them have had little encouragement in their lives, and this showed them that if they only keep going, they will make it.

The culture of Operation Flinders staff and volunteers is also fantastic. There are some impressive high achievers that are involved. Some of the staff and volunteers are at the top of their chosen professions and have done some amazing things, although you wouldn't know it by talking to them.

Everyone is there for the same reason - to make a difference to young people's lives. The culture of the organisation would naturally weed out people that weren't involved for the right reasons.

In a farming context, resilience and culture are just as important as they are for an organisation like Operation Flinders. Some days - or even years - won't be that much fun. The agribusiness owners that can push on through the hard times will be the ones that will ultimately succeed.

Like everything in life, if you have a plan and keep moving forward, you'll more than likely achieve your goal.