Worthwhile Wednesdays

Welcome to our first Worthwhile Wednesday! 

This new series will require your participation–we want to hear from you about how you are embracing the theme of Less. But Better. So read on to learn what Worthwhile Wednesdays are all about!

Open up a dictionary, or in most instances these days, a dictionary app, and you will find worthwhile defined as- “such as to repay one’s time, attention, interest, work, trouble, etc”. The list of synonyms offers words like beneficial, good, advantageous, valuable, worthy. As we seek to do “Less. But Better” this year we must first define what is “better”; or, what is “worthwhile”? This will look different for everyone. However, as a community, SLOCA has already defined that our “better” is that which forges character, fosters wisdom and nurtures a lifelong passion for learning.

Worthwhile Wednesdays will be a celebration of our efforts to seek out and protect what is worthwhile, to promote those moments, choices, and plans made to deliberately say “yes” to what is good, true and beautiful. And to commend those moments, choices and plans made to bravely say “no” to something that is not essential, albeit good.  

“The way of the Essentialist means living by design, not by default. Instead of making choices reactively, the Essentialist deliberately distinguishes the vital few from the trivial many, eliminates the nonessentials, and then removes obstacles so the essential things have clear, smooth passage.” Greg McKeown

As an example, here is a moment when we (the Cumberlands) made a choice to say “yes” to something that we have deemed worthwhile.

At the beginning of the summer, our next-door neighbor inquired if our 10-year-old son, Ian, would be interested in mowing their lawn each week. My natural inclination these days is to say “no” to everything. The theme of “Less. But Better” resonates with me as I strive to protect our lives from being overscheduled.  My reasons for saying “no” this time were mostly selfish; I assumed that if we agreed to this arrangement that the burden of responsibility would fall on me. I envisioned myself weekly reminding Ian to mow the lawn, helping him lug the lawnmower to their house, and pestering him to wear eye protection, etc. However, after I presented the idea to my husband and we discussed it thoroughly with Ian, I soon concluded that this was actually going to be a very good thing for Ian, even if it did require some added effort on my part.

Ian has been mowing our neighbor’s lawn all summer and the positive outcomes of this one decision have been both obvious and abundant. I have seen my 10-year-old grow in responsibility and maturity. He pushes our mower next door each week, makes sure their dog is safely penned up and that he is not going to mow over a tennis ball (or something worse). Courageously, my shy son goes next door and schedules with the neighbors when he will mow or informs them if we are going to be out of town. 

And to my surprise and relief, I am not involved. This choice did not mean responsibility for me, but immense character growth for my son. 

With his new income, I have seen him develop stewardship as he wrestles with what to save and what to spend. His sister has been a direct recipient of his generosity as he chose to purchase a toy for her when buying himself one. His self-confidence has tripled as he recognizes that he is capable, independent, and competent. Each month when our neighbors come over to pay him, they give him a check for a little more than the agreed-upon amount. They then take the time to tell him specifically what this “tip” is for. They praise his responsibility and diligence and my mama-heart overflows with joy as I witness my son’s character being acknowledged and encouraged.  

Less. But Better does not mean having to say “no” to everything. It means saying “yes” to what is essential. 

“The life of an Essentialist is a life lived without regret.  If you have correctly identified what really matters, if you invest your time and energy in it, then it is difficult to regret the choices you make.  You become proud of the life you have chosen to live.” Greg McKeown

Let us encourage and support each other as we embrace what is worthwhile. How do you incorporate “Less. But Better” into your life? Share with us, we want to know! Email your Worthwhile Wednesday stories to Down Home.