Lifeโs Purpose. Donโt Be Deceived. More Knowledge Wonโt Help If You Arenโt Doing This
As a mother and a homeschooler, it became clear that my job wasnโt to fill their minds with knowledge but to equip them for their lifeโs purpose.
Knowledge alone doesnโt empower
I used to think that if I just gave my kids lots of knowledge, that would be enough. But I was wrong. Knowledge alone doesnโt empower right living. This is a lesson it took me more than 20 years to learn.
When I first started homeschooling my 3 children, I followed the grade-level learning outcomes, but it wasnโt working. My boys read textbooks like they were novels. In the first year that we homeschooled, Ian took the grade 5 and 6 science textbooks that I bought at the curriculum fair in May and had them read in 2 weeks. Clearly, doing public school at home was not going to work for us. I prayed and asked for wisdom about how I could possibly homeschool these 3 in grades 8, 5, and K. This was in the 1990s. I didnโt know many other homeschoolers. I didnโt know anyone homeschooling through high school.
I had a dream
Then I had a dream. In the dream, it became clear that my job wasnโt to fill their minds with knowledge but to equip them for their lifeโs purpose. I would like to say that revelation transformed how we did homeschool and my children are forever grateful for the wisdom and understanding that was imparted to them by their mother. It didnโt happen like that.
I struggled between giving them skills that would empower their lives โ skills like plant identification, wild foraging, herbal medicine, gardening, animal husbandry, writing, reading, logic, the scientific method, and woodworking, spinning, and weaving โ and fulfilling the learning outcomes that the government said they needed. Often these two things were in conflict. The closer a child was to high school graduation, the more the conflict seemed to enter our relationship. Knowledge is easy. Gaining skills in applying that knowledge in practical and empowering ways is more complicated.
As a writer is my job to offer you knowledge?
As a blogger, it seems like my job is to offer you knowledge. But knowledge doesnโt empower. If knowledge empowered, an afternoon spent on Pinterest would make us the most powerful people that ever lived. Itโs skills and mastery-based on the knowledge that empowers. Each of us needs to practice the skills we need to gain mastery in the areas that equip us for our lifeโs purpose, our calling.
Itโs skills that empower
I can give you information about herbal medicine or essential oils or scratch cooking. But for that information to empower you to live a more fearless, self-reliant life, you need to actually make the tinctures, dry the herbs for tea, or bake the loaf of bread. And for it to actually empower you, you need to do it more than once. You need to make mistakes and learn from them. I need to do this, too. Reading a book or doing a Google search isnโt enough.
What Iโm doing to improve my skill level
So this summer, Iโm upping my game. Iโm focusing on improving my photography skills. Iโm taking a course from Craftsy right now. โThe Essentials of Understanding Lightโ. And a short class on composition. And Iโm determined to practice by taking lots of pictures, even bad pictures until I get it right. I need to do this to improve my blogging, to further inspire YOU, to do the things that will move you to mastery, so that you can live a bold, self-sufficient, fearless life, too.
Here are a few of my recent pictures in my attempts to improve my skill. (Be nice. Iโm still learning.)
I hope my blog posts inspire you to move beyond knowledge to growing your skills. Donโt just read about gardening, go outside and play in the dirt. Take a class this summer like the Fiercely D.I.Y. class and share it with your kids or grandkids. Up your empowerment quotient. And pass on your new skills to the young people in your life, too.
Whatโs the Fiercely Do-It-Yourself class?
These blog posts from my friends are a sample of what the course presents to help you build your skillset in these important areas. Check out each of the posts below and see if they speak to your need right now. Each post is just a sample of what a week in the Fiercely DIY course explores.
Each week a new skill set is presented with lots of opportunities for you to practice and perfect your abilities. Once the course is completed youโll know exactly how to creatively explore each area on your own with confidence. And as a bonus, youโll be creating handmade gifts as you progress through the course, so youโll have a headstart on the winter gift-giving season.
The Fiercely DIY Summer course starts next week. Sign up.
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