Honest Effort - Honest Reward

A bit of planning, a lot of work, and the result! From Seth Godin You don’t get to just do the good parts. Of course. In fact, you probably wouldn’t have chosen this path if it was guaranteed to work every time. The implication of this might surprise you, though: when the tough parts come along, the rejection and the slog and the unfair bad breaks, it makes sense to welcome them.

Instead of cursing or fearing the down moments, understand that they mean you’ve chosen reality, not some unsustainable fantasy. It means that you’re doing worthwhile, difficult work, not merely amusing yourself. The very thing you’re seeking only exists because of the whole. We can’t deny the difficult parts, we have no choice but to embrace them. The fun of Scouting after we’ve done the work of Scouting.

Paperwork, phone calls, emails, administrative details, complaints, bad behavior, arguments, and disinterested participation are as much the realities of Scouting as the fun parts. Our Scouts learn to understand the work they do is rewarded in great adventures and exciting experiences but it takes time. We learn to embrace the bad with the good, the easy with the difficult, and soon understand that’s the reality, the beauty, the reward, of worthwhile endeavors.

Making that connection, that honest effort leads to honest reward, is one of the more important things Scouting can do.