If You Preach It…You Better Live It!
“He Who Knows, Does Not Speak. He Who Speaks, Does Not Know.” Sun Tzu
Yet Sun Tzu wrote The Art Of War that “spoke” quite a bit. (I understand what he was getting at) But, do you think the many people who quote Sun Tzu actually live by the words he wrote? How many inspirational quotes do you see every day? Each one of them has fantastic meaning behind them with just as great of intentions. But who’s behind that quote and are they listening to themselves? Do they heed their own advice?
Hypocrisy Is Horrible
Don’t get me wrong…I am not saying that individuals should not try to inspire others, but I do believe individuals need to spend an equal amount of time working on the things that they are asking others to heed. There is nothing worse than hearing stories of religious figures who have lied, cheated or stolen from the very people who supported them. (Then they will hide behind the “Everyone is a Sinner” line) Or, the politician who claims to be working for group “A” as he is taking money from group “B”. You see hypocrisy in many of our business leaders as well as some of your family and friends. It is rampant!
Don’t Be That Person!
If you love to inspire, then it’s best to work on yourself as you are helping others work on themselves! As your mom taught you, lead by example. It’s simple…if you ask someone to respect your opinions and when you spew them, you better pay the same respect. If you preach health, LIVE HEALTH. If you preach finance, LIVE FINANCE. If you preach religion, LIVE RELIGION.
If you can’t live what you are preaching…DON’T PREACH!
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