PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH (an excerpt from my Book :)
Remember when you were a kid and everyone was always telling you, "Do as I say, not as I do"? Of course if our parents told us not to smoke, and not to drink, as they were sitting there getting loaded and smoking cigarettes, chances are, we're probably not going to take them very seriously! I guess we can't really blame them. They may have developed certain negative patterns but that doesn't mean they want their children to follow in their footsteps. The only problem with that is that we learn how to Be Human (yes, we are HUMAN BEINGS), by mimicking the behavior of those around us. So it doesn't really matter what they say... the old adage is true, "Actions DO speak louder than words."
It's no different here. You can't teach somebody anything about life by preaching something you don't follow yourself. I’ve learned this in my own way, although I don't have any children. I find myself offering advice to my girlfriends about how to handle a conflict, knowing damn well that it's extremely easy for me to tell them what to do, but if I were in the same shoes, would I follow my own advice? Or how many times have I told a friend not to call that particular guy because it wasn’t the right guy for them. It’s very easy on the outside to see how two people are not compatible or right for each other. Meanwhile, I’ve held on to my share of relationships LONG after I knew in my heart that this probably wasn’t the right person for me. Why did I hold on? What was I so afraid of? Being alone? Fear of not finding the “right” one? It’s because it is always easier to give advice from a detached position. It’s totally different to be emotionally involved in the situation.
This is where we are given a chance to challenge ourselves to follow our own advice. Ask yourself this question, if my friend came to me with the exact same situation that I’m facing, what would I tell them to do? Be honest. And then listen to yourself. You already have all of the answers inside of you. It’s just that we don’t bother to listen to our own intuitive guidance. We tell that little voice, oh shut up, it’s not that bad, or don’t worry, this person will change, or whatever. Someday I’ll quit smoking, or drinking, or get healthy or whatever it is that we’re complaining about. YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS INSIDE. Stop telling your inner voice to shut up, and listen to yourself already.
