Monday Mindfulness Minute: Practice More Than You Preach

“We influence others by what we are rather than by what we say or have.” Eye of the I p. 105

We know by now that what we say and do can be miles apart. We have the best intentions for ourselves and others in thought and sharing, but are we truly practicing what we're preaching?

There is a great story about Gandhi that illustrates how he practiced before he preached. One day he was approached by a mother and her son. The mother was disappointed with her son and how much sugar he consumed, so she pleaded with Gandhi to instruct him to stop eating so much. Pausing, Gandhi asked them to return in a few days.

When they returned a few days later, the mother relayed her request again. This time, Gandhi looked at the son and told him to stop eating so much sugar because it was bad for his health. Perplexed, the mother asked Gandhi what had caused his change of heart from a few days ago. "A few days ago, I had not given up sugar."

While we most certainly want what's best for our loved ones and friends, we know that any advice we give and aren't living comes off as hollow and is ultimately ineffective.

The mind is a tricky place because it easily confuses thinking/talking about something, preaching, with actually doing it. The mind can never take action so it feels that talking about it is its action. Let us pause this week and ask ourselves if we've lived the knowledge we are trying to pass on to others.

Practice more, then we can let our life be our preaching. As Gandhi lived, "My life is my message."