If you want to serve as an example, it's easier done than said.~Frank Sonnenberg
Just like a stubborn dog that lies down during a walk and won't move another inch, we are very much the same way. Nobody likes being pressured into doing something they don't want to do, even when it comes from someone who truly cares about us. Whether the advice offered suggests ways to eat better, exercise more or make healthier life choices, most people are likely to dig their heels in deeper and refuse to budge till they're damn good and ready. A direct confrontation, even when kindly stated, rarely results in change.
Remember back when we were kids? It wasn't so much what our parents said that shaped us, it was their actions. If they were prone to saying one thing and doing the opposite, it was always the action (or lack thereof) that stuck and formed our beliefs and behaviors. For example, we learned what we could get away with by picking up on these types of inconsistencies. This is exactly why threatening kids seldom works. They know better. It's also why moms often said,
Wait till your dad gets home!Dads didn't mess around, always followed through, and were usually consistent with their approach.
I bring this up because, whenever we wish to help motivate someone toward a healthier lifestyle, or anything else for that matter, we can talk till we're blue in the face and it will never be as impactful as our illustration. Talk is cheap, as they say, especially if we're making suggestions for someone else's life, while not practicing what we preach. This is not only disingenuous, but will forever fall on deaf ears, just like it did when we were kids. We must walk our talk. If we truly want to encourage or challenge others to be their best, we must be our best. In other words, the only effective way to inspire anyone, is to simply lead by example.
Go first, and show the way!