What do you tell other people to do?
I tell other people what to do A LOT.
I tell my kids what to wear, what to eat, how to behave, and what order to do things in.
I tell my husband to fix things, what the schedule is, how to parent, and how to make me happy.
I tell my friends how to solve their problems, how to parent their children, how to homeschool, and how to run their lives.
I tell my clients to look at their brains, process their emotions, plan food in advance, feel urges, think positive thoughts, follow through when they make commitments, and love themselves.
How many of the things that I tell other people to do, do I do consistently?
Do I do 90%? 50%? 20%?
What if I stopped telling my kids to be kind and do what is right, and I started being kind and doing what is right. (Even if they are not.) They could fight, and I could be kind.
What if I stopped telling my husband what to do to make me happy, and I started doing things that make me happy? I could start finding my own happiness and stop resenting him.
What if I started planning my meals consistently, doing thought downloads daily, and loving myself unconditionally? I could be healthy, understand my brain, and be at peace.
It is easy to tell others how they should live their lives. It is easy to believe that I am doing the things I tell others to do. It is harder to actually follow through on a daily basis.
I’ve heard it said “I was such a great parent before I had kids.”
Similarly, I am such a good person until it is my life.
When it is someone else’s life, it is easy to call the shots and to see what they should do to find happiness. When it is my own life, it is much harder.
I see my own imperfections. I see that it is too hard to actually stick to a plan. I see that I don’t have time to take a look at my brain. Other people do, but not me.
I am the exception.
Everyone thinks that they are the exception.
Other people should forgive others, but in my case, it is justified. Other people should be kind to their kids, but my kids are just unmanageable unless I yell at them. Other people should stick to a food plan, but I don’t have time to. Other people should love themselves, but I am just worse than other people.
The logic is illogical.
Stop telling other people what to do, and start doing what you believe is right.
If you want to be kind, be it.
If you want to be healthy, be it.
If you want to be loving, be it.
Don’t wait to have time, patience, money, obedient kids, an attentive husband, or anything else.
Start now.
Be what you want to see in the world.
It’s time to stop telling people what to do and start doing it.
What do you tell others to do?
