Day 311: On Setting an Example

Example has more followers than reason.

—Christian Nestell Bovee 312

Does it bother you that people laugh at your efforts, wonder why you’re deliberately making your life so difficult, or feel otherwise puzzled about your recent efforts at making positive changes in your life?

Save your time and energy trying to reason with them — it won’t work. Instead, focus on your goals and set an example. Soon, when you achieve some results, people will start following your example, understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, or at least shut up.

For example, people criticized me when I was on my diet, saying that I was already skinny and shouldn’t lose more weight. However, I knew that I had to drop some additional pounds to uncover more muscle definition. Once I reached that goal and my muscles became more visible, it became clear that I had been right from the get-go.

No amount of reasoning will make people change their minds in the same way as an example standing right in front of them.

Similarly, don’t try to persuade people to implement positive changes in their lives just because that’s what you’re doing. Leave them be, and if they notice your results, some will probably ask you for advice and try to achieve the same results themselves. Again, it’s about setting the example, not expending empty words.