{"id":243,"date":"2016-04-27T12:36:47","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T12:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=243"},"modified":"2016-04-27T12:36:47","modified_gmt":"2016-04-27T12:36:47","slug":"being-a-good-example","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/04\/being-a-good-example.html","title":{"rendered":"Being a Good Example"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over 20 years ago, Charles Barkley famously said in a Nike ad, \u201cI am not a role model.\u201d It was a na\u00efve statement.\u00a0 The truth is that we are all role models.<\/em> Each of us is setting an example for someone, every minute of every day.\u00a0 You can\u2019t walk away from that reality.\u00a0 The people you interact with are watching what you do.\u00a0 And by your words and actions, you are influencing others, whether you like it or not.<\/p>\n

We tend to think that it is only adults who influence children. However, as an adult, you influence other adults.\u00a0 Think about your peers.\u00a0 They are influencing you.\u00a0 I have a friend who only will do something if she can do it well.\u00a0 Otherwise, she doesn\u2019t do it at all.\u00a0 She sets very high standards for herself.\u00a0 She influences me.\u00a0 Because of her, I am more comfortable saying \u201cno\u201d to doing things, if I can\u2019t do them well.<\/p>\n

Significantly, we can be influenced in the right or the wrong direction. If you have a friend who only does the bare minimum in all things, that person\u2019s low standard is influencing how you approach your own life.\u00a0 You see the power of influence in neighborhoods.\u00a0 If one person stops taking care of their yard and home, pretty soon everyone else does too.\u00a0 And then what could have been a beautiful place to live turns into something very unattractive.<\/p>\n

Setting an example is especially important in our homes. How many marriages fail because the couple\u2019s parents failed to set a good example?\u00a0 When fathers treat their wives with disrespect, their sons are watching.\u00a0 When mothers complain about their husbands instead of praising them, their daughters are watching.\u00a0 And more likely than not, those kids someday will mimic both the good and bad behaviors of their parents when they get married.\u00a0 Parents are role models.<\/p>\n

Similarly, friends influence each other\u2019s marriages. Good husbands set an example for their friends as to how men should treat their wives.\u00a0 And since men are competitive, they will compete to be the best husband just as quickly as they will compete to be the most selfish husband.\u00a0 Good wives likewise set an example for their friends.\u00a0 Women who praise (not brag about) their husbands publically set an example of how wives should talk about their husbands.<\/p>\n

Setting an example is especially important in the work place. Most people spend more waking hours at work than they do at home.\u00a0 So the workplace should be fun and enjoyable.\u00a0 But that requires employees who set an example by having positive attitudes and a strong work ethic.\u00a0 Even one lazy person with a negative attitude can poison the entire office environment.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t like to think about how our words and actions can impact those we encounter. We want to do whatever we feel like doing without consequence.\u00a0 But the people you interact with each day aren\u2019t walls.\u00a0 What you say and do, doesn\u2019t just bounce off them.\u00a0 What you do impacts other people.\u00a0 It is your choice as to whether to influence others in a positive or negative manner.<\/p>\n

We each have an obligation to consider how we are affecting those around us. I encourage you this week to think about how your words and actions are influencing others.\u00a0 What would your family members, colleagues and friends say about you?\u00a0\u00a0 Would they say that you are setting a good example?\u00a0 Would they say that you inspire them to be a better people?\u00a0 Be sure that in all that you say and do, you try to influence others to be their very best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A little over 20 years ago, Charles Barkley famously said in a Nike ad, \u201cI am not a role model.\u201d It was a na\u00efve statement.\u00a0 The truth is that we are all role models. Each of us is setting an example for someone, every minute of every day.\u00a0 You can\u2019t walk away from that reality.\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nBeing a Good Example - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/04\/being-a-good-example.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Being a Good Example - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A little over 20 years ago, Charles Barkley famously said in a Nike ad, \u201cI am not a role model.\u201d It was a na\u00efve statement.\u00a0 The truth is that we are all role models. Each of us is setting an example for someone, every minute of every day.\u00a0 You can\u2019t walk away from that reality.\u00a0…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/04\/being-a-good-example.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-04-27T12:36:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Meerabelle Dey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Being a Good Example - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/04\/being-a-good-example.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Being a Good Example - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration","og_description":"A little over 20 years ago, Charles Barkley famously said in a Nike ad, \u201cI am not a role model.\u201d It was a na\u00efve statement.\u00a0 The truth is that we are all role models. 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