Personal Integrity And Giving Advice

When I read the following (I first saw it in the book “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”) I am reminded of the importance of modeling the advice we are giving:

A mother brought her son to Mahatma Ghandi. She begged, “Please, Mahatma. Tell my son to stop eating sugar.” Mahatma paused, then said, “Bring your son back in two weeks.”

Puzzled, the woman thanked him and said that she would do as he asked. Two weeks later, she returned with her son. Ghandi looked the youngster in the eye and said, “Stop eating sugar.”

Grateful but bewildered, the woman asked, “Why did you tell me to bring him back in two weeks? You could have told him the same thing then.” Ghandi replied, “Two weeks ago, I was eating sugar.”