FSM Blogger

I just realized something the other day--influence over others is a very big deal. In my last post I talked about Barry Bonds and his comments about our language and it's influence over kids. That made me think. Our actions might be a larger influence than our words. In a recent class, I asked the participants this question: "How many parents say one thing then do another?" Out of a class of 56 9-12th graders, probably 55 raised their hands. Now I am sure there is a bit of exaggeration here. But my point is that what we say and what we do must match up. Some call this integrity while others say its following through. Then there is the phrase, 'walk the talk'. All pretty much mean the same thing (integrity has a somewhat deeper meaning but still also relates to doing what we say we are going to do). Now, if we relate this 'walking the talk' idea back to Barry Bonds, well, let's just say the evidence against him looks ominous. But if we turn the ole magnifying glass toward our lives, we might also become painfully aware of the times we say one thing then turn around and do another. How do we typically respond to people that constantly say they will do something then don't do it? Also, what about those folks that are so quick to tell people how to act but don't act the way they are telling people to act. How do you feel about those folks? More to follow...