The Essence of Authenticity

I don't know how many of you know the "sugar" story of Mahatma Ghandhi.  A woman brought her young son to Ghandhi and said, "Please tell my son to stop eating sugar.  It is stunting his growth and is bad for him."  Ghandhi looked at the woman and said, "Please come back in a month."  The woman was a little perplexed, but she turned and left.  A month later she came with her son and asked Ghandhi the same question.  "Can you please tell my son to stop eating sugar?"  Ghandhi looked the young boy in the eye and said, "Stop eating sugar.  It is bad for you and will stunt your growth."  The boy replied, "If you tell me to stop, I will stop."  The woman was pleased but she also looked confused so she turned around and came back and said to Ghandhi, "When I was here a month ago you told me to come back in a month.  Why did you do that?  What's the difference between a month ago and now?  Ghandhi looked at the woman and replied, "A month ago I was eating sugar.  How could I tell your son to do something I wasn't doing?"

This is the essence of authenticity.  The absolute integrity that says:  I will not tell anyone to do anything unless I have done it myself.  How often do we advise others when we have not done the same thing?  Authenticity demands that there is absolute congruence between what you say and what you do.  It is not simply about walking the walk, but whether or not the "talk" and the "walk" line up. 

Comments

[Mark McClure]

Hi Chandra,

Authenticity - the mark of a true coach (and don't potential clients know it!)

Even though I often fall short, life's full of authenticity.

Here's a master teacher if ever I saw one.
http://markmccluretoday.com/ironman-scott-rigsbys-new-movie

regards
mark mcclure
tokyo