Leading by Example

A mother crab criticized her son for walking sideways, whereupon the son asked his mother to show him how to walk straight. Of course the mother crab was unable to walk any straighter than her son, and soon apologized for criticizing what she herself was guilty of too.

A woman once came to see Mahatma Gandhi.  Desiring an audience with him, she waited in line for the better part of half a day with her son at her side. When at last it was her turn to speak to him, the woman said, “Mahatma, please: Tell my son he must stop eating sugar. It is ruining his health and his teeth; it affects his mood and makes him hyper. It is bad for his energy level in gymnastics.  Every time he has sugar, I see the change in him and there is nothing I can do to stop him from eating it; and the more he has, the more he craves.  He’s a good boy, but when it comes to sugar, he becomes lazy and a liar; I'm afraid it will ultimately ruin his life. Please, Gandhiji, tell him to stop.  Everyone admires you so much- including my son- that he will do anything you tell him to do.”

Gandhi looked at the boy for the longest time as he cowered there, trying to hide in his mother’s sari. Finally, Gandhi broke the silence and said, “Come back to me in two weeks time.”

Two weeks later the woman returned with her child and once again waited in line for hours before finally it was again their turn to see the Master. “Mahatma,” said the mother. “We have returned. We came to you for help with this boy and his sugar-eating addiction; and you asked us to come back after two weeks.”

“Yes, of course I remember,” said the master. “Come here, child.” He motioned the boy forward.

The boy, at the urging and prodding of his mother, disentangled himself from her sari and stepped up to the Mahatma who reached out, putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders and pulling him in close. He looked the boy squarely in the eye and said, firmly, “Don’t eat sugar,” then released him.

The bewildered mother thanked Gandhi profusely; and then as her initial fluster wore off to be replaced by irritation, she challenged, “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?!” She was flabbergasted. “WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL HIM THAT TWO WEEKS AGO?!?!”

“Because,” replied Gandhi, “Two weeks ago I was still eating sugar.”