The story is vivid in my mind that I heard a few years ago. The story goes like this: A woman walks with her son far away to see Gandhi in order to solve her son’s problems. She is worried about her son’s health because he has a habit of eating so much sugar. Finally, she meets Gandhi and says, ‘Please, sir, can you tell my son to stop eating sugar?’
Gandhi looks at her, thinks for a while, and finally says, ‘OK, but not today. Bring him back in two weeks.’
She was disappointed and took her son home. Two weeks later, she again comes to meet Gandhi with her son.
Gandhi says to the boy, “You must stop eating sugar. It’s very bad for you.” The woman is confused and asks him, “Gandhi, please tell me, why did you want me to wait two weeks to bring back my son?”
Gandhi said, “Because before I could tell your son to stop eating sugar, I had to stop eating sugar first.”
“Ask only for others to do what you have done yourself first.”
I genuinely do understand when clients say they’re looking for a change, but don’t know what it is yet or how to achieve it. Because I have been there, done that and thankfully was lucky enough to walk away to now be doing a job where I never have to think “Thank God it’s Friday (TGIF).”
