What you do is who you are

Teach Others by Setting the Example First 

The Importance of a Good Example

To have knowledge and hoard it to yourself is useless, but to share your knowledge with those who could care less is ineffective. You should seek out others who with the right amount of molding and patience will grow to share what they have learned with others. You should start by teaching you children the values you think make our country great. Those values will follow them throughout the years, and that is the only way to preserve our way of life as the founders intended. It is better to teach by example than to preach. It is the example we set that our children will remember. When you enter a conversation about politics and the other person is mistaken about the subject you should always be respectful in the way you correct them, and only do so if you can point them to another source to back up what you are saying. If you have no foundation to stand on your words will be lost. When you lack the words or resources to correct the other person you should say nothing until you understand the subject more clearly. I challenge you to keep a self written note of the values you hold most dearly in your pocket and strive to spread them by your example first. I further challenge you to know your facts the next time you enter a political discussion and to be respectful in the way you communicate them. Even if someone is mistaken in their political opinion it’s good they are interested, and that gives all you need to work with.  

Suggestions on Teaching by Example

·         Read our founding documents with your children

·         Be kind even when someone disagrees with you.

·         Put your cart back and tell your kids why we do that.

·         Admit when you are wrong.

·         If rallies are your thing then bring your family.

Setting the Example for my Son

My Beautiful Son Edward

When my new infant son came home fore the first time I had no idea what I was doing. The only thing I knew was what I want for him. I want my son to not only grow up free but to understand why freedom is so important and how expensive it really is. With that said the first thing I did with my son on his first day home was to take him outside and show him the stars. As we looked at the stars together for the first time I pointed out all the constellations to him and showed him how Columbus used the stars to navigate to the free world. After introducing my son to the heavens we came inside and sat down. He slept quietly in my arms as I read him our Declaration of Independence for the first time. Once we were finished reading I promised my son I would soon give him his own copy of our founding documents so he would never forget.  

My Son's First Christmas

My son's first Christmas was an event to end all events. Being that my son is the first grand baby his Grandmother spent a fortune on him. There were big toys and little toys, there were boxes stacked on boxes, there were bags with pretty paper poking out the top, there was everything you might expect for such an event. And then there was our stack of gifts for my son. Things were tight for us this Christmas. But my wife and I were able to get him three small gifts. We got him his first Christmas ornament, an inflatable spinning penguin that makes silly sounds, and his first book. it came time to open presents and everyone wanted my son to open theirs first. But I spoke up over the crowd and said that I would give my son his first Christmas gift. Everyone calmed down as I reached for the smallest gift in our little stack of gifts and started opening it. I tore the paper carefully so as to not harm the book inside. I'm sure not everyone in the room understood why I had given a book of our founding documents to my son on his first Christmas, but I didn't stop there. After they had all stopped oohing over his first gift I opened the little book up to the last page and began reading what I had put there for my son to stumble upon one day, and this is what I wrote.

Just being Cute

For my dear son Edward,

               I give to you this book of our country’s founding documents on your first Christmas. These documents include the United States Constitution, the Amendments to the Constitution, our Declaration of Independence, and our Articles of Confederation. Know the Constitution as the road map of our country and understand the importance of always keeping a well plotted map of your own life. Know the Amendments to the Constitution and understand that no map is stagnant. Understand also that it is just as important to remember your failures as it is your accomplishments. Know our Declaration of Independence and understand that there are some things in life worth fighting for. Know our Articles of Confederation and understand that no one man stands alone in his journey through life. It is in fact our ties to others that make us strong. This book also contains Common Sense by Thomas Paine, originally titled Plain Truth. While not a founding document, Paine’s writings are nonetheless an integral part of our history. Read Common Sense. Take from it that nothing happens without men willing to lead. Live your life as a leader, build up others to construct yourself, know what is worth fighting for, learn from your failures, move always in your chosen direction, and always have a map to show you the way. Do these things my son and teach your son to do the same, for a man without principles is no man at all, and I know what you’re capable of.

Please Feel free to leave a comment about how you have taught by example, or suggest how we all might be able to incorporate these ideas into our own lives.