About setting an example.

I've been thinking in depth about something this week, and wanted to share it with you. All of us are setting an example daily to everyone we come in contact with. Therefore, the example we set is highly important, and has a big effect on both our personal life and in the work we do.

While at work most people interact with several people every single day. If you are the boss you see both prospective clients as well as existing customers, work with people you outsource work to and your employees, possibly have partners or a board of directors you are accountable to, have meetings with vendors, interviewees, and more. If you are an employee your example is seen and felt by your co-workers, your boss, vendors, and customers. You may also take or teach training courses in which you interact with others.

When at home, it is your family, friends,neighbors, and relatives who are watching your example. This includes how you parent, how you behave as a spouse, how you deal with people on the phone and in person, and much more. It may also be the mail man, delivery man, service person, or friends visiting your spouse or children who is paying attention. They often tell others!

In public, both strangers and acquaintances watch how you act. Those who like what they see will often choose to interact with you in some way. Whether it be at a restaurant, park,event, in church, or somewhere else, how you act and what you say is paid attention to by all of those people in your immediate area.

When you participate in social media, those who follow you on Facebook,Twitter, and all other online social media sites see what you choose to share and form an opinion of you based on that. This is true for your websites and blogs as well. What you write has a great impact on all of those who read what you have typed. It can cost you relationships if you write something offensive-friends, prospective joint venture partners and clients, an employer who was thinking about hiring you, or some other relationship.

Choose what you want to say to the people you interact with daily carefully!

Make a conscious decision on how you want to act around others you come in contact with based on what your values are and how you want them to perceive you. When you mess up, which you will because you are human, apologize,make amends, and learn from the experience so you won't repeat it.

Decide who you want to be in your various roles that you play in life, and then start being that person.

When you volunteer, do you whine and complain about your assignments, or do you cheerfully accept them and say things in a nice way when you need to disagree?

As a parent, do you shout at your children and belittle them and show them behaviours you don't want them emulating? Or do you love them, discipline them in a wise manner, and set the example you want them to follow?

As a spouse, do you respect your mate, encourage them, give them daily I love you's and hugs, pay attention to them, and be a help-mate?

By now you get the gist of what I'm trying to express here. Setting a positive example throughout every day in every situation you find yourself in can really make a difference and change the world. The same holds true if you set a poor example. Choose your example based on the results you want to experience!