"You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul."
President Harold B Lee, April 1973 General Conference, Stand In Holy Places
The truth in this principle applies in all areas of life.
I have known for a long time that I needed to be a better example of health and fitness to my family, especially my daughters. For the past year or more, Katherine has a desire and need to change her eating and exercise habits, yet I knew I could not help her until I was in a better place myself. She struggles in so many areas and this is just one more. Being an overweight teenager is a living hell and very few people are compassionate to understand the entire picture of what she goes through every day. I knew Ron needed to make the same changes, but I could not encourage or help him either. At some point in the last month, Ron and I got on the same page regarding health and fitness. Now we are both focused on making better choices in the food we eat and the physical activity we participate in. Working together has made a big difference. We can be supportive of each other and lift each other along the way. As our health improves, we are able to lift our children and those around us as we set better examples.
More on this as time goes forward. I didn't even intend to write this today but as I taught this principle to my class, I clearly saw how it applied to all things spiritual, temporal, physical, and emotional.
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