“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself”

“One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself” (Schlitz, Amorok, & Micozzi, 2005, p. 477) implies that in order for someone to lead or teach an individual some type of intervention or promotion, one must have applied it in their lives as well.  This saying is similar to the saying practice what you preach.  In other words, in order for an individual to be able to successfully reach out to others and prove an indivdiual can reach total wellness and healing of the mind, body and spirit, one must have experienced themselves.  Because anyone in the health and wellness profession can assist other individuals in flourishing in wellness.  Also, there are many individuals in the health and wellness professions who work to assist others in successfully reaching their goals in improved health and wellness.  However, I am a firm believer of practicing what you preach.  In order for individuals’ to successfully get their point out or convince a community to properly follow one’s programs, one must set an example.  For example, when I worked as a personal trainer for the military, my clientele was tremendously long compared to other personal trainer.  One of the reasons was due to image.  Many sought my professional help not only because I looked the image but also worked hard to get the image compared to my co-worker who I personally had to work with also to motivate and get physically fit because she was above her body mass index.  In addition, I would ask new customers why they would not schedule with the other personal trainer, and they will tell me that they find it difficult for them to follow an exercise plan or program if it does not look like it works for that same individual.   According to Dacher (2006),

“Medicine is continuously spiraling out in its evolutionary growth.  But there is no guarantee here. It can only advance through our choices and actions. As a result, we are all responsible for this ongoing movement toward more expansive health and healing.  We do our part by taking the next step in our own life toward integral health. In doing so, we prepare the ground for others and for further leaps in medicine” (p. 164).

In other words, I believe Dacher is implying that in today’s ever changing and advancing society, in order for an individual to successfully promote proper integral health and wellness, the individual must first incorporate it into their life before promoting it to others because learning and setting the example from one’s experience can set the standards to the community to reach their goal to a better and more successful health.  Therefore, in order to successfully reach a community into a practicing  or integrating proper health and wellness into one’s life, one must first start with their own life and set themselves as an example. 

Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:

Basic Health Publications.

 Schlitz, M., Amorok, T., & Micozzi, M. S. (2005). Consciousness & Healing: Integral

Approaches to Mind-Body Medicine. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Chrchill Livingston Publications.