“You don’t have to be religious to be a preacher.” So said The Grasshopper on a walk the other day.

All of us preach at one time or another, and all of us are guilty of not practicing what we sermonize. That’s just waxing philosophical while our personal shine remains dull.

When we’re not walking our talk and preaching to anyone within earshot, we may as well be saying, “if you only knew what I knew, you’d be as successful as I’m not.”

There’s a notable distinction between “preach” and “reach” – the former doesn’t get you to the latter.

I don’t know anyone who likes to get preached to and the upshot is this: rarely does preaching work.

Reaching people demands less preaching.

Preaching has a thick air of superiority surrounding it; reaching is cloud free.

Reaching people means that you have to care about them enough not to chew your cabbage again. In order for someone to digest what you are offering, they need to feel a sense of closeness and trust. Preaching connotes standoffishness.

Here’s a mental exercise worthy of your time: Stand in front of a mirror and deliver your message. Is it preachy? You may be totally on point but if they can see up your nose, it’s time to recompose.

I wish I could tell you a foolproof way to stop preaching, but I haven’t mastered it myself yet. Perhaps a start is to lower your soapbox a few inches at a time until you’re on an even keel with whomever you want to offer a message. It’s from this vantage point that we begin seeing eye-to-eye.

All the best,

John