Social Media Coordinator Edie Ash’s “This I Believe” graphic is shown. Ash discussed the various ways she has applied the idea of practicing what you preach into her personal life. “Living by the idea of practicing what you preach has been something I can apply in all aspects of my life,” Ash said. “Taking time to correct myself when my actions aren’t aligning with my beliefs has strengthened my sense of self identity” Graphic by Edie Ash
Social Media Coordinator Edie Ash shares her belief that practicing what you preach isn’t just about avoiding hypocrisy, but building integrity.
Hi, I’m Edie Ash, a sophomore and the Social Media Coordinator for the ODYSSEY Media Group. This is “This I Believe.” These are essays that discuss the origin, importance, and rationale behind people’s personal belief systems. Students will share their personal essays discussing how these beliefs affect their everyday lives, times they may have been challenged, and how they may impact the lives of those around them. This is “This I Believe.”
During the first semester of my freshman year of high school, I struggled with adjusting to the new academic and athletic expectations set on me. Adapting to the demands of high school was a significant challenge on its own, and balancing those responsibilities with my athletic investment consisting of AP classes and my participation in ODYSSEY only deepened the difficulty.
I didn’t understand how the late nights spent doing work and twice daily practices could possibly have the outcome of a failing grade and a decline in athletic performance.
I realized early on that I wasn’t the only one struggling. Many of my friends were just as exhausted and seemed to be experiencing the same feeling of burnout I was. In a conversation with one of my closest friends, we discussed her feeling especially overworked in both her academic and athletic life. I was quick to reassure her that she was allowed to give herself grace, take a break and ask for help.
It wasn’t until a few months after the conversation took place that I realized I hadn’t lived by the advice I had so adamantly given her. While I reassured her that it was okay to ask for help, I failed to say anything to my teachers as I constantly struggled to meet deadlines. While my Instagram story consisted of quotes preaching about self care, I would stay up hours past a healthy bedtime in order to get my work done. I was preaching the importance of advocating for oneself as I actively developed habits directly correlated to my feelings of burnout.
Though I’m not religious, a few months into my second semester, I was able to make changes in how I dealt with burnout when I attended church with a friend. During the service, the pastor spoke on the idea of practicing what you preach in the context of religion. He gave examples- emphasizing that your attendance rate at church meant nothing if you didn’t take time to pray on your own. Wearing a “what would Jesus do” bracelet doesn’t prove your faith or make you more Godly if your actions don’t align with the Christian ideas behind it.
The pastor claimed that one’s faith in their religion is built on consistency between religious beliefs and how you implement them through your actions. In other words, integrity is built on the consistency between what you value and how you live. His way of explaining what it means to practice what you preach helped me integrate the greater meaning of the saying into my life.
I was quick to catch that I couldn’t consider myself an advocate for mental health if I refused to acknowledge that my own cognitive state was suffering. I couldn’t truthfully tell my friends how to properly deal with feelings of burnout if I wasn’t practicing those same ideals.
As I entered the second semester of my freshman year, I did my best to live by the idea of practicing what I preached. I made the hard but necessary decision to quit my sport to make more time for my academic commitments. I scheduled weekly coffee meetups with my friends, allowing me to briefly get away from a never ending to-do list. I made a point to email my teachers frequently in regards to extended time and extra help, resulting in better performance and grades.
Living by the idea of practicing what you preach has been something I can apply in all aspects of my life. Taking the time to correct myself when my actions aren’t aligning with my beliefs has strengthened my sense of self-identity.
This I believe.
