Hypocrisy!

I had a dillema this week. I advised a student that it was important for them to learn how to keep themselves accountable for their own actions. It made a lot of sense, until the student asked for an example. At that time, I had a complete mental block. It became a humbling moment of understanding where and how I lack self-discipline. It was not fun to tell the student that I didn't have an example. It wasn't fun being a hypocrite for that moment in time. Well, I spent the week suffering over a good response and on Friday, it came to me. Just after I had counseled this student for not following my directions, Irealized that I had given up the opportunity to go home a little earlier and spend time with my family, in order to explain my disappointment in this students performance. I failed to convey what I wanted such that the student delivered accordingly. In response to my own failure at meeting my own standard, I forced myself to stay later at work and counsel this student. That was a momentary glimpse of what personal accountability is about. It is not about resolutions and keeping them or getting the best grades in school. It is about removing personal privilege in order to right the wrong. It is about serving the standard and others before serving my own wants and desires. I felt bad about not having an example, but I was able to convey this to the student, and I believe it sunk in - in a much more frank, modest manner.