Words are not always what is most persuasive

It is difficult to gauge what power influence has, but it is something we see every day. A well-known actress may decide to change her hairstyle. She doesn’t have to go round persuading anyone to copy her: her photograph is in the magazines, she appears on television, and from one day to the next large numbers of women start doing their hair like hers, wearing the same clothes, and so on. A spiritual influence is no doubt subtler, but it is still an influence, and it acts imperceptibly. This is why you must work on yourselves, to become ‘living books’, inspiring all those you meet. You will speak without having to open your mouth. Words are not always what is most persuasive. So, your work from now on is to become living books, and you must take this work seriously, so that you can have a beneficial influence on all those around you. This too is brotherly love.