These words have been spoken to me from both of my parents throughout my life. This phrase has been so frequently used in my life that it still impacts me to this very day. First, let me explain what this saying means. It relates to a long string of excuses or stories that weren't relevant to anything at all. In a much more simpler translation: action speaks louder than words.
When I was in middle school, I was often seen procrastinating in any way I could. Whenever I had a big homework assignment or any tests that I needed to study for, I would always find myself on my phone on YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram. I can remember how mad my parents would get at me. I always had excuses and reasons packed on me, like I'm gonna pass the test, or I've been working for 2-3 hours straight on the project. I always told them that they would have nothing to worry about, but they would always retort with, "Don't talk me to death, show me to death."
When my parents said these words, I automatically knew the pressure was on and that I had their expectations up high. I showed them that I was that confident in myself. If I didn't meet their expectations, I knew I would be in a world of trouble. This phrase has been used so much in my family that it even extends past grades and homework that I received in school. When I was in high school, I had been playing football since kindergarten and been involved with track and field since seventh grade. The phrase "don't talk me to death" alongside these sports allowed me to learn the ethics of teamwork and communication.
Going into further explanation, I always came home from football practice back in the fifth grade telling my parents (especially my dad) all the great things that I had been doing during practice. I would always be congratulated but always told to put my money where my mouth is and show all of that progress on the field. This enabled me to give my 110 percent effort when I was playing sports because yet again I set the expectations of my parents high, and I had planned to meet that goal.
It's amazing how a simple phrase such as "don't talk me to death, show me to death" could have such an impact on my life. Even though I don't have my parents down my back repeating this phrase to me, I still know that the expectation bar is still up there for me to reach, and I don't plan to disappoint my parents anytime soon.
