Harriette Cole: How do I tell her that I’m not going to recommend her?

DEAR HARRIETTE: I bought property a few years ago. I’m not happy about how my real estate agent operated during that initial transaction, but I kept working with her.

She has now asked me to share her details on my personal social pages to help her get more business.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend her if someone asked me privately, so I don’t care to promote her publicly.

She has made efforts to forge a more personal relationship with me as of late since we have a few mutual friends. So, I don’t want to be blunt or hurtful, but I definitely do not want to promote her.

I admit that it’s possible she has changed or grown professionally over the years. What should I do?

— Unhappy Client

DEAR UNHAPPY CLIENT: You owe it to yourself and her to tell her the truth about your experience working with her.

She is a professional, and clearly she did some things that you did not feel were professionally handled. Tell her. Invite her to meet up with you so that you can talk face to face.

Point out that she has asked you to endorse her on social media, and this got you thinking. While you should have addressed your concerns long ago, you feel you must tell her now that you have apprehensions about her as a real estate agent for some specific reasons.

Be prepared to list each of your grievances clearly and succinctly so that she can fully understand what you are saying. Acknowledge that you should have told her before, but it felt awkward, so you left it alone. Now you realize it’s important for her to have some honest feedback.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Diabetes seems to be prevalent in my family. At least three people, young and old, in my lifetime alone have been affected. Most recently, one of my uncles had a heart attack that took his life.

Ever since then, I’ve been trying to help my family recognize the importance of their health, but no one seems to take it seriously. They indulge in all kinds of bad habits, from fatty foods to unnecessary drinking, and even smoking for some.

I am worried about what will happen to us if we continue down this road. How do I get them to prioritize their health?

— Health-Conscious

DEAR HEALTH-CONSCIOUS: You are right to want to sound an alarm for your family. I hope you also know that it takes effort on each person’s part to make a difference for that person’s life.

Type 2 diabetes is quite common in this country. Being overweight and sedentary are key contributors to this condition. So, yes, there are things you and your family members can do to improve your overall health and potentially to avoid getting diabetes.

Sadly, our society’s overuse of screens — computers, video games, television — is only making us less active, which in turn may be leading more and more Americans into the potential for developing the health problems that love to afflict sedentary bodies.

Tell your family. Encourage everyone to get up and move. Start a family walking group or regular exercise regimen. Create a social media group or text chain where you cheer each other on for making the effort to be healthy. Be an example yourself of good health practices.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.