An idiot's guide to not sounding "preachy"

I tried to look up "preachy" in an online dictionary, but I couldn't find it. That's just preachy!
All puns aside, we're supposed to be writing a personal narrative in my writing class. This narrative is supposed to be about how we changed or grew through something. However, the catch is that it's not supposed to sound preachy. How does one not sound preachy? Because I couldn't find a good definition of preachy, I'm going to try and break it down by myself.
Alright... a point needs to be conveyed without implying that you're awesome. Despite the lack of awesome implication, you can still use awesome means to carry your point across. Here are some Examples. First, the good ones:   
Livin' on the Edge- Aerosmith. Screaming rock music just has this way of softening one's heart and allowing a message of pure, honest awesomeness to sink deep into one's soul.
Lord of the Rings- The denouement of this film series consists of a barrage of life lessons taught to us by hobbits. These hobbits just destroyed the One Ring to Rule Them All. Did they go brag to their Shire buddies about their domination? If you're unsure about the answer, watch the movie again.
Coldstone Ice Cream- Does it have to tell us that it's the best thing since canned bread? No. It doesn't need to tell us, it simply needs to show us. And it does it with decadence.

Now, there are some bad examples. Things that we might call "Preachy"

Hallmark (and Hallmarkesque) Movies- Possibly the worst offender, nearly everything that falls into this category is dripping in a corny-plot, morale filled filth. Wow, "morale filled filth" is really fun to say. Nevertheless, that does not redeem the movies.
Many People Who get a hold of a Microphone- I don't need to expound. I'm sure that all of you are thinking of an example of someone that fits into this category. I hope you're smiling.
Country Music (excluding songs about alcohol, scandal or adultery)- Wow, I narrowed that category down to about 20% of country songs... Anyway, these songs generally tell a story. This is where the singer takes time to painfully describe how he learned an important life lesson. Even country fans can think of a particular song that is a little too preachy. Sky diving and rocky mountain climbing are no excuse for preaching.

And thus we see... Ha, see? I just stopped myself from getting preachy! If I were to conclude with a moral, or a complete sentence, I would be