The greatest way to lead is by example

Ever have one of those moments where you arrive at a destination without remembering the journey, because your mind was set on autopilot and things simply happened without much thought?

Every morning our minds are turned on by an alarm that sets us on the course of autopilot preparations. Somewhere between reseting your alarm, avoiding an awful driver on the way to work, and settling down at the office, millions of Canadians go for coffee; I call that the Canadian routine!

Whatever you're routine is you've developed it over the years to suit your lifestyle. You believe that the routine you have is beneficial and optimum for your lifestyle. Or, maybe you would like to change and add a new routine but find it's difficult to break old habits.

Routines can take a long time to develop. They are implanted through the simplest of conditioning, and by the time you recognize it, it's usually too late to change it. Just ask a smoker why they continue to smoke and most will tell you it started a long time ago, without really knowing why it continues.

But routines aren't all bad and many of us have very positive healthy routines like being active, volunteering, taking time to reflect, or donating to a worthy cause.

This brings me to last Saturday morning, where I was at a school bake sale and donated some money for a good cause. I had realized that somewhere between achieving a career at 23 and marriage this

month that I had gotten into the routine of donating to charity.

I won't lie to you, it's an expensive routine and most would probably prefer a routine like jogging or watching TV. But the charity seed was planted long before I ever realized, long before I had job, and even before I knew what money was.

I have been watching my parents send half their minimum wage pay cheques back to Vietnam since I was a child. My grandmother donated all her savings after my grandfather died to build a temple in the small village where they met. She employed hundreds of people and established

an orphanage that now houses almost 30 kids.

Fast forward to my 23rd birthday when I was spending half my pay on a brand new car and clothes. My mother showed me pictures of all the people she sponsors back home in Vietnam and the many causes that rely on her regular financial support. It was a humbling moment that put me to shame.

This was the beginning of a personal reflective roller coaster that would end up placing me on the path of charity.

So I started taking part in fundraisers, volunteering at events and became comfortable with asking others to support good causes. Every party at our home donates to various local charities, I'm happy to support our community where ever I can.

To this day, I'm still not sure if my parents were fully aware of what they were doing when exposing me to their routine of donating. But they were successful in developing the idea of helping others in a child that just wanted to help himself. They challenged a selfish teenager and won him over without him even knowing it. I sometimes watch in absolute amazement how my two quiet conservative parents managed to work their mom-and-dad-magic throughout the years.

Or maybe it just came down to understanding that the greatest way to lead is by example.