I almost feel like I don’t really need to say anything else…..  maybe just “remember this before you act, respond or say something…… take the ten seconds to think”
I read the papers, I watch the news, I take my son to the doctor, I take him to school, I deal with people all day, etc….
Just to mention a few examples of leading by example….
In the grocery store, your child is acting out and a nosey onlooker gives you a dirty look and maybe even comments – so you could say something nasty or give them a dirty look – or teach them a lesson by saying
“i’m sorry you are ignorant – my child is autistic – I hope someday you may be able to understand”
In the government – we are in a recession – so what do you do when you don’t have enough money – well, you cut back on your spending…. I guess that would mean no trip to Hawaii…. or no trip to the awards in the Kennedy Center and certainly the travel and entertainment budget would be trimmed to be spent on more practical needs.
Speaking to your children – a temper tantrum is in the process – so now it is time to discourage this behavior…. not prolong it…. screaming and yelling along with the child would probably engage the child and encourage the activity…. Ignoring it would make the child realize the attention he was seeking is not coming his way….
Let’s play baseball, blocks, kickball, any game…. so get your butt out there and play with the child!  How else is he ever going to know what to do or how to do it or that it is “the” thing to do…
We need to SHOW people what to do……. and if we are doing something totally different, obviously they are not going to see the appropriate way to act -Â
If you want to teach, lead or impact a life – then you need to be an example to that life….. an appropriate example …. be and show the end result….
and the end result can be a simple request for juice or it can be a School district class lesspm or it can be a action in our public leadership or even a law passed….Â
Be who you expect others to be – hmmmm…..  familiar saying “treat others as you would want them to treat you”…. maybe rings a bell…
Be the person and treat others how you would want them to treat you – do the right thing, go the extra mile, listen to them, help them, be there for them, feel their pain, comfort them….  Â
If all of us could follow such a simple rule, boy would things change for all of us! I have been fortunate enough to have experienced such people in my life who actually have “LED by EXAMPLE”. I hope you have too or will in the future!~
Dedicated to my dear friend Allan Goldblatt…..
