Andrew Au

This is my mom and dad arriving in Canada as teenagers.

They barely spoke a word of English.

Mom grew up under a staircase in Hong Kong.

Dad grew up in Macau, also in abject poverty. His father walked out on his family when he was three.

They arrived in Canada with no plan B. They knew they had to change the trajectory of their lives.

Dad worked as a waiter to pay his way through school, eventually becoming an accountant. My mom looked after us and worked different part-time jobs.

They made it work, but it was very tough.

Even as a child, I could sense the immense strain they were under.

I owe a huge part of my success to my mom and dad.

They sweated their guts out to create a better life for me and my sister.

More importantly, they taught me the value of hard work and taking risks.

They arrived in Canada not knowing the language, no family, no safety net, no support.

They taught me that no matter how badly the cards are stacked against you, you've got to keep moving forward.

Be thankful for the simple things you have, like food, shelter and a family who loves and supports you.

Everything else is a blessing and a bonus.

🙏🏻

I noticed my daughter's points chart this morning.

We don't reward our kids for doing chores or their results.

We reward our kids for their behaviours:

Big voice. Speak up for what you believe in.
Don’t let things go unsaid.

Big risk. Don’t let fear hold you back.
Try things that are difficult.

Big effort. Take your chances. Give it your all.
Make the most of all your opportunities.
 
Big initiative. Don’t wait for things to happen to you.
Seize opportunities. Make things happen.

Every time they show us one of these values, they get a point.

One point = $1.

They’ve both become more conscious of how they act.

I'm proud to see them grow.

My two outspoken, effort-giving, risk-taking, opportunity-seizing youngsters.

Incentivize behaviors, not outcomes.

True for the home.

True for the workplace.