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As a 14-year-old freshman high school student, I hopped the fence one Friday night to attend the football game without paying. The next morning I sheepishly told my folks. My dad's response was, "Well, I guess next week you'll pay double."

I spent a painful week trying to figure out how I would go up to the ticket booth at the next game and plop down enough money for two games.

But, that's what I did. I remember the person in the booth saying, "You gave me too much money."

I responded, "I gave you what I owe you."

This episode was a watershed character moment for me. In retrospect I know why. I look back now and see that this was an experience where I crossed the bridge on the theme: Why do the right thing?

By not paying I was cheating. I thought I'd get away with it. But my conscience was at work. Rather than laying down the law as a hammer, my dad showed wisdom by saying what he did. He left it to me to deal with the problem and become internally motivated to do the right thing. He showed me that not getting caught is about putting the character control center outside of myself.

Basically my dad's words meant "take charge and take responsibility for a bad decision." It was a moment where I could learn that the real meaningful character control center is the one that is working on the inside.

Character educators talk a lot today about the intrinsic motivation to act with character. The developing kid of character does find moments, like the one I had at age 14, in which the call to character rests on the foundation of one's personal motivation to act in accordance with what they know to be right.

Like me, most kids of character stumble their way into intrinsic motivation. Fortunately, I had a good mentor, my dad, who was there to help me discover the heart of the character calling. finding the internal motivation to act in accordance with my own ethical code.

Russell Williams is president of Passkeys Foundation Jefferson Center for Character Education. For information contact (949) 770-7602 or www.passkeys.org