~*perks up my eyebrows*~ I hadn't even considered that possibiliy, Trieah!
(And kinda funny but kinda makes sense about you mentioning 'kind of lead by example sort of thing'. Why? Because ever since I saw the quote some years back online, it's stuck in my head and I use it. "Be the change you want to see in the world.")
And I always just thought that the reason we kept coming back and reincarnating was because of lessons, and karma, and fpr the overall growth for our own spiritual self. Once we got finished with that, pfft! We were done.

It's curious that you've noticed a sort of 'pattern' as well concerning your past lives. (Nice to know I'm not alone on that note!)