Who do you know?

There is a theory that the five closest people to you are a reflection of who you are. I am not talking about family. We don’t get a choice about having them in our lives. I am talking about the people whom we have chosen to be in our inner circles.

When I first got sober, I heard that I had to be ready to let go of my “lower companions.” These are the people who fed my addiction and dysfunction. And honestly there was only one. Even through my disease I have managed to surround myself with the phenomenal people. People who are inspirational , funny, loving, compassionate, intelligent, down to earth, righteous, powerful, and above all - men and women that challenge me to be a better person. When I fall down, they are there to see the best in me, and love me until I can love myself again. They hold me and lift me up until I can walk on my own. When I am living in my truth and filled with a sense of purpose and feeling at my best, they are there to celebrate and share in the joy.

I have a lofty goal. I want to change the world. I want to touch enough lives, hearts, and minds, which shift consciousness – allowing others to experience the unknown with openness and a willingness to put judgment aside.

That is why I have to tell my story. To make it okay for those who know me, to tell me their story, and then create a domino effect. Everyone has a story, whether you are from Bel Air or from South Central. It is a Human story. And that is how we change culture. When we see each other for ALL our humanity, and our mentors and our mentees are as human as they get - full of wounds and flaws and beauty and light, and the power to change the world.

So I ask you: What do the 5 closest people in your life say about you? What lofty goals do you have for your life, and are those people part of the solution, or are they part of the problem? Do they inspire you to be a better person? Do you inspire them to contribute to their own lives?

If you are reading this, I am willing to bet that you are already part of the answer. And for that I am eternally grateful. I have often said that I am the luckiest person in the world to do what I do because not only do I get to love for a living, but I get to do it with the cream of the crop of humanity. Which means that you must know some pretty amazing people… And now is your chance to give them the opportunity to be part of the revolution that is Youth Mentoring Connection.

We are launching our viral annual campaign and if you contact those 5 people who you know also want to make a difference, and they contact their 5 people, and so on and so on… Before we know it we will all be surrounded by light. Wow, how amazing would that be?

It's time for our annual campaign drive! Partner with us to mentor our youth from the threats of gang violence, drugs, and dropping out of school. Everyone who donates will be entered to win two tickets to our benefit concert with Jackson Browne in October.
YOUR DONATION WILL CHANGE LIVES! Donate here: Youth Mentoring Connection Annual Campaign