LET'S GET ONE THING STRAIGHT........

Real moments. Real impact.

Let’s get one thing straight: mentoring kids isn’t just about helping them stay out of trouble. It’s about building people. It's about showing them what it means to stand for something when the pressure hits, when nobody’s watching, when the easy road is right there and they still choose the hard one because it’s right.

I’ve been doing this work for a while now. Working with young people—some of them coming from tough situations, some just trying to find their lane. Every single one of them has potential. But potential means nothing without guidance, accountability, and opportunity. That’s where mentorship steps in.

The Complexity

Mentoring isn’t a highlight reel. It’s long hours. It’s repeating yourself more times than you can count. It’s pouring into kids who sometimes push back because they’re scared to trust, scared to fail, or just plain tired. You’ve got to be steady. Unshakable. Not perfect, but consistent.

One of the hardest things is understanding that you’re not raising clones. You’re not molding them into a version of you. You're helping them uncover who they are and what values will guide them. That means listening—really listening—not just to their words, but to their silence, their choices, their energy. It means challenging them without crushing them. Correcting without shaming. Encouraging without enabling.

It’s a tightrope, and there’s no script.

The Reward

But then there’s that moment. The one where the kid you’ve been working with steps up. They handle a situation with maturity. They apologize when they’re wrong. They show up for someone else. They ask real questions about who they’re becoming.

That’s when you see the work paying off. Not always in big ways. Sometimes it’s subtle. A better decision. A calmer response. A shift in how they see themselves.

And here's the kicker: most of the reward isn’t even for you. It's for them. You might not get credit. You might not be around when they finally get it. But knowing you played a part—that you laid a brick in that foundation—is enough.

The Long Game

This isn’t microwave work. It’s slow-cooked. You’re not just teaching kids how to win the day—you’re teaching them how to win in life. To be dependable, respectful, self-aware. To lead without ego. To speak truth. To own their mistakes and move forward.

Character doesn’t come from lectures. It comes from lived example. From daily choices. From someone standing beside you, believing in you when you don't believe in yourself.

That’s the kind of mentor I try to be. Not flawless. Just real. Present. Honest.

Final Word

If you’re mentoring—or thinking about it—understand this: it’s going to stretch you. But it will grow you. It will teach you patience. Humility. Grace. You’ll see yourself in these kids—your past, your mistakes, your potential. And that will either scare you or push you to be better, so you can give them better.

And sometimes, it’s not all motivational speeches and breakthroughs. Sometimes a kid will look you dead in the face and say, “Shut your bxtch ass up.” That’s real. And you can’t take it personal. You’ve got to be built for that. You’ve got to understand that kind of wall comes from pain, mistrust, survival mode. If you react with ego, you lose them. If you stay grounded, keep showing up, and keep it solid—they’ll eventually let you in. That’s when the work starts.

And trust me, they deserve better. Every kid does.