Pre-Order
An inspiring book on finding your purpose in your past and your heroism in your future. Most, if not all, of us have experienced some sort of trauma or hopelessness that will determine our lives moving forward. Do we stuff it, try and make up for it, pursue a life that redefines it? Do we embrace everything that these experiences brought us and use this knowledge to guide and advocate for others? What if we do both? This book explores this world through real-life experiences, lessons, and examples. Humans experience trauma and hopelessness everyday, heroes use that experience to change the world.
Leaving My Mark: Turning Hopelessness to Heroism
The Hero
The author explores their journey to leaving a powerful legacy of advocacy. Through homelessness, poverty, and even a drive-by shooting, the author’s story reveals traumatic events that created feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. Themes of helplessness and hopelessness recur throughout the book, each experience met with the extraordinary support of mentors. The heroism of the author ultimately becomes a reflection of the community that raised him. The key to heroism, as the author comes to learn, is community and the mentors in it, that fact is made evident through the author’s story.
The Mentor
A mentor is needed along the hero’s journey to not only give the hero confidence but to also provide the hero the tools to succeed in their journey. A person might be a mentor in one person’s hero’s journey and in performing their act of mentorship, finalize their own journey as a hero. This book defines the hero and the mentor and profiles several mentors in the author’s journey to heroism that provided housing, food, support, and even a law office. The author’s life confirms the fact that the imprints of mentors on the hero have a lot to do with how the community will be served by the hero.
The Community
The charge to “leave your mark” coming from his mother caused the author to embrace a non-traditional view of heroism. By being taught to leave his mark, the author embraces a lifelong journey toward transforming his community. The problem comes when the author steps into the real world and realizes the incredible lift of a life of advocacy. In his quest for a legacy of advocacy, the author battles homelessness, mental health, burnout, and sleepless nights, all the while accomplishing extraordinary goals in life and community. Clarity comes when the author embraces his self-worth outside of his accomplishments and learns the real meaning of what it takes to “leave your mark.”