I remember growing up under the weight of expectations about becoming a man, with little to no guidance on dealing with the emotional turmoil of adolescence, success and failure, how to appreciate and take care of relationships responsibly, or how to set boundaries. The lack of healthy male role models in my life led to all sorts of confusion later on and moments that I am not proud of. While I was highly successful academically and (on the surface) socially, masks and walls were created early on. This led to being far underprepared to handle relationship issues for decades, creating a lopsided, career-obsessed mentality.

I bumped into Journeymen on the tail end of my decades-long hard work to get out of this mess, and the mission resonated with me immediately; it sparked my fire. I started attending men's meetings, which turned into facilitator trainings, and I began helping as a mentor at a rites-of-passage weekend and at one of the participating high schools. Being in a circle with men with deep empathy, who listen, are authentic, caring, and dedicated to changing the lives of young boys, is as inspiring as it is rare.

The rites of passage weekend showed me the deep thought, preparation, and talent that go into carrying out Journeymen's mission. By reviving ancient traditions and embodying the hero's journey through trials and deep discussions, accessible yet meaningful symbolism, and a touch of mysticism that touches the heart, we created and planted a seed in these young boys that will be with them for the rest of their lives. This seed can sprout into healthy habits that will help them cope with life and become better men. The J-group meetings foster this growth, where the initiated boys (now journeymen, the organization's namesake) can truly practice the new tools they have acquired. This stoked my fire. 

As a side effect, I continued to build better tools and began to notice positive changes in my thinking and in how I cope with life. However, most importantly, through this work, we raise healthy, responsible, emotionally mature men, and we all benefit. Better men directly translate to a better world.

Does this stoke your fire? What you can do:

1) Contribute to our fundraising month - sponsor a boy by donating today

2) Get Involved: become a mentor, ambassador, or board member