Dear friend, The streets are a tough world, one that swallows up too many of our young men and women before they have a chance to truly taste life.
So why are more youngsters today then ever before joining gangs? Why is it impacting girls as well as our young men? Why is it so much more than an inner city problem today, in a world where suburban gangs flourish too?
Because at the end of the day it's still really all about fundamental human needs.
Kids want to belong, and gangs provide reason and reward in their promise of power, inclusion, protection, and opportunity. For so many of our kids, it's the only 'club' they know to enroll in. And many more don't believe they have any other viable option.
The pressure to conform is relentless. Choosing not to do so takes immense courage and strength. And once a youngster is in, getting out is tough. Too many lives end up as penal system 'lost property' or in the spin cycle of social decline, or even in a hole in the ground.
I know all this first hand, because it's the road I took.
I lived my life as a gang chief, crook and hustler, as a drug user and a drug trader. I lived in a world of crime and violence. It took all my wits, smarts and tenacity to survive and eventually extract myself, and frankly, it's a miracle I'm alive today.
It's why I call myself a Streetwise MBA: A 'Master of being Alive.'
I know with certainty, that many of these youngsters could forge a pathway to a better life if they only knew how, and if they had the tools to help them succeed.
My memoir "Tattoos On My Soul: From The Ghetto To The Top Of The World" (www.tattoosonmysoul.com) is an honest account of the struggles I faced as a young foolish boy growing to be a wise man; the good and bad decisions made and the strategies applied to survive, and eventually thrive.
When I engage with youngsters, I teach some simple, but powerful Streetwise Strategies. Based on the lessons that I learned through my own transformational journey they have become tools for my own life:
The essence of Streetwise Strategies? That you can succeed, and that means do well AND do right, when you learn to rely on your instincts, your senses, your commonsense, your heart and yourself.
Find out more about how why I believe that a streetwise education is among the best in the world and how it can change lives at www.streetwisespeaking.com
With warmest regards
Burrel Lee Wilks III America's Most Authentic Life Coach! www.burrelstreetwise.com www.streetwisespeaking.com Burrel Lee Wilks III is America's Most Authentic Life Coach! Find out more about this Streetwise MBA (Master of being Alive) at http://www.burrelstreetwise.com or www.burrelstreetwisespeaking.com
