WHAT UP! WHAT UP! WHAT UP! It’s your boy E.T. I’m excited about this TGIM. Those of you who’ve followed me for a while, you know how passionate I am about youth and education. I grew up hating school, but once I realized the benefits of an education, I knew I had to pass this information to the youth. I work hard to be good at what I do. I’m one of the top speakers in the world, which fortunately puts me in a financial position to buy back my time. I visit my local schools and detention centers regularly. I speak to the kids, engage in activities, I make myself a consistent presence in the schools. That’s why I’m so excited about this TGIM. You get to see a closer look at different side of my grind.
STABILITY and CONSISTENCY two things many of our kids lack. Many are in broken homes, missing a mother, a father in some instances both parents. They’ve been lied to, broken promises–so many kids lack trust. I want to be a consistent presence in their lives. That’s why my team and I put out TGIM’s every week, that’s why we travel to schools for free when we tour cities around the country. It brings tears to my eyes when we travel to schools and see our books, my posters, my quotes plastered on walls. It always amazes me when I hear about schools that play my videos everyday. I’ve arrived at schools for the first time greeted by screaming kids, it floors me every time!
One of my main goals when speaking with youth is to let them know they can control what they can control. Meaning, you can control what grade you get, you can control your behavior, you can control how you treat your teachers. You can’t control being born into a broken home, but you don’t have to let that define you. You can control how you react to the situation. For those of you out there teaching or working with youth, I hope this message resonates. Let them know that THEY are in control of their situation, even when it seems bleak, they can choose to react positively and not sink under pressure. Look it’s your boy ET. Remember, make the rest of your life the best of your life.
