Levern Darrell Scippio

I grew up in a loving household. I know my mother and my father. Although they were not together for the complete duration of my childhood, they were both accessible. No court battles or visitation rights. My home life was all I could ask for. My struggle came from dealing with how the world viewed me.

Throughout my youth, although I wasn't shy, I was socially awkward. My mom couldn't buy me fashionable clothes or the newest sneakers, so my social clout suffered. On a daily basis, I was bullied. I frequently had to defend myself from verbal and physical attacks. Also during this time, I was dealing with acne which created difficulty with the opposite sex. These things combined did not support the growth of a positive self-image.

By the age of 22, I was involuntarily admitted for psychiatric evaluation and told I suffer from depression. Ironically, this began a beautiful new journey for me. The start of my personal development journey. My goal, instead of shaping my mind around what the world thought of me, I focused on what I thought of myself. I trained my mind to have nothing but purely positive thoughts. Guiding myself down a balanced and logical path, I learned to observe, analyze, and strategize in a whole different way ultimately building a new me but still it wasn't time to celebrate.

These skills transcended from my personal life into the development of a career. Employment in sales and customer service positions gave me the opportunities to use the new strategies I’ve learned. Showcasing these strategies led me to train, coach, and developing others. Helping them to connect with their audience also helping them live a happier, more fulfilling life. Having an eagerness to connect with a larger audience in a fundamentally different way, I yearn to use my experience to supports others on their journey and gives a foundation to a larger structure.

I know there are others like me, rejected by society. Forgotten, not knowing if they have a place. Wanting to change their lives but unsure where to start. I want to help show them the world is not a place to look for approval; acceptance is internal. My plan is to bridge the divide between the individual and self-actualization by approaching the concept of the capability to improve communal opportunities and well-being. I know once we believe in ourselves and find a place in the world, we will create a better society. Where we will not only make a difference, we will teach others to do the same.