Mark Gofstein, Director of the MDI Cause
I am writing to you for one purpose: to speak to the mentor that you have inside you. Many men I know have something to say and often say it to someone who hasn’t asked for support or who doesn’t listen. Well, I have a vehicle for you to consider.
In many areas around North America, where MDI is present, there are young men’s initiation events. These events are staffed by men who are in MDI or who have done their own initiation work as an adult, such as the Legacy Discovery, the Men’s Weekend or New Warrior training. They have helped the youth in our communities get the gifts they had at an earlier age so that the legacy of men giving to the next generation lives on. This legacy ensures the success of future generations of MDI or men’s work everywhere because the young men are getting the importance of our wisdom at a younger period in their lives than we did. This can’t help but improve the importance of mentorship in our society.
In my professional experience as a child psychotherapist, I have seen that the most resistance to accepting knowledge actually comes from adults. Adults frequently think they know what they’re doing when they continue to make poor life choices. Young men are willing to extract knowledge or wisdom from older males more readily when they have time to see the value of this working relationship. Each man we know has a gift inside of him to share. And the most willing students are young men. They are hungry for knowledge once they see that men are approachable when you get to know them past their mask. They want to connect with older males because they want to connect to that mature energy and the smell of success that older men have, even when they are not employed in the working world.
So, being that we have a responsibility and that we are not afraid to look at ourselves to be better men, I want to offer this opportunity. Many of the areas that we work with are represented in the flyers seen here. Take a look to see if it speaks to you to find out more. Or if you want to start something for the young men in your area, you can join my team of “Kingmakers.” This team of half a dozen experienced men has over 100 years of wisdom to get you started on your path. I have been on my path supporting young men’s work since I was a young man, and I know the value of mentors and guides as I had them throughout my journey. I am 35 years into my work with young men, and it keeps getting richer for me. Your help is requested to further the work we do for each other and the young men not yet here.
Ending abuse of all kinds through Male Mentorship 0-99 and beyond