– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[applause]

>> I had a great childhood.

Loving parents, a safe and supportive

home.

I went to a good school in a new

neighborhood.

I had every opportunity to succeed.

And I still made a series of bad

decisions that led me down a dangerous

path.

I was a good student

when I attended.

But with high school came challenges.

There was stress,

insecurities, and pressure to fit in.

And it left me questioning,

"Who am I?

Where do I belong?

What do I do after graduation?"

I didn't know.

I felt lost, overwhelmed, and

unprepared.

And that marked the beginning of my

relationship with negative coping

mechanisms.

I started skipping school,

drinking alcohol, and doing drugs almost

daily.

I didn't realize it then, but I was

losing control.

By 17, I'd been hospitalized twice after

two major car accidents.

And both involved drugs and alcohol.

And shortly after that,

I was arrested on drug charges.

My 20s were a series of small wins

followed by setbacks that left me

wondering, "What am I doing?"

I was in and out of school and bounced

from city to city.

I found work, got fired,

and started over more than once.

It was a decade of motion without

meaning.

Now, as a father of two young boys, I

look back in horror at what I put my

parents through.

The stress, sleepless nights, and

helplessness as they watched me

struggle.

When your child is caught in a downward

spiral,

there's no manual for how to save them.

You're left hoping,

wishing,

praying that something or someone

finally gets through to them.

And lucky for me, someone did.

My dad introduced me to his personal

trainer Donnie, and the direction of my

life completely changed.

And there's an old saying that when the

student is ready,

the teacher will appear.

And that's exactly what happened. Donnie

took me under his wing, sharing his

knowledge about life and business.

He became my mentor.

He talked about goals and positive

self-talk and surrounding yourself with

inspiring people.

And he had this knack for dropping

one-liners that made you rethink your

whole life.

Things like, "Uh, you can't fix what you

won't face."

Or,

"Well, if nothing changes,

nothing changes."

And little riddles like, "Small hinges

open big doors."

I still don't understand that one.

It felt like wisdom I was hearing for

the first time, even though I'm pretty

sure my parents have been saying the

same sort of thing for years.

Let's be honest. Advice from your

parents lands about as well as when your

spouse tells you how to load the

dishwasher properly.

You hear it. You just don't hear it.

But from a mentor, the same words take

on a whole new power.

It's like someone hands you a pair of

glasses, and suddenly you see things

better than ever before.

You see yourself

better than ever before.

Well, my mentor saw something and

believed in me before I had the ability

to believe in myself.

And today, I'm 5 years sober.

I'm 15 years drug-free.

>> [applause]

>> I'm a happy husband and proud father.

And for the last decade, I've worked to

help others transform their lives, too.

Now, I don't share that to impress you,

but to impress upon you what's possible

with mentorship and connection.

And we need both now more than ever.

My story shows that no one is immune to

feeling lost

or the consequences of poor decisions.

Struggle is universal and it can affect

anyone.

In fact, it is. And studies suggest that

we're witnessing a generation where many

young men are quietly struggling,

battling depression,

anxiety, substance abuse,

and even thoughts of suicide.

In 2024, the Canadian Men's Health

Foundation found that more than half of

all young men aged 19 to 29 reported

moderate to high anxiety, and 42% were

at risk of depression.

In the UK, the Lost Boys report

published by the Centre for Social

Justice stated that boys and young men

are in crisis.

Imagine waking up every day with an

invisible weight

that impacts every single aspect of

life.

Your ambition,

your education,

your relationships,

but most importantly, your hope for the

future.

Even worse, many young men often suffer

in silence, believing that it's not

manly to ask for help.

So, instead,

they often bottle up their emotions and

turn to negative coping mechanisms like

drugs,

alcohol, video games, or doom scrolling

social media to check out.

And when they feel lost, stuck, or

stressed,

it's often easier to escape reality than

actually deal with it.

But what if a mentor were to show up at

this critical time in a young man's

life?

Mentorship, it's not meant to replace

treatment or therapy,

but I believe it's part of the solution.

It's actionable,

it's effective, and it doesn't require a

billion-dollar budget.

Mentorship is valuable because it

provides something that everyone needs,

connection.

Someone who listens, someone who

reflects our strengths back to us, and

gently nudges us towards who we're

capable of becoming.

It builds confidence,

self-esteem,

and hope.

And mentorship's not a new concept, it's

as old as human history itself.

Historically, we relied on elders and

apprenticeship to survive.

Our ancestors,

they didn't make it on their own.

We evolved to thrive in connection.

And today, despite being connected

through social media and technology,

we're starved for genuine, meaningful

relationships.

Somewhere along the way we began

glorifying independence.

And look, independence is great,

unless of course you're struggling

alone.

Mentorship can uplift and empower. And

just as iron sharpens iron, supportive

connections leave us all feeling

stronger.

It's often said that everyone needs four

people in their life,

a coach,

a cheerleader, a friend, and a mentor.

And it's true.

But here's the twist,

it's also about being those people for

someone else.

Mentorship is a two-way street, and as a

mentor, you're called to embody the

values and the principles that you

teach.

And in doing so, you also find a

newfound sense of meaning and purpose.

Helping somebody to discover their

strengths is one of life's greatest

gifts.

Just ask Wally who mentors aspiring

entrepreneurs. He's known for his

community involvement and believes that

success is best when shared.

Or John who's mentored young men for

over 50 years and still does at the age

of 93.

He says it's probably what keeps him

feeling so young.

I imagine that each of you can recall

someone from your youth

who made such an impression on you that

you can still see their face or maybe

even hear their voice.

So, how do we restore mentorship?

With action.

First, we need to create spaces where

it's safe for young men to open up and

ask for feedback.

Places where they can connect through a

shared experience like a group hike,

learning a new skill, or bonding around

a bonfire rather than just bellying up

to the bar.

Second, we need to be intentional.

Pay attention and notice changes in

those around you. A simple, "Hey, do you

want to grab a coffee and go for a

walk?" can make a huge difference in the

life of a young man.

And third, we need to lead by example.

Actions speak louder than words, and

others are always watching whether you

realize it or not.

We all have young men in our life.

A son,

brother,

nephew, or neighbor. And when he's

thriving, it literally creates a ripple

effect through families and communities.

Young men have enormous potential.

Always have,

always will.

So, here's what I ask you to consider.

Can you be a mentor?

Who in your life needs you to be that

voice of encouragement or that catalyst

for change?

After all, it's about more than just

mentorship.

It's about finding meaning

and purpose

and being of service to others.

And I believe that deep down inside,

that's what everyone's searching for

anyway.

Young men need mentors now more than

ever.

Mentorship has the power to change

lives.

I know this because it changed mine.

Thank you.

>> [applause]

[applause]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
childhood /ˈtʃaɪld.hʊd/ A2	noun - the period of time when a person is a child
opportunity /ˌɒp.əˈtʃuː.nə.ti/ B1	noun - an occasion or situation that makes it possible to do something
succeed /səkˈsiːd/ A2	verb - to achieve the desired aim or result
overwhelmed /ˌəʊ.vəˈwelmd/ B2	adjective - feeling like you have too much to deal with
mechanism /ˈmek.ə.nɪ.zəm/ B2	noun - a way of behaving or thinking that helps one deal with something
spiral /ˈspaɪə.rəl/ B2	noun - a continuous harmful increase or decrease
mentor /ˈmen.tɔːr/ B2	noun - an experienced and trusted adviser
inspire /ɪnˈspaɪər/ B2	verb - to fill someone with the urge to do something
transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ B2	verb - to change completely in appearance or form
consequence /ˈkɒn.sɪ.kwəns/ B2	noun - a result of a particular action or situation
universal /ˌjuː.nɪˈvɜː.səl/ B2	adjective - existing everywhere or involving everyone
ambition /æmˈbɪʃ.ən/ B2	noun - a strong desire to achieve something
effective /ɪˈfek.tɪv/ B1	adjective - successful in producing a desired result
confidence /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/ B1	noun - the feeling that you can trust or rely on yourself
embody /ɪmˈbɒd.i/ C1	verb - to represent a quality or an idea exactly
catalyst /ˈkæt.əl.ɪst/ C1	noun - a person or thing that causes a change

Key Grammar Structures

• I still made a series of bad decisions that led me down a dangerous path.

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that'

  ➔ The word "that" introduces a relative clause describing "decisions," providing additional information about the noun.

• I'd been hospitalized twice after two major car accidents.

  ➔ Past Perfect Passive

  ➔ The structure "had been" + past participle indicates an action completed before another point in the past.

• And there's an old saying that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

  ➔ Subordinate clause of time

  ➔ The clause "when the student is ready" acts as a time marker, establishing the condition or moment for the main clause.

• Advice from your parents lands about as well as when your spouse tells you how to load the dishwasher properly.

  ➔ Comparative structure (as... as...)

  ➔ Using "as well as" allows for a comparison of the effectiveness between two different situations.

• My mentor saw something and believed in me before I had the ability to believe in myself.

  ➔ Past simple vs. Past perfect

  ➔ The distinction between "believed" (past) and "had" (past) shows the sequence of events clearly.

• Studies suggest that we're witnessing a generation where many young men are quietly struggling.

  ➔ Relative clause with 'where'

  ➔ "Where" is used here as a relative adverb to modify the noun "generation," describing the context of that time period.

• Many young men often suffer in silence, believing that it's not manly to ask for help.

  ➔ Participial phrase

  ➔ "Believing..." functions as a participial phrase, providing context for why they suffer in silence.

• It's as old as human history itself.

  ➔ Comparative of equality (as... as...)

  ➔ This structure is used to assert that two things (the concept of mentorship and human history) share the same age.