There’s so much that CAN be done in advocacy when trying to bring abt change…whether we’re talking abt advocates w huge platforms, or those simply talking to friends/fam to educated/help bring new perspective.
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When I first arose from my 2.5 yrs of hell, I remember asking myself – what’s it gonna take to make long-lasting global changes arnd this topic happen? This was abt a yr after Prince Harry so vulnerably shared his story to help others. He shared – not just a label, but his actual life story abt the loss of his mom, the built up trauma, the therapy work, etc. And yet, despite his GREAT advocacy at the time, I looked at the stats a yr later & the UK was experiencing their highest suicide & MH complication rates in 30yrs.
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Here was the biggest of the celebs the UK had, doing advocacy the “right” way – w vulnerability, story telling, & relatability, & negative trends still persisted. It was at that pt I realized, we as a world, do NOT make change happen, by one voice alone – no matter how big the platform. This was the impetus for reaching out to @theofleury14 (cold call), to pitch him on the idea of an ALLIANCE of ppl w platforms – not taking away their individual brands, but uniting their brands together as a #SameHere msg, that we ALL face challenges, #5in5.
I’ve been waxing poetic abt @haydenrhurst & @_4dak having that organic embrace & share on the field recently. Conversely, there’ve been some articles from some big celebs recently abt their own battles that I haven’t commented on, & some of you have asked why. Guess I owe an explanation.
The individual pebble, or even huge boulder on its OWN does not make waves in a large body of water. Celebs who have an attitude of: my platform is so large, I’m gonna put out an article or two, set up a foundation, & save the world bc I speak to millions w the click of a button on social, have it wrong. And I get it…I’ve worked w athletes & entertainers my whole adult life.
They’re told from a young age how elite they are in their craft. Why wouldn’t they think w 1 or 2 articles they tweet out, the world will change to their liking? The answer is, the world is HUGE just like that body of water. 10s of millions of followers are a drop in the bucket – even if you just look at the US alone (300+ mill ppl), not everyone is a sports fan or music fan or movie fan…& true advocacy takes CONSISTENT, pound the pavement work, in a tireless way. We need to all hold hands, work together, consistently & tirelessly. Hayden & Dak are great examples. Likewise, I hope you join the 180 speakers for the Hope Rising event, today, coming TOGETHER for change.