(ThyBlackMan.com) Over the length and breadth of this land there are many black men who inspire youth. They are professional athletes, musicians, entrepreneurs, and even to those of us who punch the clock every day. Believe it or not, youngins don’t just want to be rich, they aspire to be as resilient in their quest for success as we are. So, they listen to what we say and mimic our actions because they believe in our methods. Like it or not, YOU are somebody’s role model. It’s a man thing!
Being a role model shouldn’t be a burden, but a blessing wrapped in opportunity. Have you ever noticed how young people listen when a man speaks? Because youth listen to what we say, it’s our duty to 
pump confidence in them with the words we speak. When in direct contact with youth, men should always make conversation and leave the conversation knowing that the kid feels better about themselves. Even indirect, or residual confidence builders can be just as effective, such as a hi-five or a compliment in passing. Depositing confidence into the future is never a bad look and should be a part of every man’s daily walk.
It’s super important that Black men do this with intent because we not only have stigmas to break, but communication barriers that must come down. The stigma is that black men are disengaged socially, meaning that we don’t get involved with the community. This is partially true, and our excuse is always that we’re working. However, getting involved, interacting with the community is a great way to engage youth and deposit the confidence some may desperately need.
Engaging and interacting with youth is also a good example for youth, especially young black males. Most of them don’t know how to carry on a conversation, trying to avoid one or shocked that you even recognized them. Most haven’t been taught or haven’t had an example of how to be a man, let alone engage in healthy positive conversation. It’s sad, but knowing this about our young black brothers should encourage us to commit to building up their confidence and showing them how to positively interaction with others can take them far.
Once you’ve made positive investments in a young person, they often try to imitate what you do in life. Because of this, the code you live by becomes the standard for them. Therefore, in a sense, men set the standards. Sure, favor isn’t fair, but it’s real. So we must be cognizant of the influence we have AND ensure that the code we live by is legit.
The moral of the story is, along with our many accomplishment and successes in life, men have a responsibility to invest into future generations. No matter how long your money may be or how much time you think you don’t have, some kid is looking for a new standard. Some kid needs confidence to be more than a product of their environment, so they can be productive in life. There is an entire generation of young people looking to men for a standard and for confidence; therefore every man should make it his thing, to be a role model.
Staff Writer; T.L. Kirk
One may also connect with this brother via Twitter; tlkirk_11 and also over at;http://www.UnRehearsedTruths.com.
