To Be Or Not To Be?

Naked Leader Week 1178 – Monday 8 June 2026

Time To Read: 60 Seconds

“…that is the question.”

Is not doing something—taking drugs, smoking, being excluded from school—an aspiration?

No.

So why do we so often define young people from certain backgrounds by what we hope they won’t become, rather than by who they could be?

When we focus on problems instead of potential, we build services that look backwards, not forwards.

Perhaps the real aspiration is not avoiding failure but helping young people thrive in adulthood. Not “don’t do this,” but “become this.”

Over the years I have mentored several young people through The King’s Trust. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. In truth, many of these have been mutual mentoring sessions. The young people often teach me as much—if not more—about courage, resilience, and real life than I could ever teach them.

Being free from addiction, staying in education, and believing your future can be different from your past—those are not just outcomes.

They are aspirations.

With love and best wishes to you

David

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