It is my hope that through sharing my life story I can increase awareness of certain issues affecting many of us. First, I would like to help raise awareness of the trauma associated with growing up as an abused child. Living with post traumatic stress of a troubled childhood can cause a great deal of pain and suffering. This pain and suffering is called shame, which generates a divergent life. Living within a cycle of shame can be passed down many generations, having a negative impact that affects a family's future. Shame affects many - from those abused as children, to those living with AIDS or needing to come to terms with their sexual identity, we all must learn to cope with the truth and pain. These aspects of one's life can have an everlasting impact on the way one lives, but most importantly the decisions that one makes.

By sharing my life story, I am able to help put a stop to the cycle of shame from which my family has lived. The benefits of individuals working together impacts not only personal issues, but global ones as well. In an increasingly interconnected world, we must learn to work together to share common responsibilities - to ourselves, and to the world. From human rights atrocities to global warming, with the awareness and efforts of every human on the planet, we can forge past a materialistic ideologies and live more peacefully: without shame. We all must begin one by one to stop individual and global atrocities, and I feel that by sharing my life story I am able to help bring these important issues to the forefront.

In addition, a portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to charities that support my mission. Such as the Boy's and Girl's Club of America and President Clinton's Global Initiative on making a commitment to change the world.

Boy's and Girl's Club of America