From Bullying To Power Mingling

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Hey guys!

Have you ever felt like you didn't quite fit in?

I'd like to share with you a story. The story of a journey, a transformation, in the wonderful - yet sometimes brutal - realm of social relationships.

Once upon a time, there was a lil guy… Let’s call him Lil K.

Lil K was a warm, sensitive lil boy. He was curious, easy-going, with a broad smile & big, sparkling eyes. He loved meeting people, making friends, & talking passionately for hours about the new lil critters he just discovered, like warthogs, centipedes or elbows (yeah, I know elbow is not an animal ; he didn’t, back then…).

Lil K also was a bit of an introvert, with a flourishing imagination & a deep, very personal universe.

Following his parents to a new town, he had to start fresh & find new friends.

But Lil K seemed odd to the locals, like a mis-fit, & you know how kids tend to react to what’s different while trying to figure out life, right?

As you guessed, some of the local kids started to pick on him. Lil K, craving connections big time, still befriended some of his bullies, for lack of options.

But his new “friends” didn’t stop harassing him ; in fact, for the next 8 years, they turned Lil K into their own punching bag. From there, it got really weird & twisted, as pain & friendship started to mix in Lil K’s lil head & lil heart.?

Day by day, week by week, Lil K’s self-confidence & self-love were shredded into small lil pieces. When the bullying finally stopped, the damage was so deep that Lil K now suffered from a crippling level of shyness & was stuck into a nasty spiral of self-hatred & self-deprecation.

Yet, he didn’t lose hope…

He used one of his new passions, role-playing games, as a refuge from reality. More than just a soothing escape, it became an anchor that grounded & nurtured him, helping him express his creativity & cultivate his imagination.

Yet, Lil K, now Young K, despite his pain - or maybe because of it - was still craving genuine, healthy connections.

He met like-minded mavericks through games, sure, but he still wanted to find meaning in his apparent mess of a life, which led him to study the mysteries of Sociology & Anthropology. It helped him understand how relationships work, how people behave in groups & how they build rapport with each other.

He also found a new passion: dance.

It allowed him to express his emotions away & (very) slowly build his confidence back, shedding some of his cumbersome shyness in the process.

It also helped him to embrace his difference. To go past the limiting beliefs he had about standing out. To acknowledge that being different, being a "Freak," in the eyes of some people, was in reality a shortcut to the heart of others, a wonderful opportunity to bond with other misfits.

In parallel, inspired by the exceptional connections his father had made all over the world, he started to forge his own wonderful friendships, step by step.

Of course, he made countless mistakes along the way, but still managed to gather beautiful like-minded people & fascinating unlike-minded people in his life, bringing him comfort & diversity, solace & growth.

With time, thanks to his new friendships & the improvement of his self-confidence, the pain coming from his broken & unhealthy past relationships started to heal, leaving room for balance, gratitude & even the occasional bliss.

He also was able to reconnect with his Inner Child, Lil K, & channel him to share fun & warmth around him like a playful lil otter.

After a life-changing trip to Mexico, many inspiring encounters & a few spiritual breakthroughs, Young K, now Big K, realized how powerful & inspiring his relationships had been in his life.

He also embraced the belief that building deep & genuine relationships should be easy & fun, whatever cards you’ve been dealt, wherever you are now & whoever you aspire to become.

At this point, he acknowledged how his past struggles were in fact precious seeds for growth, acting as catalysts to propel him towards a new, awesomer identity.

That’s when Big K decided to step into a new alter-ego, Mr. Mingle, an embodiment of his happiest & most outgoing self, focused on creating warm uplifting connections all around him.

The best part: by channeling Mr. Mingle, Big K could leverage his past experiences to help others overcome their own insecurities, uncover their hidden social strengths, hone their relationship building skills, & ultimately become what he called Iki-guys: genuine social connectors.

That’s how Lil K evolved into Mr. Mingle, confident that he’d live happily, healthily & wealthily ever after thanks to his precious friends!

How about you, guys?

What’s your take on social relationships?

How was your journey, so far?