A little about me: My job description says I am a World Leader in Meditation, Intuition and Higher Consciousness Learning. What does all of that mean? Well, I teach people how to meditate in a way that is healthiest for them and to use their imagination in a loving way to improve their body and their life. The Higher Consciousness stuff? Those are some fancy words that mean that I have a real respect for my Mind, Body and Spirit and that throughout my rather interesting life, I have learned to Love and Trust Myself almost all of the time. But it wasn’t always this way. During my coming out years, there was a lot of heartache, confusion and pain before I was able to see my way out of the darkness and into my own version of the light. Every ounce of my esteem and self worth has been earned through diligent work and a healthy passion for life despite the many challenges and obstacles I have faced. Believe me, I have been through some dark times that have tested the very fabric of my identity but I firmly believe that part of my life’s purpose here was to go through that dark stuff so I can share with you exactly how I survived it all. Today I get to share with you the things that I have learned that have helped me to transform confusion into compassion and fear into empowerment. Read on. I will share with you some of the things I use everyday that have helped me to transform seeming defeat into victory and create the awesome opportunities that I have today.

If you watched this trailer and did not shake, if you watched this trailer and did not tremble, if you watched this trailer and did not feel confliction, admiration or love, then I suggest you watch it again.  I am not sure if my mind has even finished digesting the power that was in this short clip. Black people talking about black people. No, black people talking about black gays. Wait, an all black cast in the south making a movie about a black gay boy learning about his sexuality.

The Pride Network is proud to partner with Rocco Distefano who will be providing a Spirituality and Health column. Rocco is a World Leader in the instruction of Higher Consciousness Learning, Meditation and Self love and the founder of the online community, YourLifeIsAwesome.com

Rob Smith has been a volunteer with The Pride Network for several years now. He shares his coming out stories with young people and encourages them to be true to themselves.

In his book, Rob is a young African-American man coming to terms with his sexuality amid the backdrop of the hyper-masculine, homophobic U.S. Army.