Anyone can become a Gentleman; it's a path full of self-discovery and enrichment.
About Me
I come from humble beginnings. I grew up in a working class immigrant household in downtown Toronto. My parents have a grade 4 education, a strong work ethic, a devout religious faith and a belief that anyone can succeed in Canada if they try hard enough.
Evolution of a Gentleman
They did their best but struggled with learning english and mostly stuck to their native language; portuguese. I was taught basic manners ie: please/thank you and that was about it. We never went out to eat to save money and spent a lot of time at church. My table manners were pretty terrible and my english was atrocious; filled with bad grammar, slang and curse words. I acted like a tough guy and dressed accordingly. At that point I fit in with my surroundings so I thought I was great. During my middle school and high school education I was lucky enough to embrace sports. I had no patience for classes and studying but was the type of athlete that never missed a game or practice. It was a great outlet for any negativity I had and I become a competitive basketball player. My high school was filled with troubled kids which ended up being a blessing for me. I showed my teachers a willingness to learn and that alone set me apart from my classmates. That was my first positive experience in school. Due to their support and encouragement I decided to take the plunge and apply for University. I had little hope of getting accepted.
Luck was with me and due to a strike at the university my application was accepted fairly quick. During my four years at York U. I dedicated myself to studying. I was not social and did not try to fit in. I left sports because I needed all my time for studying and was therefore even more isolated. I though that getting a degree would result in a polished graduate, a refined individual. Though that didn't happen, I did discover the enjoyment of learning and the desire to better myself had come alive but needed direction. My first job out of school was interning with the US Consulate. I worked with intelligent and inspiring individuals. I had the opportunity to attend fancy events and dinners where I felt so out of place I barely spoke or ate. I resented the effortless way they interacted with others, the natural confidence they displayed while I felt like an unpolished ruffian. It was very frustrating and outside of work I had a chip on my shoulder and a short fuse. I wanted things to change. Three months after beginning my job, I was introduced to a friend of a friend. I didn't realize it at the tune but that meeting would be a pivotal moment in my life. Where the evolution began. It's been ten years since that day and my journey has only expanded. I believe anyone can become a "Gentleman", its a path full of self discovery and enrichment. A life changing experience for anyone willing to try. Do you want to?
Evolution of a Gentleman
Best Version
We can all become better versions of ourselves; more refined and polished. Having an appetite to learn new skills, sports, activities, educating ourselves and trying new experiences. This journey is about continuous learning and self improvement that you can also do. Not only by practising good manners and displaying integrity but increasing our overall knowledge on all sorts of topics, gaining skills in pursuit of becoming distinguished Gentleman one day.
Benefits
Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Separate yourself from the competition. Always pursuing to better yourself, seeking new skills, information, become more polished, learn more, differentiate yourself from others. Together we will continue building skills that will benefit us for the rest of our lives'.
Become a Gentleman
Anyone can become a Gentleman; regardless of social class we are born into. Let's incorporate everything we learn so we can embody the timeless qualities of a Gentleman and elevate our personal and professional life.