I had quite a few enlightening conversations with my martial arts teacher/mentor a few months ago. I joined his classes when I was around 15 or 16 (tough times) and he always assured me of my worth and abilities. He took me to my first tournament, gave me a summer job, and gave me perspective. This was both helpful and foreign to me at the time. I haven't had a lot of male influence in my life due to my mother being a single parent, so having that father figure supplementation was very much appreciated.