My name is Darius Lavale aka The Icon Kidd and my journey has been one of strength and survival; dealing with low self-esteem, acceptance, bullying, abandonment, depression, addiction, and validation. I was born and raised overseas (military brat) and at the age of 12, after my mother and stepfather divorced we relocated to Augusta Georgia. I am the oldest of three children but I’ve always considered myself the black sheep. From the abandonment of a father, that I’m just now getting to know at the age of 39, the lack of acceptance from my peers as a child, being teased by the other black kids because my skin color was lighter and a mental health disorder that wasn’t fully diagnosed until the age of 19. In my late teens, early 20s and on and off in my 30’s I struggled with self-medicating in order to cope and deal with life while searching for validation in others and learning to love myself. Like many other young adults searching for themselves I dove into a world of adult entertainment and escorting as a way of finding validation and acceptance but also in a way to protect my heart from being broken and abandoned. Dealing with a bipolar and borderline personality disorder, my life seemed so hard and led me to make a lot of poor decisions which resulted in rape, domestic violence, and promiscuous sex. Now at the age of 39 thanks to self-love, I have gone back to school and changed my whole way of living and thinking. My purpose is to help those who struggle with loving themselves as well as helping the underdog realize their self-worth and importance. Addiction is something that I yet battle along with depression but life has gotten better and I am starting to experience a turnaround. Discovering myself at the age of 39 and finding a new way of living that coincides with my evolution as a human being and spirit has been a challenge yet rewarding.