David | Glendene

“My name’s David and I’m from Glendene, Auckland. Someone who gave me a boost? It was a particular young woman who gave me passion in my life again. She sort of directed me into being passionate about something in life.

She taught me a lot, and it was in a very short time, and I started to implement it into my life, and now I’m doing things in a passionate way, rather than just doing it just because. She is an ex of mine, but we are very good friends at the moment, and I lost touch with her for a long while, and then when I connected with her again, you know, things were sparking, with vibes and everything, and I saw the way her life was. It wasn’t great, and everybody goes through hard times, and she just had this bubbly enthusiastic demeanour about her, and then it rubbed off on me. So, her name is Ashleigh, by the way.

I just don’t take anything for granted anymore. So whatever I’m going to do today, I put 100 percent into it. You know?  Whatever it is, if I’m just hanging out with the boys, you know, I’m communicating more, I’m giving more, sharing more, you know?  Spending more quality time with them, or if it’s work, then I put more effort into work and try to figure out the boys a little bit more, just gel a little bit more, ponder a little bit more. Because I think that’s what humanity is all about, eh? It’s just having strong relationships with people, rather than things. You know?  Rather than money and what not. So, passionate in that way, rather than passionate in things. 

I grew up in Auckland, in Grey Lynn with my nana and papa and my mum.I value strong relationships with people. Family, friends, that’s the most important thing, because to me that’s what I value most in life. That’s what makes me successful, rather than having a big house and a flash girlfriend and all the rest of it. It’s just having those strong bonds, and relationships with people, rather than with things.

Growing up in Grey Lynn was a good place. It’s kind of changed. The demographics have changed a little bit, but it’s still a great place, and I learned lots when I was there, and I was a bit of a thug back in the day, doing things and whatnot, but life’s changed.”