My Personal Story

My Name is Tony LaPrino - Owner of OnAscent and the creator of Emergence, an experience for men to become the leaders of their own life, and the I AM Project.

We all go through difficult times in our lives.  And no one’s experiences and pain is to be compared.  With these dark times comes thoughts and actions that are not to be overlooked.  Not any more.

The first time I ever thought about taking my own life was when I was in high school.  My parents had divorced and I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I didn’t talk about it to anyone.  The visions were clear and the thoughts were rational.  It was a scary place.  I wanted the pain of abandonment, insignificance, and loneliness to go away.  I didn’t think I had any other way out. It was a real and raw conversation that I had with my baseball coach in the locker room on a Saturday morning with no one else around that began my way out of that phase in my life.

That didn’t mean I was free from pain, hurt, and negative thoughts such as suicide.  They reared again in full force in 2023.  My wife at the time of 17 years and a relationship of 24 years was ending.  We separated and then went through the process of divorce.  This was the darkest time of my life. 

In these dark times hope is lost. 

When facing my darkest thoughts, I turned to the affirmations of "I AM" to remind myself of my worth, leaned on the support of other men, and sought comfort in my relationship with God. There is an urgent need to address the escalating rates of male suicide which represent a significant public health crisis worldwide.  In a recent poll of over one hundred men over 80% of them have experienced loneliness and isolation.  

Addressing this need is crucial not only for preventing tragic loss of life but also for promoting overall well-being and resilience within communities.

I AM Tony, and I’m on a mission to rescue 1 million men from leaving their wives as widows and kids as orphans .

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