Issue 168

June 2018

Max ‘Pain’ Griffin is passing on lessons in positivity to the next generation.

I have been doing a lot of things that tie in with following your dreams. I just did an assembly where I spoke to kids in the Sacramento area. A friend of mine at NorCal MMA had been asking me about doing it for a while now and we finally nailed down a day and time. It was right before my fight with Mike Perry.

When I was younger, I was really into many motivational speakers of that time.

I was really moved by listening to Les Brown, Eric Thomas ‘The Hip Hop Preacher’ – and others. The message they were spreading is so true: being positive and using visualization are such important and valuable tools.

Oh my God, it was great. Honestly, I got messages from some of the fifth and sixth graders and I was talking to them on Facebook Live and stuff like that right before my fight with Mike Perry. My main message at that assembly was that you can be whatever you want to be. It’s all a blessing. I want to use my fighting as a vessel to spread that word and those positive messages.

I think I can relate to a lot of the kids today. Being a normal person is harder these days than it was in the past. To be where I am today in my fight career and my life after everything I have been through means I can relate to them and help them through tough times.

The kids were so pumped. It was like I found my life’s calling. After I did it, it felt so great. I was tearing up in the car when I was done with the speech. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that was beyond great.’ That’s one of the best things I’ve ever done – like flat-out, one of the top five things I have ever done. Just to see how they were affected by what I said and the way they lit up was amazing.

When I spoke to the kids at Del Paso Manor Elementary School in Sacramento, I knew I wanted to do it. Being able to speak to these kids is out of control. It’s just beyond a blessing. I am so thankful for the opportunities. I want to use my platform.

Before I left for the Perry fight, I got six offers to do more speaking engagements in my local area. I had four or five different people that were asking me to come to their school, too. I’m going to start doing it and learn more about being a better speaker and the different things I can pass on to them. I’m going to take it seriously and start helping the community and helping these kids. I think I can really start doing this. I really enjoy it.

I had one girl write me a letter recently. She said she didn’t work out because her brother would call her fat. Then she wrote me a letter that since the assembly saying I really motivated her to not care what other people say and what other people think and to just go out there and do her best. Now she’s working out again. If I can touch one kid’s life, make one kid feel better and get that kind of response, it’s all worth it. It makes me feel so good – just for that one particular comment and life-changing experience.

It feels like this is what I am supposed to be doing. It was easy and natural. I loved doing it. With a young son of my own, I feel like I can understand and relate to kids and spread a positive message. I want to make my name, get it well-known and start to use it to start healing.