Author of the children’s book “My Dad and God Are They Fairytales,” Wayne Conner is dedicated to helping solve the issues that arise with children who come from fatherless homes. Married for more than 20 years ( to his lovely wife Sherice) and a father of four, he knows what it means to create a new life that’s the polar opposite of where he came from. Wayne grew up in a Fatherless home and experienced the effects of it firsthand (which in his early years led him on a path of going in/out of the juvenile justice system.) These life lessons have laid the groundwork for his ‘Life 2 Da Fullest. (L2DF) a brand which later in life became the equation for life, Wayne says. L2DF supports a holistic wellness lifestyle centered around seven fundamental dimensions. A few initial goals of L2DF is to reach children in fatherless households, help lay a well-balanced roadmap and raise awareness amongst adults who may currently be living through this silent but damaging cycle. Each dimension of L2DF is captured in a unique docuseries that bears the same name.
The first dimension is Spiritual Wellness. Without Christ, there is no life. This is a statement that is the core of the creation of L2DF in general, and what Wayne says is the essence of its sustainability. Starting with identity, and principles like, “Without knowing God, it is impossible to know who you are,” participants are tangibly shown what it means to literally “Change Their Life!” Participants receive weekly encouragement along their journey through The OTB Podcast (which is audio-based now, but currently seeking sponsorship for local television broadcast), and via Social Media. L2DF posts social prayer challenges to encourage participants to engage in conversation with a higher being.
The Second dimension is Intellectual Wellness. Sharpening the mind is a key component of holistic wellness. Activities include sharing articles, books, and interesting intellectual reads with our supporters to give them food for thought in effort to contribute access to stimulating intellectual content.
The third dimension is Mental Wellness. The Live to The Fullest brand pushes for a holistic lifestyle which requires one to be completely present. To do so, you must have a high mental capacity. As a child that grew up in a fatherless household, Wayne knows first-hand how childhood trauma travels with you and affects your mental health as you grow older. The Mental Wellness dimension is committed to shedding light on mental illness and connecting our supporters with the proper care they deserve. We will be compiling a directory made up of participating mental health care professionals in the various community.
The fourth dimension is Physical Wellness. L2DF urges families to adopt the POWER lifestyle. POWER stands for Preventing Obesity With Education and Recreation. This encourages healthy eating and exercise among all the members of the family. This is a great way to keep the family connected and accountable to each other.
The fifth dimension is Occupational Wellness. “The streets were my stage,” says Wayne Conner as he recalls his natural knack for singing as a child. His early love for singing flourished from his innate love for the arts. He attained a cosmetology license which allowed him to express his love for the arts through his occupation. Everyone is born with certain gifts, and if we don’t do what we are born to do we often find ourselves unsatisfied with our jobs. We urge our supporters to find their “IT” — internal talent. This dimension will offer mentorship opportunities and connect participants with groups that will help to them find happiness by listening to their calling.
The sixth dimension is Social Wellness. Violence and bullying in our community are just two symptoms that arise of fatherless homes. People who participate in our campaign will watch our series and be challenged to answer a call to action. The Life to the Fullest campaign calls for an urgent proactive approach to prevention. The goal is to go beyond protesting only when violence takes fathers away. The alternative is being one step ahead and take a deep breath, through what we call the “Breathe Campaign.” This is designed to address critical thinking skills and conflict resolution.
The final dimension is Environmental Wellness. Clutter in your environment will cause clutter in your psyche. Keeping your surroundings clean is a key entry point to living a holistic lifestyle. We urge supporters to take on volunteer clean-up projects in/around their community and to pledge to protect/respect their space at home, the workplace, and the community in general.
At the end of the day, we want to equip people to Live To The Fullest, especially those, who by no fault of their own, grew up at a disadvantage by being in a fatherless home.