Giving It All Away

A poem for my birthday and how I gave my gifts away, with reflections on my journey and where things are headed.

What have I spent a life doing?
I’ve been giving it all away.
All the treasures I did save up,
I chose to let them go astray.

Any time I had wealth to spare,
it went in service of a cause.
It got me where I needed to
so I could work without applause.

Now I’ve barely a penny left,
the rest scattered across the land.
And all that’s on my mind is where
these coins can be a helping hand.

Has it been a worry and stress?
Why yes, but that was better than
a stagnant and decaying drag
where I could not become a man.

Could I have done things differently?
Why yes, but where would I be then?
Plenty money but nowt to show
except my empty soul again.

What have I spent a life doing?
I’ve been giving it all away.
Do I regret those choices? No.
Dealing in love will always pay.

Giving It All Away ~ A Poem by Tom Shaw

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UPDATE: Thanks to your generosity and support, we raised almost all of the fundraising target - enough for me to get to Mexico and share OTTY’s vision and mission, and get me back in one piece. It goes to show that we really do have power as a community to create the kind of world we wish to live in. Once again, thank you!

This January marks one year since I began writing on Substack, and this Friday - 31st January - will mark my 24th birthday. Conscious of this, I’ve been looking back at my life, noticing just how far I’ve come from the person I used to be. This includes the role that

Over To The Youth

(OTTY) - a charitable organisation helping to prepare tomorrow’s leaders today through mentoring, self-development and networking opportunities - has played in the journey.

Back in mid-2022,

Lluvias Trozzi

presented his vision of OTTY during his talk at the

World Council for Health

’s Better Way Conference. I was listening in online and, compelled by Lluvias’ authenticity and call-to-action, I sent him a message saying I was ready to get involved and help make that dream a reality.

I struggle to think of many other decisions I’ve made that have had such a profound impact on my life. It’s highly likely I wouldn’t be here writing for you all every few weeks if it weren’t for OTTY - and, indeed, my very first poems were published through OTTY’s platform. The organisation that has changed my life for the better, and one that I know can do the same for every single young person it reaches.

In my time with OTTY, I have helped pioneer groundbreaking circle formats within that organisation - places where youth to step into the most authentic versions of themselves and be held and guided by experienced mentors. Here, youth get the chance to experience powerful shadow and emotional trauma work to take place before causing problems in later adult life. Having let people-pleasing, depression and suicidal ideation wreak havoc across my teenage years, I was able to model my own process with the mentors in the space - and in doing so, undo some of my own self-limiting belief systems in the process.

Overcoming Life's Traumas with Laura Samson

Authentic Expression with David Cordes

I set about giving my all for this organisation - even though I wasn’t being paid a penny. I turned down and quit paid work opportunities, sold or traded most of my possessions and found creative solutions to bring the culture of OTTY to more and more people. I, quite literally, gave it all away. And I did it gladly, because I’d experienced that what this organisation was capable of providing was not quantifiable in monetary terms.

That said, I’m now reaching the end of what I can accomplish through selling my wardrobe, cancelling my car insurance, using up savings and going without food some days. It’s not a sustainable approach, and it risks me burning out completely and threatening my ability to continue my involvement with OTTY.

That brings me to the first big project that OTTY has planned this year. To raise awareness of OTTY’s work and connect with more prospective youth members and mentors, I arranged to deliver a talk at Anarchapulco 2025 on how our approaches are vital in meeting the needs of youth within decentralised movements helping families and individuals be able to reclaim agency and sovereignty over their lives. I made a great connection with the team at Liberpulco back in 2024, where I wore my custom OTTY t-shirts with pride and spoke with whoever I could about the work we were doing alongside my duties there as a volunteer staff member.

Aside from delivering the talk, I’m also stepping in to provide other duties in both a personal capacity and as a representative of OTTY, such as helping to coordinate volunteer staff, spending much-needed in-person time with

Ishan Mishra

- a fellow OTTY member keen to collaborate on building out our Regional Chapters - and, of course, hold space for youth at the event as they explore how they are being called to show up in the world and in the life unfolding before them.

Getting to Anarchapulco - in Acapulco, Mexico - is, however, an entirely different beast from going from the UK to Serbia, and not a mission I can manage alone. With my birthday coming up in a few days, I invite my friends, family, followers and supporters who wish to celebrate the occasion to make a financial contribution to OTTY, or share this poem with others who can.

I’m targeting CA$1500 (around £850) to help cover the cost of travelling to and from the event, with any surplus raised going towards other upcoming projects with OTTY, such as our Youth Leadership Retreat in late 2025. All other expenses - food, accommodation etc - I am covering through my own money or time.

Every contribution great and small is massively appreciated - and donations made by Canadian residents are also eligible to receive tax-deductible receipts. If you’d like to contribute, then please use the button below to make a donation:

If you’d like to keep updated on the progress of this campaign or find out more about the event, you can head to the event page on the OTTY website below:

Thank you all for taking the time to read this piece. I hope it has sparked something within you, and I hope to be bringing you great news about the lives of youth we’ve been able to transform as a result of this event soon.

With gratitude,

Tom

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