I’m Grateful

Today I’m grateful for the direction of my life, and the God-incidences that got me here. I joined the Army at 17 to get away from something and started something else- something very special i couldn’t have predicted then. I’m grateful I grew up with hard men in the 82nd Airborne Division; the lessons I learned there have followed me for the rest of my life. I am grateful for that time my unit went on block leave and i stayed back… i CLEP’ed out of my first year of college and a nice little old lady at the education center had me fill some papers out. When I got back from multiple deployments, I had won an Army Green to Gold scholarship and began my education at The University of Tampa. I also didn’t realize that then, but it was the beginning of my love of leadership and that quest, which has changed my life and now that of many others. I chose an “irrelevant degree” of Philosophy because I loved it and it didn’t matter anyway; and now I use the thinking and writing skills i gained there every day, sowing into my tribe at KMMA. I’m grateful my best friend Paul Baumann came and watched me teaching at a community center (which i did part-time after hours for years but never as a career) and that he went on to encourage me that I was great at it, and would answer that call as my career. I’m grateful for all the great mentors I’ve had over the years, and for the lessons that I learned the hard way… and I’m grateful for the great students I have had, and especially the ones i have today, and especially for the Blackbelts, and for all the leaders that help me sow into all of them every day. I’m grateful for where we’ve been and I’m grateful for where we’re going. I’m grateful that I get to help so many become the best and highest versions of themselves while I do, each and every day and in each and every way. I’m grateful that my own kids grew up in the leadership, culture and community that is my dojo, and for all the families growing there together today. For these and so many other things, I am grateful.