My Irrelevant Degree

Hello friend,

I’m not sure if you know it, but my undergraduate degree is in Philosophy.

Truth is that, when I chose Philosophy as a major 33 years ago, I knew that it was an irrelevant degree…

   but, as I also knew I was going to be a lifer (spend the rest of my life as an Army Officer), I knew that the decision of what I would study besides military science was largely irrelevant as well, so I chose Philosophy simply because it interested me, and for all the other reasons I didn’t know yet.

But now, as I write this having the benefit of hindsight, and 25 years making my livelihood and fulfilling my calling through my Blackbelt Leadership Academy, I KNOW how relevant my Philosophy degree has been.

•    My love of learning, of knowledge and wisdom, of people and of the great conversation- the discourse of ideas, purpose, and principles- led to my martial arts academy becoming far more than that, but also a place that develops people, purpose, passion, principles and the philosophy of growth, of positivity, of success and of creating a great life.

•   My teaching, speaking and writing is all informed by my life of philosophy.

• My philosophy, or at least my philosophical stance, helps me help others work through the things they’re working through.

Now, of course, the purpose of this paper is not to convince you that you or your kids should major in philosophy.

   But I do have a point:

1. Often the things we think we know just aren’t so. Only in looking back do we determine the validity of our earlier suppositions.

2. Therefore, we should remain open minded, deliberate and optimistic in all we do, but also aware of the reality that only time will reveal the results.

3. This should not curtail decisiveness. Taking the wrong action is usually better than taking none; we can learn and course correct along the way. You can’t learn to drive or to ride a bike until you get moving. In life too, action must join philosophy to make it useful. Knowledge without action is useless.

4. But, on the other hand, the kind of knowledge that comes from thought and action together is priceless. It is the education that prepares us for success in life, and all the many things this word connotes.

Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

This is exactly what we do through our Blackbelt Leadership Program at KMMA, by the way.

We create our confident and competent Blackbelt Leaders through philosophy and action.

   If you’re already with us, you already know.

If you’re not, join us for a 2 week free trial and orientation at either of our great KMMA locations, or join our KMMA University Online at https://www.skool.com/kmma-university-3769/about

Prepare To Live; Empower To Lead!

Grand Master Stephen J Del Castillo

8th Degree Blackbelt, Author, MBA, Founding Master Instructor, KMMA

TampaKravMaga.com – StephenDelCastillo.com

Author of Developing Your Superpowers

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