Who Inspires You?

We live in a world that, unfortunately, tends to deify celebrity. The opinions thoughts, and actions of actors, singers, and sports figures are weighted disproportionately to the rest of us. These people are held up as heroes and role models -- and yet their behaviors and lifestyles (drinking, drug use, general disrespect) are often incongruent with the position we have assigned them.

I am inspired by very few so-called "celebrities" -- Chuck Norris and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama are the only two who come immediately to mind. 

A number of people inspire me in different ways -- my daughter, my parents, my fiance, my students, to name a few. In general, most of the folks whom I look up to are "real people", people you might actually meet at any given time. They inspire me with their strength; their attitude; their ability to overcome adversity; and the things they've done -- and continue to do -- with their lives.  They tend not to seek out the spotlight, and as a consequence, you may not have heard of them.

Tom Callos is a man whom I greatly admire.

We share a similar vision for the Martial Arts. THIS is what we strive for in our small dojo.