Plank Holder

On September 10th - 11th & 12th I had the pleasure of both teaching and training at Jack Hoban's RGI Conflict Resolution Level I Course. What a wonderful experience! I am proud to be a part of such a dynamic group of people! The instructors were an impressive collection of seasoned professionals. Although everyone impressed me, I have to admit that I was moved the most by Lt. Col. Joe Shusko (in above pic front row on one knee glasses on his head).  He was a true inspiration. A true gentleman warrior. Capable, seasoned, experienced, yet humble & approachable, a true leader. Some people who serve in the military are (or were) soldiers, Joe is a true warrior. He doesn't demand respect, he inspires it. In my eyes, he is what all Marines should try to aspire to. The kind of guy that makes you proud to be an American! He is the kind of leader that brings out the best in those he leads, even if it is only for a weekend! 

I loved Joe's perspective, his teaching style is soft yet he means business. Even at 55 he has an incredible fitness level that would put 20 and 30 year olds to shame (trust me on this one!). One of the things I really liked was Joe's "Tie In" stories. Short inspiring stories with a moral that he would tell before, after and sometime between working out. His "5 - 4 -3 - 2 - 1 most important words in the English Language" was absolutely great! I wrote it for you below so you can share it with others as well.

The 5 - 4 -3 -2 - 1 most important word in the English language are:

5) All Men (People) Were Created Equal
4) Live a Balanced Life
3) I Love You
2) Genuine Concern
1) Humility

It was great meeting and working with you Joe! Thanks for all of the training, "Tie Ins" and perspective that you shared. I look forward to working with you and the rest of the RGI crew soon!

Best,
~Craig

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Uncomfortable Situation

Image
  Funny pic (and movie) about a not so funny situation… In training as in Life, it’s better to treat people with dignity and respect. However… What does that look like in the moment? Being that I’m teaching a Women’s Assault Prevention and Response Workshop this weekend - it’s probably a good time to talk about… Uncomfortable Situations Let’s talk about training at the academy for a minute… We run open co-ed classes at the local academy. What does that mean? Men and women train together, but we don’t stop there. People of different skill levels, backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, careers, religious beliefs, political affiliations, ages, injuries, pre-existing conditions, life experience, training expectations etc. etc. train together! We ALL work together! Overall, I think it’s better this way. Of course sometimes there’s static, you know, conflicts, and misunderstanding. When something happens, most of the time it’s just that, a misunderstanding… Sometimes people simply do
Read more

The Shot Heard Around the World

Image
Even though many could see where all of this division and hatred in our country was leading to, when we witness the actual violence, realty once again floods in and has a way of shattering the comfort of our complacency, if only until the next headline. Some may find all of this shocking, others may see it simply validating their own fears. Regardless, of your political views, we have to take into account what this level of violence can do not only to the former President and his family, but what does to the state of our entire Nation. Yesterday as news broke of former President Donald Trump being shot, I can’t say that I was entirely surprised. Saddened, but not surprised. Regardless of your political stance, this act of violence is a dark reminder of the dangerous consequences of a society steeped in hate and division. Our collective heartbreak should not be about politics, but about the division and hatred that fuels this erosion of our humanity. We live in a time where traditional
Read more

Cutting Through the Static

Image
  Me and the crew at Venue 3 Two after a PeaceWalker Conflict Communication Workshop Remember in the old days when you used to listen to the radio on a road trip? No, not digital or streaming. I’m talking about old school FM radio. When you’re putting some miles on and crossing state lines. The radio stations you listen to don’t broadcast far enough for your entire trip, so you have to channel surf to find new channels as you move on down the road. You continue to push the search button until you hear a song in the genre that you want so you can lock in a desirable station for a spell. Sometimes you’re listening to a song you really like but the station is fading… The static starts feint, almost imperceptible, than grows in intensity to the degree that you can no longer ignore it. If you really like the song, you try to hang on as long as you can, listening to the tune through the white noise and times it cuts out completely, hoping to hear as much of the song as you can before the sta
Read more