Kobe Bryant will go down as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame no doubt unanimously. But based on Kobe’s life, this is only a fraction of the impact that he planned to make. We can say he left this world too soon, but who is to say what your time is. Sad but true, he is gone with his daughter and seven others but his impact will live on forever! Thanks for the memories and the lessons #8, #24!
What made Kobe so special? What can you learn from his life? For one, life is what you make it, and the only thing you can control is your reasoned choices. You can choose to fight for your dreams or live with regrets of what could have been. Why was Kobe so special, because he took his failures and defeats and turned them into triumphs. He chose to live a life full of passion, to give his all every day, to constantly challenge himself to be the best version of himself. Yes, basketball was his first love, but he gave himself to those around him equally, he knew that for him to be his best self it would require sharing with others his passion, his dreams and helping them become their best selves also. Lesson #1 be passionate, choose to live with passion for something You believe in. Lesson #2 Failure is a good thing, as long as you learn and grow from it.
A story Kobe shared in an interview he talked about being a 11 year basketball player and playing a summer league for an entire season and didn’t score a point! 0! Really?! So, for the next 10 months he worked his butt off to be a better shooter and learn how to score. His next season, he scored a few more points but still, Not Good, in his words. So, he worked harder for the next season. He came back as a 14 year old and became the best in the state! Lesson #3 work harder than you think possible. Lesson #4 be disciplined to put in the time with full effort. At 17 years old he was drafted into the NBA by the Charlotte Hornets, who immediately traded him to the Lakers. How he became one of the greatest, Lesson #5 have a growth mindset, it takes time to become the best version of yourself. Have a long-term view of your development, nothing happens overnight! Lesson #6 If you are not challenging yourself, you are not growing and improving. Lesson #7 protect your dreams, keeping them pure is a challenge, the world or society has a way of destroying dreams. If it is something you believe in, go for it! Lesson #8 no one said it would be easy, having good mentors allows for good reflection, they can help keep you on your path but be open to criticism, it is important to be coachable Lesson #9 have a champions mindset, you must see yourself succeeding, champions do everything they can do to succeed, in takes discipline to understand all the components to win consistently. Lesson #10 If there was one thing that made him successful it was his ability to stick with it, persevere, to have grit, a mindset of not giving in to anyone or anything when it comes to his dreams of being his best, you must keep going when it gets tough!
While writing this, I couldn’t help but think, no matter what Kobe would have done as long as it was his passion he would have ended up on top. You see, his “Lessons’ ‘ are not lessons in basketball, they are lessons of how to live your life, and regardless of sport or business his mindset would have helped him succeed and it can help you succeed!
Thanks Kobe!
Enjoy Your Journey!
