Monday Motivation: Kobe Bryant Saved My Life’s Work.
I’m going to write a book!
The idea sounded amazing when I said it aloud. The idea felt even better after I shared it to social media, where hundreds of friends and supporters told me that they couldn’t wait to read my book, “Monday Motivation”!
Five years later, a great idea became a great number of delays and excuses.
Five years after the announcement of my first book idea, and many subsequent updates to those who cared via social media, I had only completed about 40% of my rough draft.
Every year, I promised myself that I would complete my book by that years ending, and every year, I promised myself that next year would be the year. Every year, I trudged along, slowly typing words on my laptop, trying to motivate myself to finish another paragraph while enduring a serious case of writers block.
“Monday Motivation” was meant to be my compilation of motivational and inspirational stories, that helped individuals across the globe understand their inner strength and universal purpose. This book was supposed to change lives — even save the world in a way; at least in my eyes.
And here I stood. Unmotivated; trying to write about Motivation. Not only was I disappointed in myself, but I felt like a fraud.
I felt like I could not take being an imposter any longer. I did not like the feelings that came with percieved failure anymore. So, I decided to quit.
Quitting the book was actually the least of my worries. So many things that I had been working on, personally and professionally, felt so out of order, that I was quitting it ALL. In my mind, I felt that it was time to accept the fact that my life wasn’t going to go the way that I thought it would, and I was ready to take solace in the fact that I gave my dreams my best shot, but I ultimately failed.
I closed all of my blinds and tucked myself into a crevice on my couch, hopeful that I would just drift away to sleep so that I wouldn’t have to face my problems. I closed my eyes as tight as I could, and was left in darkness, silence, and thought.
Then, oddly enough — the silence spoke to me.
One of the most unexpected tragedies we as a nation have ever experienced was the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the 9 others on board of his private helicopter, and at this time, the tragedy was was not even a month in the past.
With Kobe being not only my all-time favorite basketball player; but also one of my all-time favorite thinkers & doers, my past few weeks was spend pouring into Kobe’s YouTube content, in my own personal attempt to remember, mourn and learn about a great man that had been taken too soon. I didn’t watch any basketball highlights — I watched his speeches, interviews, business ideas, and work-ethic conversations.
It wasn’t just about basketball for Kobe. He was dedicated to being the best husband, the best father, the best coach, the best teacher, the best learner; and so on. Kobe’s life was dedicated to unlocking the secret to greatness, and there was no room for excuses or self-pity.
While laying on that couch, indulging in my own self-pity, I imagined how early Kobe Bryant had to wake up in order to outwork his competition. I thought about how hard he practiced, and how dedicated he was to his family and his legacy.
Then, I thought about how early I had woken up that very morning.
Sure, I guess I kind of woke up early that day, but not early enough. Sure, I was dedicated, but not dedicated enough. Not enough to demand that the world bend to my will, at the least.
I questioned how I allowed Kobe Bryant — a bonafide superstar, who was 100x more wealthier, accomplished and famous than I was — to start his day earlier that I did, when he had already accomplished the goals he dedicated his life to, while I had not.
It hit me that if Kobe was still alive, he would’ve been outworking me during the very moments I was laid on the couch, wishing that things would go my way.
Sure, life felt rough in the moment. I knew that “rough” was relative, and it was a self-defined explanation of my current situation. When I decided to look at my life within the lens of gratitude, I realized that I still had a roof over my head, food to eat, and most importantly — a brain to think, and a will that could not be broken.
I realized that I always had a choice, and I was choosing defeat.
It was time to make a different choice, and this was to be my final decision.
I decided that I was going to be productive. I didn’t know what that thing would be, but I made the conscious choice to positively work on my future by using whatever I had available at that moment, and I was not going to worry about anything that I could not control.
Once my decision was made, my worldview instantly changed. A few moments ago, I felt like I had nothing to create, and no options to move forward. Now, it felt like I had more options than I have ever had in my life, and everything to do.
When your mind shifts away from focusing on what you don’t have, to what you are blessed with, you tend to recognize opportunities that were previously in a blind spot within your life.
I was so motivated at that moment that the positive action I chose to undertake was to write some more of my book, while Kobe’s “Mamba” motivational energy still flowed through my veins.
11 hours later, almost midnight of that same day, the darkness was pierced by a glowing laptop screen that was showing me that I had just completed the entire first draft of the very book of a book that I wasn’t able to complete in 5 years. I could not believe what just happened…
This proved an important life lesson to myself — I can do anything.
This means that YOU can do anything that you want to do, if you dedicate your mind & lifestyle to perseverance and focus on opportunities over obstacles.
No matter how far you may think you have fallen, every moment, you have the opportunity to make a decision. You can choose to be bound by the perception of what is holding you back, or you can choose to ignore the odds and unleash the inner strength that you have always had within.
I’ll close out with one of my favorite quotes from the late, great legend, whose words and life will live with me for the remainder of my own Earthly existence, and beyond.
“”When you make a choice and say, ‘Come hell or high water, I am going to be this,’ then you should not be surprised when you are that. It should not be something that is intoxicating or out of character because you have seen this moment for so long that … when that moment comes, of course it is here because it has been here the whole time, because it has been [in your mind] the whole time.” — Kobe Bryant
Kobe — I want to let you know that your legacy will continue all of us that understand the Mamba Mentality that you had been trying to teach us all along.
How fitting that this story is published on 8/24. Thank you, Kobe — say hello to my Mother for me, while you’re up there ;)
#MambaOut.
