KOBE!

Many people are writing about the passing of an NBA Legend today. I didn’t want to throw my hand in the ring, but I had a lot of emotions tied up into this and I had a hard time figuring out why.

Why did I care more about him than I did the other families that died in the crash? Why did I care more about this than I did a “normal”, wreck or crash happens and people die way too soon?

It is hard to say that, but it is true. All anyone talked about was Kobe and Gigi’s death. It almost seems like people are shoving aside the death of the others.

THEY AREN’T. I know that, but it is being talked about like “Oh and also….”

Why is this?

I am sure it has something to do with a few things:

• Kobe was world famous, so people feel like they actually knew him.
• We tend to cling to sports more than most things in our society, so again, putting Kobe up at the fore front.

For me though, it is this last one that hits me super hard.

• Kobe Bryant seemed larger than life. He didn’t seem real. Above mortality. Most people that are that famous and talented do seem that way. But of course, this is a harsh reality that whenever God wants to call us home.. He will.

No matter who you are, how famous you are, how young you are…. this is a truth that I believe.

I am in no way questioning this, as I don’t believe it is my job to question. What I do believe, is that this is a reminder to all of us that no one is bigger than Him. No one is above death. It CAN truly come at any time.

Everyone today is talking about

“Live like it is your last day”

“Hug your loved ones”

“Keep family close”

“Make sure you prioritize the important things in life”

Which are ALL True. All of them are important and WE SHOULD think about these things and put these things into practice each day.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy for us all to realize that…

What the saddest part is to me, is that after a couple weeks this will all blow over. The show must go on, as they say. The people who said they would prioritize the important things will have done it for a couple weeks and then will go right back to their life, their grind….with NO change at all.

How many of you will ACTUALLY answer the calling? How many of you will be more Kobe like?

Take that Mamba mentality and put it towards your LIFE. Your ONLY Life.

I would say not very many. And it is CRAZY to me how this works in life. I have a hard time understanding it.

It is super hard. SO hard for humans to change their behavior. This is case in point.

But I want to challenge everyone who reads this. Everyone. To actually DO These things and continue them in their daily lives.

Not for Kobe. but FOR YOU.

Work hard. Out work everyone, but love HARDER. When you have family time, disconnect and truly have family time. When you aren’t working, spend your time progressing your faith, family and all things that are important, instead of progressing your social media status constantly.

Take that insane, over the top, Mamba work ethic and put it towards helping others.

Do as Kobe did FOR YOU.

Use this as a way to better yourself.

You will stumble. We all do. I am working so hard at making this a reality. I struggle with it everyday. That is OK. Be self aware. Know you will mess up. That isn’t the challenge.

The challenge is not to do this for a week and be great at it. The challenge is to do this for a lifetime. The challenge is to mess up and be ok with re starting because you know what is right.

The challenge is saying your sorry, dusting yourself off and continuing on and living that “Mamba” life.

Find a reason to put that much love into the world.

If the world gets 1% better because of Kobe’s death, atleast he didn’t leave for nothing. Let this be a lesson…to us all. And let’s all challenge ourselves to remember this feeling and let it drive us not 1, not 2 not only 3 months from now…but for eternity.

Keith