If I could work that hard every day being blessed with the physical tools that I have
what would my career be? I made a promise to myself from that day that I was going to
work that hard every single day so that when I do retire, I have no regrets. That was the
most important thing for me is to leave no stone unturned, get better every single day
and if I live that way, then over time I'd have something that was beautiful.
Every so often there comes a figure who inspires a generation of young boys and girls to find
what they love and work harder than they can possibly imagine so that they can become the
very best at it. Kobe Bryant was one such person. He was loved, hated, admired, and
loathed but he was always respected for pushing himself to be better at his craft and revered
for his unmatched work ethic. He was a hero in that he became a symbol of hard work and
dedication, attention to detail and constant learning.
All of our icons are flawed but we all need icons like him in our lives to remind us that
we can become so much more than we imagined if we simply commit ourselves to something
that we care about. The truth is that Kobe was notorious for waking up at ridiculous
hours in the morning to train and outwork his competition. He used this competition
to drive him to work harder and outperform anyone who we thought even challenged his
skill on the court. This was the drive that pushed him to a position of leadership where
he was able to inspire not just his teammates but millions around the world with his example
of work ethic and his love for the game of basketball.
Kobe has highlighted more than once that it is easy to identify that you do not love what
you're doing if you're miserable with the process of working at it. This is where you
can separate true greatness from someone who is simply getting by. You can never reach
the level that Kobe did within his industry if you did not love what you're doing as much
as he loved what he did. This is where daily work becomes easier because it becomes eclipsed
by your passion for your craft.
Yeah, that's the trick, isn't it? It's finding what you love to do. We talk about hard work
all the time. It's like man, if you got to get up every single morning and remind yourself
how hard you need to work, you probably need to choose a different profession because that
shouldn't be there. I wake up in the morning excited to get to it. If I'm not training,
I'm missing it. If I'm not watching a game of basketball, I miss it. There's no place
I'd rather be and if you have that feeling, then you're truly doing what God has put you
on this earth to do.
He never viewed the sacrifices that he made in order to practice as experiences that he
was losing. Instead, he was able to look at what he was able to gain by spending his time
to improve this game. This is part of what the Mamba mentality was. The philosophy that
getting better every single day was important. He knew early on that his left hand wasn't
as strong as it could be or his jump shot needed improvement so he practiced them over
and over to eliminate those weaknesses in his game.
You always have to look at what you can do to improve whatever your game is. There's
always going to be something that you can do to get better. Like all of us, he had his
dreams about what he wanted for his life, but he knew that he had to protect it and
stay true to it. As we go through life, we add on more responsibility to our lives, which
could potentially convince you that your dream is not as important. But learn from Kobe to
keep your dream pure and honestly strive towards making it a reality. It's really important
for us to remember legends like Kobe and the legacy that they leave behind.
For whatever you may think of him, he set an example that nothing can replace. Consistent
hard work that eventually over time those hours will add up, lead you to incredible
heights. Life is too short, so you might as well dedicate it towards doing what you love
and if you work hard enough, you just might have something truly beautiful at the end.
Have a good time. Enjoy life. Life is too short to get bogged down, to be discouraged.
You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other,
smile and just keep on rolling.