The man known for exhibiting “mamba mentality” has completely blown me away with his heart, perseverance, and relentless discipline. Excuses were not a part of his vocabulary, and he has left a mark on millions of people including myself.

He is the one and only, Kobe Bryant, known as “the Black Mamba”.

Kobe won 5 NBA championships, an Academy Award-Winning filmmaker, husband, father, and savvy entrepreneur. The list goes on. His strong work ethic propelled him to success and he dreamed to own Los Angeles. As an author and investor, Kobe talked about pursuing his passion in storytelling. To say the least, he had enormous plans and dreams.

Even though Kobe is no longer with us, this 41-year old’s legacy continues to inspire people in all industries to become masters of their craft. He executed everything to a level of excellence, and his empire continues to grow. He is inspiring and a true legend.

I love what Kobe Bryant said, “the beauty in being blessed with talent is rising above doubters to create a beautiful moment”.

Talent? Let’s talk about it.

Talent is known as a natural aptitude or skill (taken from the Oxford Dictionary). Talent is what my friend Jenny once said, your point of natural genius. It may come more easily to you than others due to various reasons. What sets one person apart from another is elevating their talent to a whole new level, becoming the best in their industry. 

Kobe must have felt and experienced opposition. He did mention doubters, but chose to rise above it all. In the presence of his enemies, he saw opportunities because of his steel mindset. He created beautiful moments because his dreams and goals were bigger than his critics. The only human opinion which mattered were the ones which derived from a place of healthy relationship.

I wonder, who have you allowed to speak into your life which does not serve your future? May I ask, has there been a delay in your life? Did you want to step out and chase some unspoken dreams but pulled back? Have you been aimlessly scrolling and watching other people’s lives, neglecting your own?

These are difficult questions but must be answered honestly. 

I never really saw myself as a talented person. Reflecting back upon my life, I feel like I’ve often needed to work harder than others in most areas. Nothing really came easily to me, and what I became good at required hard work and consistency. I played the flute for over a decade and really perfected my so-called “talent”. I remember family members getting annoyed of listening to me practice, but I became so good at what I did not like at first. My love and appreciation for music began with a $170 instrument. You bet that was just the beginning.

The idea of taking on a task or project I have little or no knowledge in used to scare everything out of me! I don’t blame you if you refuse or run away from what you know little about. The interesting thing I’ve learned over a number of years, I can accomplish absolutely anything I set my mind to if I face my fears, not run away from. 

Challenging yourself in areas you do not feel brilliant in will set you up for success, as you learn valuable life lessons. I know writing these weekly blog posts is the beginning of a vast future. I am still dumbfounded at the fact that English is not my first language. I hated reading in school. If you could get me to sit in a chair for more than 30 minutes, consider yourself extremely lucky. As a little girl, I had speech therapists who would help me project my voice. If there is anyone “qualified” to write, I do not think it is me. Yet I find myself smiling at the fact that I managed to accomplish a dream of (ghost)writing and publishing  a book by the age of 25. I just took one thing and ran with it. Writing was never my first choice. I just dabbed at it and ended up running full force because I loved the idea of a new challenge. 

I could go on and on, but I imagine it would bore you to death.

Here is how this all applies to you.  

I want you to sit down and think of one thing you absolutely love. Write it down. If it doesn’t scare, you’re not dreaming big enough. It may be silly or meaningless, but a passion of yours. Whether it is related to art, music, business, inventing, politics, engineering, food or entrepreneurship, I really don’t care what industry, there is a reason why YOU are pulled toward this and not someone else. Each of us is born gifted, and our goal in life is to discover what that one (or perhaps more than one) thing is and begin to dive deeper. You will be amazed at where you will arrive if you spend an hour a day for a whole year learning and perfecting your idea, talent or craft. 

We appreciate and admire Kobe today because he became one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he was just getting started. His mindset in sport was transferred into business, entertainment and writing, which set him up for high success. 

If you want to master your craft, you need to accept the fact, it will cost you something. Time is priceless, and once it is gone, you cannot return it. Get out of your comfort zone. Surround yourself with people who are ahead of you. Develop a burning desire to pursue the passions of your heart. You are a gift to this world when you open up what is inside of you.

You may have never felt qualified. You may never feel ready. Your ducks may not be lined up in a row. You may know nothing about the very thing you want to pursue, but here’s the question. Are you willing to start?

Today is determined by yesterday’s decisions. Tomorrow is determined by today’s decisions. Choose to make wise decisions. 

KK