Amazing Kobe Bryant, RIP

I am not much of a sports enthusiast with the exception of maybe Cricket. I certainly don’t follow Basketball.

Last Wednesday when the news of Kobe Bryant’s death along with nine others including his teenage daughter, broke out, I was shaken and sad. Despite not following the sport, I was aware of Kobe being one of the GOAT’s in Basketball.

Over the last couple of days, my Social media news feeds have thrown up multiple quotes and stories on life, leadership, work ethic, attributed to Kobe. The career results and records that he notched were just the visible tip of a hidden iceberg of extraordinary work ethic and striving for excellence. Kobe’s life was a triumph of industry over talent.

Some of the wisdom that Kobe has shared through the years is absolute gold- for anyone seeking inspiration and motivation to be at their best.

There was one particular message that I came across that I found incredible.(“Source: Showtime’s “Muse”)

“There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be GREAT at something there is a choice you have to make. We can all be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that – family time, hanging out with your friends, being a great friend. being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with that.”

This message has got stuck in my head. The message is obvious enough but the meaning is extremely profound.

Talent, Capability, Intelligence-They are all helpful up to a point for everyone. What really differentiates the Achievers from the Average, is the choices they make. The Achievers make choices that others are unwilling to commit to or make. The sacrifice is in making the difficult choice.

• Choice of doing the hard things over the easy- Practice a musical note 100 times instead of practicing 5 times even though its boring
• Choice of doing the uncomfortable things over the routine. Speak up at a Forum instead of keeping quiet, even though it is intimidating.
• Choice of sacrificing instant gratification for the long term gain- Give up watching Netflix during the weekend to practice presenting in front of a mirror for the speaking assignment I don’t have in my hand, yet.

Ultimately, the big reward we get to experience in anything we pursue, is a consequence of the hard choice we make.

Kobe’s death is a stark reminder of how short life can be, particularly when we think we have a lifetime ahead of us. It’s good to therefore ask these questions to ourselves- What worthy goal am I pursuing? What is the sacrifice I am willing to make in pursuit of this worthy goal? What is the difficult choice I will make?

If the challenge is Big and the Goal is worthy, the choice one makes will always be the difficult one.