My favorite Kobe picture of all time and Why.
This is my favorite picture of Kobe Bryant. I like operating at extremes. I have huge ambitions that I wouldn’t even utter because 1) They seem deluded 2) If I mentioned them it would already seem like I’ve failed my life. Anyhow, I admire people who execute at the highest levels. I like people who are willing to put in a tremendous amount of effort and sacrifice to achieve things they have a vision towards. This is a lonely path. I feel that many people do not understand my lifestyle, mindset, or the way that I operate. A lot of the things that I do seem extreme, extra, or obsessive. But I believe that certain goals require such a high level of focus and concentration and that they require atypical, uncommon behavior. Many people who do not have such a vision or belief cannot understand this behavior. Some people totally understand it. There has been a danger in my life of operating in such an extreme fashion. Moderation is something that I have just started to incorporate into my life in small doses. I’ve actually been enjoying it after a lifetime struggle with operating in an extreme, all-or-nothing way. Anyways, I have found that there are certain personalities and character traits that I am extremely compelled by. Kobe Bryant was my favorite basketball player well before he was accepted the way he is across the board. I initially got lots of hate for my love of Kobe, but I always saw a relentlessness and dedication in him that drew me to him. This is a quote about this photo I love. [Teammate] Celestand once wrote that during the 1999-2000 season, Kobe broke his wrist. Celestand was excited, because he thought with Kobe injured, he could beat him to the gym in the morning, particularly because Bryant lived over 30 minutes away from the practice facility.
Instead, when he got in the next morning, "Kobe was already in a full sweat with a cast on his right arm and dribbling and shooting with his left."
I love that there is an assumed level people think about. Oh you’re injured you don’t play. No. An adjustment will be made that will ultimately make one better.
Last year I badly injured my foot and could not walk. I was training very hard towards some goals I had involving physical strength and it was a major setback. I was on crutches and could not walk. I went to the gym every day and worked my upper body. My parents were furious and concerned. My brother was really worried and did not understand. When I went to the gym I got a lot of compliments on my dedication and drive. People would stop me to applaud my relentlessness. I loved it. I would get in a fight with my family every day on the way to the gym.
Lebron James said this about greatness “When it comes to discipline you have to sacrifice loved ones. You have to sacrifice loved ones for a long period of time if you want to be great. It is very unfortunate I am getting up every day at 5 or 6 am “ and when I get home after everyone leaves the gym I'm gonna take a nap, so you're sacrificing your loved ones because you’re not spending time with them, then I'm gonna wake up and train again, and eat dinner then go to sleep. And I'm gonna do that for a very long time.” This is what it takes to achieve a certain level of greatness, and it’s not for everyone. At all.
There are tons of people who inspire this in me. Big personalities who work really hard at achieving things through unconventional means that involve obsession, insanely hard work, and alternative routes of living. David Goggins is a king of relentlessness who has really created a mindset in me that has been both extremely beneficial and has functioned as the seeds for a mental illness. The trick is to channel this drive effectively and mitigate the destructive tendencies that relentlessness at all costs may create.
The other character is someone named Colin O'Brady. He came to my attention when I heard about his journey on a podcast. What was amazing to me was that he was in a position where he was told he would never walk again due to a reckless incident that occurred when he was jumping through fires as a stunt. He got so injured he was told he’d never walk again. His mother took him to the side when this was said to him and asked him to make a goal. He said he’d like to run a triathlon. At the moment, this was delusions of grandeur. His mother said okay, let's go, we gotta take it one step at a time. Colin ended up winning that triathlon and developing such athletic prowess that he set many world records. He was the First Person to Cross Antarctica Unaided and Unsupported. After 54 long days battling subzero temperatures, wind storms, and complete white-outs, Colin O'Brady became the first person to cross Antarctica alone, unaided without support or supply drops.
Anyways, I find these stories of resilience, achieving one’s vision, and relentless overcoming of obstacles very inspiring and am trying to find a balance between moderating certain aspects of life and channeling my obsessive tendencies to achieve many of my goals that are extremely ambitious. I am very dedicated and feel I am on a roll. I’m very excited.
Colin O’Brady discussing his trek on Joe Rogan Experience Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ksTicPQeNMjbDHE74jndN