“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.”

Kobe Bryant

Last week an world icon died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA that killed eight others.

Kobe Bryant was more than a hall-of-fame worthy basketball player. He represented to many, including myself, the idea that you should always do what you’re passionate about.

My personal tribute to Kobe will be at the end of this post.

Passion

An easy example to think of when talking about passion is college. Whether it was you or someone in your class, we all know someone who wasn’t invested in a certain class. Colleges typically have general education requirements for everyone looking to get a degree, maybe including classes like English and anatomy.

In anatomy class, there are the pre-med students who not only are required to take the class, but it genuinely interests them because it is apart of their career path to learn about the human body’s inner workings. Then there are the non-pre-med students: the English majors, the engineers, the pre-law students. While they may be required to take this class, it is likely not in their genuine interest to take it.

What happens in class then? The ones who aren’t interested in class may not be as inclined to be hanging on every word the professor has to say and may settle for a lower score on the exams and homework. After all, “C’s get degrees”, and it’s true and evident in this case.

The ones who are interested, on the other hand, are far more likely to utilize the professor’s office hours and go the extra mile to really understand the concepts taught in lecture.

We can take this example and see many more in the workforce. The coworker who’s at the job for the money, the one that applied because their friends also worked there, the one who applied because their career adviser/parents suggested it. All of these people lack passion for their job/career and are probably complaining about it.

What happens when you’re passionate about something?

Being passionate about anything you’re apart of increases your overall life satisfaction. It promotes you learning more about what you’re doing and understanding everything there is to understand about it.

Seeing passion in other people inspires others to do the same, because the passionate people are usually doing their passion project with a smile and determination. That’s an attractive feature of anyone: seeing a fire in their heart pushing them toward a goal.

That’s why the world loved Kobe Bryant.

My Tribute to Kobe Bryant

Dear Kobe,

You don’t know me, but you helped shape me. The way you presented yourself on and off of the basketball court truly did make an impact on how I perceived my outlook on life.

April 12, 2013. I was eleven years old, watching you play against the Warriors on a Friday night when you tore your Achilles tendon mid-game. I didn’t know anything was wrong when it happened, because you got right up to the free throw line and made both of the shots. Seeing you walk to the locker room was when I realized what just happened, and I couldn’t believe what you did. As an avid baseball fan, I would see baseball players tear their Achilles and go right to the ground, going immediately back to the locker room in a great deal of pain. I knew you were feeling that same pain as you walked off the court, and it was then that I idolized you. It was how you handled yourself in that situation: being in pain and getting the job done for your team. The Lakers won that game and I’ll never forget it.

I followed you as best as I could, occasionally being able to see you play the late games on the west coast from the east coast. I saw your last game, dropping 60 points with the world watching at 38 years old. I saw the highlights of your daughter Gigi on Bleacher Report, and how well you handled raising daughters.

I saw you create a business and a brand, and going beyond the court to help kids out on your own time. Not a lot of players give back to the company that they quit, because not many players had a passion for their career like you did, Kobe.

Thank you Kobe. Thank you for being my inspiration and a model of not only passion, but also consistency. Heaven got a good one, and I hope you finally get your well-deserved rest.

Rest in Peace Gigi Bryant, and Rest in Peace Kobe Bryant.

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Take care of yourself and someone else,

-Brandon