Last month our son Ethan (through me) gave my husband a book for Father's Day called Kobe: Life Lessons From a Legend, 2021, Nelson Pena. I try to always listen to nudges from my spirit son Ethan, as this is one way he communicates with us. Kobe Bryant, basketball superstar, was Ethan's idol. He knew every stat about Kobe's performance, every detail about his life. Ethan looked up to him as someone to emulate. When we rescued a Shih Tzu who had survived being abandoned in the north woods after having been shot up full of BB's, Ethan insisted we name him Kobe. That little dog was a tenacious fighter for sure.
Here is what I think Ethan wanted me to hear from him: my husband shared this stat from the book that astounded me---Kobe missed 14,481 shots from the field, more than any other player in NBA history, and a thousand more misses than the next closest player!
There is a lesson in that remarkable fact for all of us. Kobe paid attention to the shots he made, and was not discouraged by the shots he missed. He learned from the missed shots and didn't let those define him. How often do we get discouraged by our repeated efforts to get in shape, repair our relationships, get free from addictions, release ourselves from anxiety, soften the grip of depression? How many times must you send out your resume before you get that job? Hw many times have you taken the shot at work in hope of getting your boss's attention? How many times will you need to say "no!" to an unhealthy food choice before the weight loss sticks? How many training runs will you need before you are ready for the race?
Ethan was like Kobe, he kept trying, he kept taking that shot to free himself from addiction.
Be like Kobe. You don't know when the next shot will be a swish, so keep trying!
Comments