Kobe Bryant’s legacy is on display throughout the world since the news broke of his untimely death. People have been processing their own mortality in light of what Kobe Bryant stood for.
Me too.
One thing that everyone can agree upon was his positive “Mamba Mentality” is what drove him to success and international fame.
In fact, Bryant’s Mamba mindset became such a thing that he wrote a book about it, The Mamba Mentality: How I Play. In it he wrote:
“Mamba mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time to perform. Without studying, preparation and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate… I always aimed to kill the opposition”
The Mamba mindset has inspired more than just NBA basketball players. Fans around the world use the saying to keep fighting, to keep pushing, and to have a killer mentality.
With due respect to Bryant, I wonder if there is a shadow side to the Mamba Mentality. I see my younger self in his drivenness to succeed, to leave nothing to fate as he says.
Take life into your own and live with an intensity as if it’s all up to you.
I spent many years building my own tower of success and self-importance only to realize that I had to surrender my mamba mentality to unconditional love.
The pearl of great price was finding my True Self in the heart and mind of God apart from my performance.
Whether that was on the basketball court, at my work, or in my family, my identity has always been a beloved child of God.
I know I had to live out my life to find myself but I wish I would have learned this lesson a little sooner. It seemed that Kobe had turned the corner on finding fullness and inner freedom in the second half of life.
I’m now attempting to share this perspective with those who are striving to make life work in the first half of life and need your help.
It would be great if you could answer just a couple of quick questions for me.
I’m creating a workbook to help mentorees to set goals with a spiritual foundation utilizing an Ignatian approach.
I’m trying to get a feel if there is an interest in a webinar to go through the steps together as a group. And if a quarterly encouragement group would be useful to stay focused throughout the year.
Please take a minute to answer a few questions to help me gauge the interest.
Thanks a million,
Paul
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