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24 Life Lessons Inspired by the Departure of Kobe Bryant

It’s been just over a week since basketball great Kobe Bryant tragically passed along with 8 other people along with his daughter aboard a helicopter crash.

As extremely unfortunate as that ordeal has been, it definitely puts things into perspective for me personally about how fragile life is, what’s really important for a meaningful life, and how we are not guaranteed our next breath.

As great as Kobe was, this tragedy highlights the fact that no matter what our status is, we are all human subject to our ultimate fate at any time.

However, during his time on earth, Kobe did some special things, accomplishing some great feats. His mentality and approach to challenge was inspiring for people across the world, and inspired this post containing 24 things to focus on to create a more fulfilling life:

  • Stop wasting time doing things that don’t fuel your real happiness. Because life is NOT guaranteed, it is a waste of time to be doing hollow things. Do what makes you happy.
  • Family is everything. It’s easy to take those you love for granted as if they will always be there. But the reality is that any one can be taken away at any second. Appreciate and make the most of the time you do get with them.
  • Stop sitting on your dreams. If there is something that you have been wanting to do, then go for it. You have the potential. Just plan and take action. Not to be too candid, but either your dreams will come true first, or your last moment on earth will happen first.
  • Don’t be afraid to take risks and step outside of your comfort zone. You will never be able to grow and reach your fullest potential if you don’t.
  • Embrace challenge. You will inevitably get tested in life, and there is no way around it. Use them as opportunities to learn and become better.
  • Minimize procrastination and prioritize. Start working on things that you want to do now rather than continuing to put them off. Once again, there is no guarantee that you will be here tomorrow.
  • Invest in yourself and never stop learning. The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing. Read a book. Watch national geographic. Learn a language. Keep nurturing the hardest working organ in your body. The brain.
  • Take care of your body. It is your temple. Exercise and prolong life as best as you can. You don’t have to train strenuously daily, but do something. Don’t succumb.
  • Encourage other people and be a positive light in their life. Pass on good energy to others. Make others feel good about themselves.
  • Travel and take trips outside of your everyday circles when possible. That can be a weekend drive somewhere, or a 2 week getaway. When you step outside of your bubble, you can gain clarity on where you are, and come back refreshed with stress alleviated.
  • Minimize screen time and social media. “Dark news” is more fluidly dispersed because of technology and can literally rewire your brain and cause depression. Step away from it every now and then and be present.
  • Just smile. Studies show that the simple act of smiling will trigger happy feelings, and can alter the emotional landscape of the day. Smiling is the gateway to being happy.
  • Invest in your sleep. Good sleep means better production and a better mood. Something as simple as being in bed just 30 minutes earlier can change how effective you are throughout the day. Essentially, being well rested will allow you to be more present and available.
  • Make an effort to NOT keep your feelings in. Good or bad. This will turn out to be one of the most compounding, emotionally burdensome things you can do. Talk to your partner, your friend, or safe person. Let it out.
  • Set goals and work towards something. Don’t float around. Be intentional about accomplishment. Why float aimlessly in this sea we call life. Open the sail and add some direction.
  • Be intentional about your day. Fuse your day with purpose. Be present. Complete what you do. Go to sleep knowing you made the most out of your day.
  • Social Media whether we like it or not is today’s way of getting and spreading the news. Well, use this as an opportunity to share positivity rather than negativity. Let this be the way you contribute your 1 cent to making a small positive impact on someone else’s day when they scroll their timeline. It compounds over time.
  • It takes so much more mental and emotional energy to harbor anger towards someone. Whenever possible, forgive and forget over the small things. Why take up compartment space in your mind and heart fostering anger? Use that energy to produce.
  • Hang on to your real friends. It seems like the older you get, the more difficult it is to find people who will always have your best interests at heart. Keep the good ones close.
  • Don’t just tell your wife, your husband that you love them every day. Show them. We can say “I love you” and mean it every single time, but show it to. It doesn’t have to be a major action. A small gesture like a hug, a date, cooking dinner can go a long way.
  • Be appreciative. Say thank you. Rid yourself of entitlement. Let people know that you appreciate everything they do for you.
  • Don’t feel guilty about rewarding yourself. You do something good, then treat yourself. Being thankful also includes thanking yourself. You deserve recognition for what you do too. Don’t let the self-appreciation wells go dry.
  • Pray and meditate. Isolate yourself every now and then and just be present with you. We talked about taking getaways to get clarity and perspective, well meditating and withdrawing to the self is a different way of doing the same. You can calm the senses, shift out of a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic one, and become at ease and gain just as much clarity.
  • LAUGH AND HAVE FUN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE !! Laughing and enjoying your time is proven to alter the hormonal landscape within you. Not every moment calls for a laugh, but seeing humor in things will create more joy.