At 13 years old, Kobe Bryant was playing summer AAU basketball and went on to score zero points that summer. Nada. Mr. Mamba Mentality scored zero points. And what he told many people was that his father embraced him as he is in tears of a tough summer and told him,
"I will always love you whether you score 100 points or 0."
It unleashed and took off a set of weights on his shoulders that propelled him to be the number one prospect in high school and the legend that we know him for today.
People always say that you need to have a 'Chip on their Shoulder' to succeed. Now that can't be more than true because there's always gotta be something bigger than yourself that pushes you through the times of dread and pain. It's that you realize that it's not just for you and that you do this for your family, country, friends, or for a cause. Oh, it's crucial, but a lot of people I know need to do the opposite. Every single person you know in this world, no matter what background or family they're from, there is an evil demon inside each and every one of them, that they are fighting.
Activity: Think of someone that has everything going their way. Preferably, someone, you don't deeply know. Now think of the demon you fight every day. Whether it's family or personal insecurity. I don't know, but you do. Now imagine what that person could be fighting. Maybe a misunderstanding but a successful father who puts pressure on them every day. Or how someone has a mother who died that has scarred that person for life. Excuse me for my language, but you don't fucking know.
A friend of mine...
Some people need to know how to put the brakes on those demons and remember why they started what they do. I want to use my boy Raflisyah Muhammed Sati as an example, and just remember this isn't just him. On the outside, he's from a wealthy family that goes to an amazing school, IMG, and smiles all the time, and knows how to have a good time. But no one but him knows all the pressure that he is under on a day-to-day basis to play good golf. After one bad tournament or a season like he had, he knows he has to play better. From his family relationship to all the people in his life that have invested so much in him, he wants to play better for them. Not to disappoint them and make them proud. That's a chip on a shoulder. Although what it does is it made him a question on a daily basis of whether he should quit golf or not.
He picked up golf for one simple reason: He loves smacking the s*** out of the ball.
He loves the game and playing golf. From the feeling of the club making perfect contact with the ball to the sound of the ball going into the cup. The simple things.
And Kobe loved hearing the swish of the ball and the sound of the basketball hitting the court floor.
ACTION: Write down two sections. Internal and External.
External: Family, Friends, Cause, or whatever that is excluding you.
Internal: Curiosity, Pride in accomplishing goals, Beauty of your craft, or whatever excluding anything on the 'outside'
example...
Why I play golf
INTERNAL
-How this game teaches me life lessons
- Makes me a better person every day
- Challenge myself on a daily basis
- The satisfaction in the sound of the ball rolling in the cup.
- The euphoria of just playing golf
EXTERNAL
- My country and culture
- Aspiring athletes and children
-The people who don't have a voice
- Coaches
- Supporters
- Grandma
- Friends
- Family
Separate the two and put it in your mirror or something you will look at every day and remember why you really play. For yourself... You don't need to remind yourself about the externals. If you're going to work so hard, you better have fun while you're doing it.