Ok
If you didn't hear Kobe Bryant will have shoulder surgery Wednesday on his torn rotator cuff, most likely ending his season. Please take 94-seconds to watch his reaction to hearing the news of how bad his injury was here:Kobe Video As a huge Kobe fan for the past 19 years hearing the news in itself was sad enough. The team has been downright awful for a few seasons and watching him battle to recover from career threatening injuries has been reminiscent to the end of the movie 300 with King Leonidus being clearly outnumbered and eventually reaching his peril.
Sticking with Greek mythology, however, the irony that the invincible Kobe tore his achilles was quite peculiar as no injury had ever really held him back. But back to that video, I was profoundly struck upon watching it.
He takes in the news of what is wrong with him. He makes sure he understands the prognosis. Then he says "Ok". When you're pushed in a corner, do you push back? Are you a victor, or a victim?
This transcends sports. He is so inspirational to me because instead of taking time to mope he accepts the challenge in his head that he knows what has to be done. You can't change the past. When a wall obstructs your path you have a singular choice to sit in defeat or put everything you have into breaking through.
I am not a world class athlete like Kobe Bryant. But I take this approach in my day to day in life. It's what has helped me cope with difficulty and excel to triumph. It's why I've gotten as far as I have in my career.
Health-wise, I'll never have a day where I wake up and won't be reminded from the damage my spine has. I'm alive though. And I fight very hard to maintain the level of pain I have. That perhaps sounds funny...but you won't really understand unless you've had it.
I'm still able to enjoy quite a bit. I just can't be as reckless as I once was. This latest injury setback taught me to slow down.
When I discovered the disc in my back had herniated again and was over 3 times bigger than when I had surgery in 2006...I felt a lot of emotions. I didn't want surgery but I feared there would be no other way. I knew it just meant I had to keep fighting. And 3 epidurals, Physical Therapy and continuous personal rehab later...I'm avoiding surgery.
Kobe has nothing left to prove. But he'll try anyway. And whatever you think...I love that he ticks that way. It's why I try to as well. As he likes to say #DifferentAnimalSameBeast.
When you face your next challenge, how will you handle it?
Peace, love and a little sarcasm, j.d.k.