RIP Kobe Bryant

I got to see Kobe play once.

It was the semi final game of the 2012 Olympics. Team USA was playing Spain (I think). I remember thinking what a treat it was to be at the Olympics and getting to watch a group of people who had dedicated their lives to be the best in the world at what they did.

The last 48 hours I've been reflecting a lot on my own life in light of the tragedy of Kobe Bryant's unexpected passing on Sunday. There are a few thoughts that I want to pass onto you {First Name}.

• The promise of tomorrow is nothing but wishful thinking. All we are promised is right now.

• Money, Fame, etc... will not guarantee you a longer life nor will it guarantee you a life where you get to see all your dreams realized. Make right now matter.

• Death does not discriminate - rich, poor, sick, healthy, parents treated you well, parents treated you poorly... death comes for us all. You can't change what happened. You have full control over what you choose to make happen.

• Life is extremely fragile. The fact that you are drawing breath at this moment is a miracle in of itself. Celebrate the little miracles today {First Name}. Yes that means take a moment to celebrate yourself.

• Heal Your Pain.  This is a hard one, but it can be done.  Pain after loss is expected and understandable.  Prolonged pain is not necessary nor is it required.  There are strategies & techniques to help you heal.  An open mind and an open heart is all that is required to begin exploring them. If you find yourself struggling from pain that comes with a loss, consider taking a few moments to watch my TED talk on Healing from Loss. You can watch that here.

• Don't wait to live a life of passion, purpose, profit, happiness, joy, and fulfillment. There will always be a plethora of excuses to choose from why you can't. All you need is one good reason why you can and you should. Find that reason now.

• The death of a public figure may trigger memories that you have not thought of in some time. Be gentle on yourself. Cry when you need to cry. Allow the emotions that come up to come up. Process them aka feel through them. If you feel yourself needing a little extra love & support reach out for it. You deserve to be supported.

• Forgive. Life is so short. People make mistakes. They mess up. Forgive them. It doesn't mean you have to like them.

• Be sensitive to the friends and family who have been intimately affected by this tragedy. I shared a Facebook post with more thoughts on that here.

• Tell your people that you love them. Text them. Call them. Email them. DM them. Whatever you need to do, promise me you will let at least one person know you love them as soon as you finishing reading this.

• Be kind to yourself. In a world where we have an ongoing obsession of comparing ourselves to others, it's so easy to be unnecessarily cruel to ourselves because we believe our life is not where it should be or as great as someone else's. If this moment were to be your last, do you really want to spend it beating yourself up? Give kindness a chance.

Please do not hesitate to reach out. I'm here for you.

With love,

Jesse