Kobe Bryant was laid to rest today in a private ceremony as family said farewell. Kobe sent shock waves around the globe with the news of his abrupt, untimely passing. On January 26, 2020 the world lost one of the greatest basketball players of this generation. The helicopter Kobe and 8 others were in crashed in the hillside of Calabasas, California. There were no survivors. I still can’t believe it. It seems so surreal to me, like waiting to wake up from a bad dream, a nightmare. The one thing I take comfort in is that Kobe left us a great legacy. Without question, there is so much we can learn from how Kobe played the game and lived his life. Keep reading to discover what we can learn from Kobe Bryant.

Kobe at just 41 was an 18-time All Star who won 5 NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, 2 Olympic gold medals, and 4 All-star MVP (most valuable player) Awards in his historic 20-year basketball career. He also finished his career with 33,643 points. And if that was not enough, he also won an Oscar from the Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film for his 2017 film Dear Basketball. Kobe did so much in his time here. There is so much that we can learn from this legend. For me one of the biggest lessons is that what ever life throws at you, you have the power to overcome and rise from it. So use his legacy and these lessons to inspire you, to work hard, to elevate yourself beyond your breakup, to find triumph in failure and to always rise no matter what life gives you.

"Be sad. Be mad. Be frustrated. Scream. Cry. Sulk. When you wake up you will think it was just a nightmare only to realize it’s all too real. You will be angry and wish for the day back, the game back THAT play back. But reality gives nothing back and nor should you." — Kobe Bryant

Breakups do a number on us on all levels – mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially. And getting over them is never easy. Do whatever you need to do to push through it. Most important is to give yourself grace. Because it takes time, energy and a lot of effort to pick yourself up, get over your ex and move on. Yes there will be really bad, ugly cry days. Get it out of your system. You might need an exorcism. But get it our of your system. As Kobe says, “reality gives nothing back”. So when it is all said and done, leave it in the rear-view mirror of your life and keep it moving.

"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise." — Kobe Bryant

Breakups suck. They are terribly painful. Your life feels your it is spinning out of control and you feel absolutely gutted. But like Kobe said, they are an opportunity to rise. The thing is, you always have a choice in how you respond to what happens in your life. I chose to use my breakup to my financial advantage. Instead of allowing my breakup to break me. I used it to build me. Because I refused to let it devastate me or my life. So, you have to make up your mind that you are better than your breakup. Then you have to use that energy to as fuel transform your life. At the end of the day, your breakup is what you make it. Period! The decision is yours. And you don’t need anyone’s permission. So, don't be a victim, be a victor!

“When you master mental toughness, you discover what you’re capable of achieving, getting results you never imagined reaching the highest level of success—and then going even higher.” ― Kobe Bryant

Breakups are hard. They test you to the extreme. You have to really dig deep within yourself to overcome the emotional and, mental fall out. The aftermath of a breakup is brutal. The key to getting through it is your mindset and becoming mentally and emotionally tough. The biggest lesson I learned from my breakup was that I was stronger than I thought. It wasn’t easy. But I got through it and so can you. Honestly, I am better because of it. If it were not for my breakup, I would have never created Banking from Breakup. My breakup taught me what I was capable of and so much more. Also I do not think I would have learned the lessons I did had it not been for my breakup. So, use your breakup as fuel as a catalyst to push your forward.

“I had to organize things. So I created the ‘Black Mamba’. So Kobe has to deal with these issues, all the personal challenges. The Black Mamba steps on the court and does what he does. I’m destroying everybody that steps on the court.”

The inspiration for Kobe’s Black Mamba came from the movie “Kill Bill”. That was the primary motivation. In the movie black mamba snake is used to kill another character. If you know anything about snakes the black mamba is one of the longest, fastest and deadliest snakes in the world. They are known for their "speed, length, bite, strike and their temperament". Kobe saw himself as all of these things. As the Black Mamba, Kobe became an assassin on the court. He utilized this assassin-like mentality to dominate the game and life, both on and off the court. This is the power of having an alter ego, another self. Your alter ego picks up the slack and gets things done. It was my alter ego that helped me get over my ex and move on from my breakup. 

“The mindset isn’t about seeking a result—it’s more about the process of getting to that result. It’s about the journey and the approach. It’s a way of life. I do think that it’s important, in all endeavors, to have that mentality.”
― Kobe Bryant

How you think about your breakup is key. Your perception is your reality. If you see your breakup as a bad thing, then that is what it is for you. You give things meaning in your life. For me it was important to realize that my breakup happened for me and not to me. From that perspective I chose to see my breakup as an opportunity. This allowed me to go through the process of getting over my ex and moving on very differently than I had in the past. I embraced the process and the journey. Not only that I created my own approach with Banking from Breakup. At the end of the day, you want to focus on the process, the journey and the approach. So, the good news is that you control how you navigate those things. That is the power of embracing the right mindset. 

“To be the best you need a different approach from everyone else.” ― Kobe Bryant

When I was blindsided by my breakup on my birthday, I knew that I didn’t want to do my breakup the same way as I had done in the past. Being consumed by anger and wanting revenge were not the answer. If nothing else, I was going to do it things different. And that is exactly what I did. It’s so true that experience is a great teacher. With age comes wisdom. So if you want a different result from how you have handled breakups in the past, you need a “different approach from everyone else”. That is why I created Banking from Breakup. There was no way I was going down without swinging. My breakup was not going to emotionally annihilate me or take me out mentally. Nope. As my gran always said, “take front, before front takes behind”. All that means is to take control of the outcome and don’t let the situation catch you off guard. The best advice hands down. 

“If you want to be a better player, you have to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more.” ― Kobe Bryant

Getting over your ex and moving on from your breakup requires planning and preparation. You don’t just wake up one day and bam you’re over it. I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately it’s not. A lot of people say that time heals all sadness. But I’ve learned that is not true. Time just passing doesn’t heal you. It is what you do in that time that makes all the difference. So you just can’t passively sit there and wait. Because nothing changes if you don’t change. And change requires work, effort and energy. You have to put in the time and do the work. As Kobe said, “you have to prepare, prepare and prepare some more”. At the end of the day you are better than your breakup.

Your breakup happened. But what you do is up to you. Do you choose to win or wallow? Your breakup is just that, a breakup. You are not your breakup. You are so much better. Always know that everyday you have a choice of how you greet the day and ultimately how you live your life. Tomorrow is not promised. There are no guarantees. We are all living on borrowed time. We all get the exact 24 hours in the day. So I encourage you to choose you and to live your greatness. Kobe Bryant has given us so many priceless lessons. In the words of Kobe, "You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling. We can all put one foot in front of the other.” So, "have a good time. Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged.”

I could not end this post with out my sharing my deepest, heart-felt condolences. My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the tragic crash. Rest in peace Kobe Bean Bryant, Gianna "Gigi" Marie Onore Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan. You are all missed. You’ll never be forgotten. I am praying for your families at this difficult time. May they find the peace, strength, power and courage they need to get through this unimaginable loss. “Mamba Out.”

If you found this post useful and of value please feel free to share it on your social media or with a friend who needs to hear this. I appreciate you.

The information provided within this article is for general informational purposes only. While we try to keep the information up-to-date and correct, there are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this article for any purpose. Any use of this information is at your own risk. It is clearly understood that the information contained within herein is strictly for educational and entertainment purposes. If you wish to apply ideas contained in this article you are taking full responsibility for your actions.  As noted, this article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in health, wellness, business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Paid Endorsement Disclosure: In order to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only recommend products that I wholeheartedly believe to be valuable or that I use personally myself.